Much of the remembered history of Virginia basketball before the turn of the century was centered on Ralph Sampson and the success in the 80’s. Thanks to Tony Bennett there’s a brand new chapter of success in Cavaliers history. After a few slow seasons early in the century, Bennett joined the program in 2009 and led Virginia to its first ever national title just ten seasons later while building team after team that won ACC titles and competed for national relevance.
Today we’re looking back on that recent success and this entire era since the turn of the century. We’ll be identifying the Mount Rushmore of Cavaliers basketball, looking at the four top players for Virginia in this recent span. You won’t be surprised to see a name or two from that title team and some other impressive talent that has come to Charlottesville and starred in the ACC.
Malcolm Brogdon
An unquestioned part of lists like this, Brogdon had an enormous role in Virginia basketball in the 2010’s and was the first big superstar igniting Bennett’s era. He put up decent figures on a Tournament team as a freshman in 2012 before missing the entire next season due to a foot injury. Once back in the lineup, Brogdon became that star, a full-time starter in Virginia’s backcourt and sensational scorer and defender who left himself near the tops of many program records by the end of his playing days.
In all, Brogdon played in four NCAA Tournaments, helping the Cavaliers to the Sweet Sixteen as a sophomore before more gaudy production in year three as an All-American. His second season remains among the most productive ever in Charlottesville, becoming ACC Player of the Year and Defensive Player of the Year as well as a First Team All-American while averaging 18.2 points per game and leading the ACC in free throw shooting. Brogdon’s final salvo was leading the Cavaliers to the Elite Eight, putting quite the cap on an insanely productive season and career.
Kyle Guy
A fantastic guard who truly endeared himself to the Virginia community, Guy was a heralded part of the recruiting class when he arrived in 2016 and would leave three years later a champion. Before that departure, he’d develop into one of the best pure shooters in the ACC while playing an enormous role in Virginia’s rise. His sophomore year was stunningly ended with that shocking loss to UMBC but everyone knows the story of the following season.
Guy put up 15.4 points, 4.5 rebounds, and 2.1 assists per game while shooting nearly 43% from beyond the arc in his junior season. Not only was Guy named an All-American for a second time, he earned several ACC honors and led the nation in made 3-pointers. His junior year would end with Virginia’s first national championship, with Guy’s important free throws in the Final Four win at Auburn in the final moment still a huge part of that title run and its lore. The Most Outstanding Player of the 2019 NCAA Tournament may have left for the NBA after just three years but we’re clear on the legacy he left behind.
De’Andre Hunter
Another key piece of an important recruiting class, Hunter also made his way to Charlottesville in 2016 but his path to stardom was different. His first year at Virginia was a redshirt year, allowing him that season to learn Bennett’s system and further develop as a player and he was certainly better off for it. Hunter got significant minutes off the bench in his first season and neared double-digit points per game, but an injury kept him out of that historic loss to UMBC.
Hunter more than made up for lost time in his sophomore season while becoming a great scorer and focal point during a national title run. Hunter averaged 15.2 points and 5.1 rebounds while taking another big step forward on both sides of the court. He was named ACC Defensive Player of the Year and a Third Team All-American before playing an enormous role in Virginia’s run to the program’s first title. His final game as a Cavalier featured a 27-point showing in the title game over Texas Tech before taking his talents to the next level.
Sean Singletary
Even before Bennett’s arrival there was still significant talent at Virginia during the early 2000’s. Singletary may be a name that newer fans don’t remember but he was a fantastic scoring guard throughout his career with the Cavaliers. From 2004 to 2008 the former Top 50 recruit from Philadelphia started all 123 games he played for Virginia, including a trip to the Big Dance and a boatload of memorable moments.
As a sophomore, Singletary was already averaging more than 17 points a game, but as an upperclassman he was closer to 20, averaging 19.8 points and 6.1 assists a night as a senior. Singletary wasn’t surrounded with as much talent as on some of those later teams, but he was named First Team All-ACC three years in a row and left Charlottesville fifth all-time in scoring in Virginia history. His sensational play won’t be forgotten, including a couple of nice performances during a brief 2007 NCAA Tournament run.
Add us as a preferred source on Google