24. Virginia
Projected Starting Five: Kihei Clark, Reece Beekman, Armaan Franklin, Jayden Gardner, Kadin Shedrick
A lot of questions must be answered by Tony Bennett’s group entering the 2022-23 season. Virginia is coming off its worst season in years, finishing 6th in the ACC with a 12-8 record — the most conference losses for Virginia since 2011. Perhaps most concerning was the defensive drop-off as the Cavaliers finished 167th in defensive rating — the lowest mark during Bennett’s tenure.
The defense will likely stabilize as it always has under Bennett’s reign. The question for the Cavaliers which has persisted since the DeAndre Hunter, Ty Jerome, and Kyle Guy trio left for the NBA: Will they have enough scoring to keep up with the other top teams? One thing working in Virginia’s favor this year is roster continuity as its top-6 scorers from last year return. Look for Jayden Gardner to set the tone on the offensive end. The East Carolina transfer averaged nearly 20 PPG with the Pirates two seasons ago.
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