Football has holes open up, some filled

Before I begin talking about Virginia football, let's all take a moment and bask in our No. 3 basketball team.

Some Justin Anderson highlights:

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A cool article on "Old Man Brogdon" from the Sabre


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Ok, now let's begin.

Max Valles Declares for NFL Draft

This one comes as a surprise following a Twitter post on December 10 -- the same day as DE Eli Harold declared for the NFL -- where Valles stated, "I don't know where everyone is hearing it from but I did not declare for the NFL draft. I'm staying at UVA"

But the sophomore announced today via Twitter that he was indeed following his pass rushing bookend to the pros. Of course, I am thrilled for the man. Who can be sad when a dynamic player gets to pursue his dream of playing at the highest level?

Still, I question whether the decision was truly in his best interest. Yes, he will certainly be drafted, but from what I've heard, not until the fourth or fifth round. My concern is that given another year to truly develop his skills, he could potentially double his salary.

Check out this link that lists the slotted contracts of NFL draftees based on where they were selected. Let's say Valles is drafted at the beginning of the first round -- a relatively high selection given his circumstances. He would have a four year deal worth about $2 million. Now say he develops and moves up as a first or second round prospect for the 2016 draft; he could have the same four year deal worth double that amount. Also, he'd be more likely to climb the board a year later since this class has an abundance of good pass rushers.

And this isn't just about money either. NFL teams are very impatient. Even when players have potential, if there is little production after year one, they can easily be drafted over. I doubt that will be the case for Valles, but if he get's injured in training camp and misses the season, there are no guarantees in the NFL.

Of course, the counter argument is that he gets injured here and never gets a fair chance at the pros. More recently, think of Chase Minnifield; he was a second round prospect before knee injuries prevented a single team from drafting him. For a more extreme example, think Marcus Lattimore.

Regardless though, I'm thankful for his brief career in Charlottesville. He finished with 18 career tackles for loss and 13 sacks. (Just imagine the numbers he could put up if he played four years!).

This puts us in an interesting dilemma for next year as a once feared pass rush lost its two leading sack-masters. Look for both Mike Moore and Kwontie Moore to see more time as edge rushers. Also, this makes Andrew Brown's return to 5-star form all the more critical. Trent Corney will see 3rd down snaps, and also look for the development of another speed rusher, like Valles and Harold.

Tom O'Brien Retires

Unlike the Valles situation, this one was far from unexpected. In fact, after reading a Doug Doughty article a couple weeks ago, I was surprised it was not already official.

O'Brien's second stint with the university was one of disappointment. As the associate head coach, no one really knew what he did. And whatever he did do, the program failed to improve.

And then after running out our biggest playmaker -- TE Jake McGee -- he failed to get the other tight ends to produce last season.

The hiring was once heralded. I, in fact, was a large supporter. After coaching the likes of Matt Ryan, Russell Wilson, and Mike Glennon, I thought he could develop one of our QBs into at least a respectable threat. Between Watford, Lambert, and Johns, though, that never happened.

So long, Tom. Enjoy retirement. 

Tra Nicholson Gets a Fifth Year

I honestly didn't know this one was up in the air. Mike London made it seem very clear that the stud corner would be back. I guess he was right, at least.

The hardship waver will allow Nicholson to bolster what should be a fairly strong secondary. Anthony Harris will be hard to replace, but Nicholson should fill in just fine for Brandon Phelps. The presence of Quin Blanding and Maurice Canady should help to give the secondary three quality starters, all with NFL potential.

They can only help a young front seven with just three returning starters.

UNC WR T.J. Thorpe Transfers to Virginia

The former Tar Heel (who by the way, if you haven't heard, caught the game-winning touchdown against us last season ... note the sarcasm) decided to forgo his senior season in Chapel Hill and convert over to the good side.

The 6-foot 200 pound WR -- a former 4-star recruit -- was the No. 15 WR in the class of 2011. He will not have to redshirt a season since he has already graduated.

