Virginia Cavaliers: 22-10, 11-7 in the ACC
Head coach: Tony Bennett (8th season)
Players to watch: London Perrantes (12.5 PPG, 3.8 APG, 38.0 3PT%); Devon Hall (8.7 PPG, 4.4 RPG, 38.6 3PT%); Kyle Guy (7.8 PPG, 50.5 3PT%)
Season recap: Following a 10-1 nonconference slate that featured a 56-52 win at California, Virginia started the conference season with a statement win on the road at then-No. 6 Louisville and jumped out to a 7-2 league record by the end of January. February, however, was not kind to the Cavaliers. After first drubbing Virginia Tech 71-48, Virginia went on to lose five of its next six games, including four in a row.
Since that skid, the Cavaliers ended the regular season on a high note by picking up three straight wins, including a home victory to avenge an earlier loss against North Carolina. Virginia earned the sixth seed in the ACC tournament and went 1-1, falling to Notre Dame for the first time since the Fighting Irish joined the ACC.
As has been typical since head coach Tony Bennett took over the program eight years ago, Virginia’s success in 2016-17 has been the result of its pesky pack-line defense. The Cavaliers feature the top scoring defense in the country, surrendering just 55.6 points per game.
Offensively, Virginia relies on a balanced attack, with just one player—London Perrantes—averaging double figures. Although Perrantes is the lone senior on the team, redshirt junior Devon Hall and junior Marial Shayok provide additional experience for a well-disciplined unit. Inserting rookie sharpshooters Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome into the starting lineup paid dividends for the Cavaliers late in the season, and Virginia will look to drain 3-pointers early to avoid falling behind in NCAA tournament games.
How they make a run: Perrantes, Guy and Jerome heat up from beyond the arc and the Cavaliers shut down offenses unfamiliar with the pack-line defense en route to yet another Sweet 16.
How they falter: As was the case against Notre Dame in the ACC tournament quarterfinals, Virginia cannot find its offensive rhythm if an opponent shuts down Perrantes, leading to an early-round exit.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.