Ricky Dimon
Show Bio
March Madness is here. It’s going to be a lot different in 2021 with the entire NCAA Tournament in one location, but having been cancelled in 2020 the players are going to be even more enthused than usual and the bettors will be especially eager. With the regular season wining down, it’s time to start looking ahead at the teams that can expect to be serious National Championship contenders. We’ll be breaking them down one by one, and our series continues with the 15th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers.
Virginia Cavaliers basketball
Performance last five NCAA Tournaments: Second Round, Elite Eight, Second Round, First Round, National Champion
Ranking: 15
Coach: Tony Bennett
Star player: Sam Hauser, Jay Huff, Kihei Clark
Main strengths: Defense and controlling the pace of games
Biggest weakness: Inconsistent offense and coronavirus concerns
Record: 18-6
Virginia Cavaliers NCAA Tournament Odds
Virginia Cavaliers prospects
Virginia’s style of play is such that it plays a ton of close games that are obviously low-scoring. That would serve the Cavaliers against a heavy favorite like Baylor or Gonzaga, as anything could happen in the final minute if they kept it within a few points. But it’s tough to win a whole bunch of games in a row like that. UVA managed to do it during its 2019 run, but that was when Bennett had plenty of future NBA talents on his team. That isn’t the case this time around. Throw coronavirus issues into the equation and it’s hard to see the Wahoos contending for a national title or even for the Final Four run. A tough draw as the No. 4 seed in Gonzaga’s region with Ohio in the opening round does not help.
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