Expect Thorpe's biggest impact to come in the return game. With the graduation of Darius Jennings and the likely promotion of Taquan Mizzell to an every-down role, Thorpe is the obvious candidate to take over kick return duties, especially after leading the ACC in kick return average as a true freshman in 2011.

Although I'm not sure if he has experience in this role, look for him to handle punt returns too with Khalek Sheperd moving on and coaches probably unwilling to give Dominique Terrell, who is returning after redshirting last season, another opportunity.

That being said, there is no reason to expect nothing short of another open competition at WR again. If Thorpe can earn his role, he'll be more than welcome to contribute. Last season he caught 16 balls for 237 yards and three touchdowns.

UVa Picks Up WR Commitment in Warren Craft

After de-committing from a Virginia Tech basketball scholarship with the departure of former coach James Johnson, the Roanoke, Va. native will join our football program.

I'm not going to pretend to know much about high school football, but he must be a heck of an athlete since he earned a DI scholarship after just two years of high school football.

We only really had competition for Craft, who currently does not have a "star" rating by rivals or scout, from UNC.

I'd expect Craft to redshirt, especially given his inexperience. At 6-2 and 185 pounds, he's likely to provide another big-body target for whoever our quarterback winds up being in the future. 

As always, Go Hoos!

I'll have another

As we wrap up the calendar year, it's time to celebrate another 365 days of getting to cheer for one of the most consistent athletic programs in the country. We placed fourth in the directors cup, won numerous ACC titles, and even two national championships -- one team and one individual.

Just ignore football and softball, and you have yourself a consistent winner in basically every varsity sport. That's tough to do.

Even as we bash Littlepage over football (which we have every right to do), we still must remember the that he has done an exceptional job building winners out of non-revenue sports. And in the 2014 calendar year, we even saw our men's basketball team ascend to among the nation's elite.

So like every other UVa athletics site/blog, I'm going to recap the top-five moments of 2014 Virginia athletics. But here's a twist: this is from a pure excitement standpoint. That means even though Danielle Collins won the women's singles title, it's not going to rank very high, because let's face it, who actually watches women's collegiate tennis?

I'm sure you already have a pretty good idea of what these moments will be, but just take a step back, relax, and enjoy a couple minutes of joy!

Honorable Mentions

Women's swimming ACC title

Swimming and diving 35-year head coach Mark Bernadino and his 27 ACC titles were oddly forced out following the 2012-2013 season. In stepped Augie Busch.

While the men's team was not up to par, failing to win a 7th consecutive ACC title, the women's team was among the best in the nation. They claimed a 7th straight conference title trophy and finished 11th at the NCAA meet. 

Led by talented athletes such as Courtney Bartholomew, Leah Smith, and Laura Simon, look for the women to climb even higher in the national rankings in 2015.

Women's lacrosse final 4

The women's lacrosse team has had a couple up and down years, based on the program's history. The 2014 season appeared to be one of those down years.

But head coach Julie Myers rallied her troops and harnessed the potential the ladies had just in time for the NCAA tournament.

The result? Victories against Princeton and North Carolina before a final four loss to Syracuse. 

Five players were named all-ACC. Midfielder Courtney Swan and defender Morgan Stephens will compete on the US national team for 2014-2015.

Louisville win

Because of our University's unwillingness to adhere to its motto of "Uncompromised Excellence" for our football team, no football moment will eclipse the top 5. Still, this was a pretty fun win.

We lead for much of the way, but nearly pulled another classic Mike London heartbreaker by allowing two fourth quarter scoring drives. But a muffed punt allowed for a late Ian Frye field goal and an eventual Virginia win.

Fans rushed the field, and Mike London professed to his players that this team was "legitimate". As we all know, that declaration was perhaps a little premature. 

The win was our only over a ranked opponent.

 

Canaan Severin Catch

This one is a must include based on sheer individual effort. To put simply, Severin was a nobody coming into the season. But he lost about 20 pounds and became a solid possession receiver from the slot.

