Virginia has some reason to be excited
with the arrival of new Head Coach Dave Leitao. Former coach
Pete Gillen never got the Cav’s program up to its potential and
Leitao will have to make strides quickly to avoid the wrath of
Virginia fans, but the rage is likely to continue for at least
one more season.
Who’s Out:
Devin Smith led the squad with 16.5 points per game. Elton Brown
led the team with 8.1 rebounds per contest and added 12.8
points. Adding to the loss in the frontcourt is Jason Clark.
Clark only played in 13 contests, but started 12, averaging 6.7
points and 5.2 boards.
Who’s In:
The frontcourt questions will have to be answered by freshmen
Laurynas Mikalauskas and Sam Warren. Mikalauskas, a 6-8 forward
originally from Lithuania, has been adding strength to his 250
pound frame. He’s a decent finisher under the basket and will
never lack in the aggressiveness department. Warren is athletic,
but needs to develop his skills. The Englewood, Colorado product
has a big upside, but is most likely a year or two away from
being a major contributor. Guard Mamadi Diane has a nice stroke
from everywhere on the floor and has the potential to be a great
scorer for the Cavaliers.
Who to Watch:
Sean Singletary had a remarkable freshman
season and if he continues to improve, Virginia could finally
become a consistent force in the ACC. Singletary, a 6-0 180
pound Philadelphia product averaged 10.5 points and 3.9 assists
per contest. He turned the ball over 2.4 times per game, but
that number should go down with a year of experience under his
belt. Perhaps Singletary’s best attribute is his defensive
peskiness. He’ll stay with the best of the opposition guards,
which resulted in 1.7 steals per game a season ago.
Projected Conference Rank:
It will take some time to adapt to Dave
Leitao. Along with the newcomers, roleplayers Adrian Joseph and
Jason Cain have to answer the questions in the frontcourt.
Neither averaged more than 14 minutes a game last year. The
backcourt is fine, but the frontcourt, without any surprising
performances, will have major problems in the ACC. An 11th
place finish in the conference isn’t what the folks in
Charlottesville want to see, but at least there is promise for
the future with the coaching change and no impact seniors on the
roster.
Projected Post-season Tournament:
none
Projected Starting Five:
Sean Singletary, Sophomore, Guard, 10.5 points per game
J.R. Reynolds, Junior, Guard, 10.7 points per game
T.J. Bannister, Junior, Guard, 4.3 points per game
Gary Forbes, Junior, Forward, 9.4 points per game
Jason Cain, Junior, Forward, 2.6 points per game