This catch was the highlight of his season (and perhaps the team's), earning the No. 2 ranking on Sports Center top 10 plays. It capped a dominant win over Miami.

Men's Lacrosse vs. Loyola

Dom Starsia's squads just haven't been the same since our national title in 2011. In fact, to begin last season, we blew an 8-goal lead against Loyola. It looked all but lost as we trailed by one with 17 ticks remaining.

But then Mick Parks won the ensuing faceoff and Ryan Tucker sent a cannon into the back of the net with .1 seconds remaining. James Pannell went on to score the winner in OT.

Danielle Collins National Title

I said this wouldn't be ranked very high, but it most certainly still deserves credit. Collins took both sets in the championship match, including 11 straight points to rally from a 5-3 deficit in the second set.

The Top 5!

5) Women's Soccer Falls just Short of Championship

Coach Steve Swanson led the women's soccer team to an 23-3 record (9-1 ACC). Unfortunately, all three losses came against Florida State, including the national championship game.

Still, it was another season to remember for Swanson, whose squad outscored its opponents 23-2 in five NCAA tournament matches before the final. Morgan Brian was a Hermann Trophy finalist, while Makenzy Doniak, Danielle Colaprico, and Emily Sonnett earned all-American honors. 

4) UVa Men's Soccer Natty

We hear lots of sports stories about improbable runs. This has to rank among the best of them.

The Cavaliers, with preseason expectations galore, struggled throughout the season and were thrashed early in the ACC tournament.

But coach George Gelnovatch rallied his squad, and behind an impressive defensive effort, led his team to the NCAA championship after a 4-2 PK shootout win against UCLA.

The game incited controversy over Gelnovatch's passive offensive gameplan, but another natty is another natty! And a collective applause in Clemons Library during finals week was pretty neat!

3) Baseball CWS Run

Virginia swept through the NCAA field, defeating Ole Miss and then TCU in 15 innings before facing Vanderbilt in the CWS final. Unfortunately, the Cavaliers fell victim to a horrific third inning in the first game by Nathan Kirby, where he allowed eight runs.

Virginia rallied, but still fell 9-8. After taking the second game 7-2, the Wahoos fell just short in the deciding game three, falling 3-2. 

2) ACC Tournament Title

Some might disagree on the order of the final two, but like I said above, this list is based on excitement. Unfortunately, we had to share Greesboro with several other ACC schools.

Regardless, this tournament win over Duke was a stamp of national credibility. It seemed only us fans and Dicky V were believers before this win. Afterwards, we ended up taking a No. 1 seed and finishing No. 3 in the AP poll.

Oh yeah, and Coach K getting a technical was icing on the cake!

1) Defeating Syracuse for Regular Season ACC Title

This jumps the tournament title because of the JPJ crowd. They were just electric.

Dicky V was in town for the first time in 10+ years and we claimed our first outright ACC regular season championship since 1981. So much for the unbalanced schedule.

The win capped a magical regular season that gave the Cavalier faithful a much needed reprieve from years of irrelevancy on the national stage. And it appears this year's team could follow a similar path.

Happy New Year. And as always, Go Hoos!

Moving on up

The last time I wrote a post, we had just beat Tennessee State, 79-36, to improve to 5-0. I, like everyone, was obviously excited. But I still had some fundamental concerns about this team.

Did we have a shooter that could stretch the floor? Could Justin Anderson keep up his torrid pace? Would London Perrantes regain form? How would the freshmen fit into the rotation?

But after an impressive week knocking off both Maryland and VCU on the road and then a 49-point dismantling of Harvard -- the Ivy league champions that have made the tournament the past several years -- my doubts have essentially been erased.

First off, everyone on the team has improved their shot, making us more diverse and that much more dangerous. I was very concerned about the loss of Joe Harris because he was a guy that could consistently drain jumpers while guys like Malcolm Brogdon and Justin Anderson drove to the hoop.

But this season, it seems that basically anyone playing the 1-3 positions (and even the 4 when Evan Nolte is on the floor) is a threat to shoot. Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson, Shayok, Hall, and Nolte all have legitimate jumpers that must be respected.

Instead of essentially relying on one guy and then taking contributions where they come like we did a year ago, most of our lineup can knock down an open trifecta. If that's not scary to opposing defenses, it damn well should be.

Specifically, junior G/F Justin Anderson has been the biggest surprise. Perhaps he shouldn't be, given that he played starters' minutes a season ago en route to ACC 6th man of the year. But that was primarily for his dunks and defensive energy consistently coming off the bench.

This new version of Justin is a complete player -- an NBA prospect. He is shooting 60% from beyond the arc while leading us with 15.1 points per game (2 more than Malcolm, who is second on the team). Meanwhile, he still has the capability to guard essentially any position on the court.

The junior is in the top five in Kenpom's player of the year rankings and steadily moving up draft boards. Don't consider it a forgone conclusion that he will be in Charlottesville at this time next year.

Now for Perrantes, who had some early season struggles -- he missed the opener against JMU due to suspension and had some uncharacteristic turnovers early on. But as he nears 100% after recovering from a foot injury, he appears to be back.

While only averaging three points per game and shooting just 26% from deep, he maintains an assist-to-turnover ration of three -- which considering his slow start, is pretty good.

Bennett has said London is more of a rhythm shooter and seems to have found his groove in practice. I'm hoping -- and inclined to believe -- that his form will come as a shooter like it did a year ago when he buried some clutch three's in big-time moments. But even if he doesn't, his CaliSwag has done plenty so far in simply distributing the rock. Any points are an added bonus.

And finally, let me address the rotation. I had absolutely no idea how it would play out. Would Hall sub in for Perrantes and Brogdon? Would Wilkins or Nolte be the first off the bench in the front court? How about who would even start -- Tobey or Atkins? And at what position would Shayok see most of his action.

So far, a lot of these questions are still unanswered. But that has turned out to be for the best.

Last season, we had a pretty set eight-man rotation with the starters -- Perrantes, Brogdon, Harris, Mitchell, and Tobey -- with Anderson, Gill, and Atkins as the primary subs, with a splash of Nolte here and there.

But this year, Bennett has more depth to toy with than he ever has. For that reason, he can adjust the rotation to create the better matchup with our opponent.

For example, Wilkins saw a lot of early season minutes, but played a minimal part in the victory against VCU. The reason? Nolte's experience and ball handling was more of an advantage against the havoc.

Similarly, some games Hall and Shayok split pretty equal minutes, giving them both rest as well as experience. But other games Hall doesn't see the floor. It's not because Hall can't play -- he most certainly can -- but because Shayok's athleticism provides a better matchup.

We have 10 guys that can play and be effective, and like an NFL coach with his inactive list, Bennett is able to manipulate his lineup game-to-game to find the 9 guys that matchup best against the opponent.

And diving even further, this can only help us as ACC and tournament play approach. Not only will guys have to play fewer minutes, but practice will also me more beneficial as they go up against better players. Oh yeah, and only Atkins is a senior. Bennett has built the sustained success he predicted.

Now we have climbed to No. 5 in both major polls, and the Kenpom computer rankings actually have us No. 2 -- only behind Kentucky!

When I look ahead, there are no clear losses. Obviously Duke and Louisville will be tough tests, but there is not a team on the schedule we can't beat. Sure, we'll probably pick up two or three conference losses along the way, but those should be losses that garner excitement and perhaps court storming by the opponent.

As the national pundits are finally realizing, this Virginia program is a legitimate national title contender. It's about time the "boring" stigma go, replaced by the notion of the most well-coached, best defensive team in the country.

As always, Go Hoos!

Hot N Cold

If you're like me, you're still pretty upset over the loss in Blacksburg last night.

Freezing my tail off surrounded by Hokies, there was definitely some jawing, but also some good football conversations. But at the end of the day, a loss is a loss. They had a good night. I did not.

Regardless, we could overanalyze that game and get mirror results of UVa football this past decade. I'm not going to do that.

Instead, I was looking back over some of my preseason previews and predictions this morning and some things caught my eye.

I pride myself on knowing UVa football like the back of my hand. Sometimes I was right, but just as often, I was wrong.

Where I was Right

1. Quin Blanding and Anthony Harris. Not that this was a tough one to figure out, but the duo was about as good as you can ask for. Especially Blanding, who probably only has two more seasons in Charlottesville remaining.
2. Linebackers. Not like this one was hard to decipher either with two seniors in Coley and Romero and a great pass rusher in Valles. Coley was great against the run and as a blitzer, but he was a weak spot in coverage -- he was often subbed out in the nickel package as the season progressed. I'm hoping he gets a shot in the NFL as a two-down linebacker.
3. Solid years by Eli Harold, Mike Moore, and David Dean. These guys were the major reason our run defense was so stout.
4. Tight end. Zach Swanson never stepped up, struggling with drops (he almost dropped his touchdown against Tech) and blocking. Rob Burns was non-existent. This is a huge area of concern for next season.
5. Offensive line shuffle. I didn't pick the right starting five, but I did say we would rotate a bunch of guys and generally struggle. Check.
6. Matt Johns. I technically should split my credit on this one since I did project him as the No. 3 guy, but I did say -- in the practices I attended -- that he did at times look better than Greyson Lambert. He also started several games. For a guy that had never thrown a pass before the UCLA game, I'll give myself a little pat on the back.
7. Preseason predictions. Believe it or not, I picked our first 11 games correctly (see here). Unfortunately, I had us beating Tech. I think we would have all preferred for me to go 12-for-12 here.

Where I was Wrong

1. I was higher on the corners coming into this season. Part of the underachieving performance was thanks to the injury of Nicholson, but Canady struggled in the second half of the season. And with Tim Harris and DreQuan Hoskey, you know you're getting two mediocre corners. I got a little too excited here back in the summer.
2. Andrew Brown -- I projected him as a starter. Not quite. Call it injuries, but he didn't lived up to his Gatorade High School player of the year award. Everyone says the talent is obvious, so hopefully with a full offseason, he can develop into the stud we were hoping for.
3. Returners. I had Dominique Terrell -- not Khalek Shepherd -- returning punts. I also projected Taquan Mizzell to have more return yards than Darius Jennings. I think to all of our surprises, Jennings had 677 kick-return yards with a 27.1 average. Not too shabby. (Smoke had 208 yards at 23.1 yards per pop).
4. Speaking of Mizzell, I expected him to be more explosive. He never really got out into space, and when he did, he read his blocks poorly. Even against Va. Tech on that 54-yard reception, I'm disappointed that the supposedly fastest guy on our team couldn't take it to the house. It cost us four points; it could have been the difference.
5. Wide Receiver. I doubt I'm alone on this, but with a combined 9 catches for 78 yards coming into the season, I did not expect neither Gooch nor Severin to emerge. Gooch provided a big target on the outside and in the redzone, while Severin -- about 20 pounds lighter -- proved his value from the slot. I also thought Kyle Dockins and Keeon Johnson would have breakout-type of years. I guess I picked the wrong duo.

All and all, not too bad. I just wish it would have translated to more than five wins.

Still, as always, Go Hoos. On to next year. (Maybe sixth time is the charm for London!)

It's time to back London

Let me address what's on everyone's minds -- Mike London's retention by athletic director Craig Littlepage.

As I made quite clear to my followers after the UNC loss, I was all in for firing London. About a month later, that still hasn't really changed.

I don't care that we've been competitive in basically every game (except Georgia Tech) because if we're competitive, then we should be winning. Fans are tired of losing shit.

Just look at the attendance figures. We averaged less than 40,000 fans at home games for the first time since 1994. NEWSFLASH: we only had ~45,000 seats in 1994.

Hell, even against Miami -- a game we thoroughly dominated, let me add -- we saw classic London mistakes. Settling for three field goals within the opponent's 10-yard line. Nearly a 12-men on the field penalty. Forgive me for sounding repetitive, but these are mistakes that just can't be made year after year. Not at a DI, power-five conference program that shells out the money we do.

However, I can't really argue with the logic by Littlepage and co. They were looking for one thing this season -- progress. In their eyes -- and after a lowly two win season, in most's eyes -- no one will argue that we progressed.

They looked at the schedule. As a post on Streaking the Lawn said, we might have been bowl eligible in October with Duke's schedule.

They looked at the recruiting. New coaches, especially from out of state, take a while to forge relationships with the instate guys. Keeping London eliminates this problem.

And they also looked at the UVa culture. As a student at the University, I can tell you we've had about as bad of a semester as you can. Between Hannah Graham's kidnapping and murder, the horrifyingly disturbing Rolling Stone article, and two additional suicides, many -- both students and the administration -- are struggling to cope with the continuous inflow of tragedies. And keeping a high character, active citizen in London is good for the Charlottesville community.

I tweeted earlier that I was disappointed, but not surprised by the decision. This is why.

We're probably in for another year of 5-7 or 6-6 football. Unfortunately, that's just the culture in Charlottesville. I mean, we've got students that don't go to football games and instead "study", go to a cappella concerts, etc., etc.

We just don't get excited over the sport. And with Mike London's track record, that's not changing next season.

But London is a good man, and his team loves him. In fact, I got really excited earlier today when Eli Harold tweeted, "#UVAFANS We do not need the negativity. We are trying to win a ball game."

We often forget that as we fans can rage about the coach on social media, his players are right there to hear it. It's like back in grade school when someone is talking bad about your parents right in front of you. It gets you pissed. And for Eli, that analogy is actually pretty close: after losing both parents, he chose UVa because he felt London could be the father figure he never had.

The administration backs him. The players back him. Now it's our turn.

Friday night could be the tide-turning win we need to claim the title as the best program in the state of Virginia.

First, we would end Tech's second-longest active FBS bowl streak at 21 games.

Second, we would beat Tech and actually be able to say objectively that we are a better team.

Third, we would go bowling, not only getting our fan base excited but also giving our guys an extra three weeks of practice.

Fourth, it would justify Mike London staying. We've seen both highs and lows this year, but ending the season on a high note is critical as a springboard into 2015.

I might not necessarily agree with the coaching decision, but it's time to put that aside. This is our team, and they need our support. Not just for Friday, but also for next season.

You can't play good ball when your confidence has been shot. The guys need to know we're behind them.

If we're on the trajectory for a four win season next year, then we can start talking again. But no Twitter chatter is going to make any difference until that point.

I, for one, am done. I hope you do the same.

Mike London is our coach for 2015. Let's give him and the players the support they need as we head to Blacksburg, (hopefully a bowl game), and into next season.

Change is needed in Charlottesville. Let's make it happen this Friday.

UVa Basketball: To 5-0 we go

As I'm sitting here watching Gill dominate the paint as we finish the first half on a 12-0 run, I feel like it might be a good time to address what I've seen from this team so far.

First off, we seem more physical than we were a year ago. Now, this could be due to several factors, namely the weak competition we've faced so far. However, remember Bennett talking about how great our strength and conditioning coach is? I'd like to think we're actually stronger and faster than a year ago.

On another positive note, how about Justin Anderson? Man, has he played some good ball.

He's calm and -- generally speaking -- choosing his shot well. We know he has the ability to drive, but his shot has been and will continue to open things up for our offense. He's reportedly lost about 20 pounds too, so his fitness should certainly be better than it was a year ago.

I also want to give a shoutout to the first-years, specifically Marial Shayok and Isaiah Wilkins.

I'm still very unsure of what our rotation will look like in a couple weeks, but for the past few games, Shayok has been the first off the bench. His athleticism is obvious, and I've been impressed with his shot so far. He's definitely starting to get on a roll.

Meanwhile, you can see the potential with Wilkins. Before tonight, he was second on the team in blocks with 6. To put that in perspective, Darion Atkins leads the team with 7 in essentially double the minutes. Wilkins hustles up and down the court, and he always seems to be in the right place at the right time, at least defensively. And for Bennett, that'll get you some playing time.

Still though, these first 4 games have not presented mistake free basketball. No, it doesn't really matter in the game's outcome -- what's the difference between a 20 and 25 point win? But there are definitely some areas we need to clean up.

Primarily, especially against George Washington, we committed far too many turnovers. Part of that was the zone and just not being comfortable against it, but those mistakes can't continue against Maryland and VCU next week, especially on the road.

On a different note, there's really only one thing that concerns me about this team -- its lack of a pure shooter. Last year, obviously, that guy was Joe Harris. Even when he was having an off game, teams still had to respect him as a deep threat.

This season, we don't really have that go to guy. Malcolm, Perrantes, Anderson, Nolte, Shayok, and even Hall can make a 3 here and there, but none of them are really known for just getting on a hot streak.

Maybe it won't make a difference. Maybe this team is more about driving than shooting. Maybe the ability of Perrantes/Anderson/whoever to hit one here and there is sufficient.

But I keep going back to the UNC game last year where Harris scored like our first 9 points, all from bonusphere. I thought maybe Hall could step up into that role, but after not even seeing the court on Friday, I certainly have my doubts.

Like I said, maybe we've improved enough to where we don't need that go to guy from deep. But come tournament time, he'd obviously help.

Regardless, we definitely have ourselves a good squad, although I still haven't figured out the rotation. Toby, Gill, and Atkins work the 4 and 5 positions, but will Wilkins carve out a role?

How about the backcourt? Who will Shayok and Hall spell?

And where, if anywhere, does Nolte fit in?

This group isn't as easy to figure out as in years past just because each guy has a different skill set, and we still don't know how well they complement those of others.

There are still a lot of questions. But these questions are what separate us from a sweet-16 team and a final-4 type of team.

Worst case-scenario, we finish fourth or fifth in the ACC. When you think about it, that's still pretty damn exciting.

No doubt, this group has the talent that combined with Bennett's genius, can take us deep into March.

NOTE: I probably won't have much time for very detailed posts about basketball until mid-December, but be sure to follow along on Twitter for more HOOps insight!

And as always, Go Hoos!

HOOPS IS HERE!

With the football team tanking, I think we can all agree basketball season couldn't come soon enough. And -- thankfully -- here we are.

No, this matchup doesn't elicit national excitement. Hell, it's not even televised. But after last season's run, I've never seen a fan base so fired up about an away game against a pretty bad opponent.

Tony Bennett has us believing again in Charlottesville.

And rightfully so. Combined with Bennett's genius, our guys can compete with almost anyone.

One thing I want to point out though, is that the pack-line works because of the selflessness of the guys we have. It's hard to recruit high school studs and tell them they'll probably never average more that 12 or so points per game, at the very best.

But Bennett has found those guys. Joe Harris, for example, could have scored 20-25 a game at most schools, but here he barely eclipsed 10 last season. But Harris is just one of many examples. Aside from Darion Atkins's ill-timed comments last postseason, this was the most cohesive team I have seen.

Ever. In any sport.

That's what made the Syracuse game so special. To see these guys reach the top in front of a crowd that wanted nothing more to see the basketball powers of old surrender to the solidarity of the Cavaliers, we delivered a dominating, emotional, awe-inspiring performance.

This year seems to have the same makeup.

However, it is important to remember that this will be a different team. Atkins will have to try to replace Mitchell's defense. Can Devon Hall or Justin Anderson provide the same perimeter threat as Harris? Or will Bennett re-tool the offensive attack work Gill and Tobey down in the post more often.

More than likely, we won't know our identity until close to ACC play. Honestly, it wasn't until FSU last season that we really found ours.

So, Cavalier faithful, be patient. I would not be surprised at all to see us drop games to Harvard, Maryland, or VCU.

We're going to need someone to step up like Perrantes did last year. Could it be Hall? Or maybe even one of the first years?

All I can say is, starting tonight, we'll find out.

Quick Expectations for Each Player for 2014-2015

(0) Devon Hall (R-Fr.) -- He's the wild card, in my opinion. Likely to start at point tonight, he has drawn rave reviews from the coaches and teammates alike. He's going to be counted on spelling guys like Perrantes and Brogdon. He seems up to the challenge.

(1) Justin Anderson (Jr.) -- Preferably, I'd rather to continue to see him come off the bench. He doesn't provide as great a perimeter presence as I'd like, but man do I love his energy. The things with guys that hustle like him is that there will always be a role for you.

(5) Darion Atkins (Sr.) -- Like Hall, I'm not sure what his role will be. Is his offensive game consistent enough for him to start? Judging from last season, no. But we will need his physicality, for sure. He's a guy that's got a chance to salvage a largely disappointing career.

(10) Mike Tobey (Jr.) -- He's got to be more consistent. He's got range, he's got height, but he's always lacked energy offensively and his feet are too slow for my preference on defense. He'll likely continue to start at the 5, but look for Atkins to spell him quite often as Mitchell did last season.

(11) Evan Nolte (Jr.) -- Here's a guy that I'm just not high on. Yes, he came on a little bit in the tournament, but from a 4-star guy that rode the bench for 2 seasons, I'm not drinking the kool-aid yet. He's probably too big to be a 3, but not strong or physical enough to be a 4/ a low-post guy. I don't expect him to contribute really any more than he did a year ago.

(13) Anthony Gill (Jr.) -- If you ask me for the biggest key to our success this season, it's #13. Coming off the bench last season, he gave us a physical presence on the boards and a solid 10 points per game. His defensive game has reportedly improved, so he's got the making to be a real stud. Offensively, I think the team goes where he goes. Is he ready to be a full time starter? We'll need to find that our pretty soon.

(15) Malcolm Brogdon (Jr.)-- He'll be the centerpiece of the offense. Dickie V tabbed him as a first-team all-American. I wouldn't go that far, but he's got a complete game -- he can hit the 3, the mid-range jumper, and drive to the hoop. And his defense isn't too shabby either. He and Gill will be focus-points of our offense.

(32) London Perrantes (So.) -- #CaliSwag. Got to love his composure, which earned him a mini-feature on Sports Illustrated. I missed last season's JMU opener, but I knew after VCU he was our point-guard. And sure enough, he was as critical to our success as anyone. I still don't know why he was suspended for the opener, but assuming this was a one-time deal, he'll provide a steady-hand as we forge our identity in the early going.

The Freshmen -- We know at least one of (33) Jack Salt, (4) Marial Shayock, (2) B.J. Stith, and (21) Isaiah Wilkins will redshirt. From reports, Shayock seems to be the only one of the four that isn't in consideration. Each has their strengths and weaknesses, but in a rotation of no more than nine guys, it just makes sense to see maybe even two further develop their game without losing a year of eligibility, especially with key cogs such as Brogdon, Gill, and Tobey leaving in two-seasons. I trust Bennett on this one. 

(NOTE: Tennessee transfer (51) Darius Thomsen, per NCAA rules, will take a redshirt season).

Well there you have it folks. I'm not going to make any game-by-game predictions just because I don't see the point in basketball. Upsets happen. Teams get on hot and cold streaks. Things happen.

But I think we all agree anything less than 4th in the ACC is a disappointing season. This isn't pessimism, just the reality of the expectations Bennett has built.

But that's where you want your program.

Prove everyone right, Bennett. Go Hoos!