Virginia Basketball: Cavaliers searching for first Final Four of Tony Bennett era

Mar 25, 2016; Chicago, IL, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard London Perrantes (32) controls the ball against Iowa State Cyclones guard Monte Morris (11) during the second half in a semifinal game in the Midwest regional of the NCAA Tournament at United Center. Mandatory Credit: Dennis Wierzbicki-USA TODAY Sports

What three questions does Virginia basketball need to answer in order to reach their first Final Four since 1984?

If Xavier is one of the most consistent programs in the nation, the Virginia Cavaliers are right up there with them. Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers have reached four NCAA Tournaments in the last five years, are always in the mix at the top of the ACC and every season they have an elite defense that is amongst the best in the NCAA.

But the one knock on Virginia is their failure to make waves in March.

The Cavaliers haven’t reached the Final Four during the Bennett era and the last time the program has reached the national semifinals was 1984.

Last season, with Malcolm Brogdon, Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey at the helm, Virginia had their best opportunity to play for a spot in the National Title game. Instead, they blew a 16-point second half lead and let Malachi Richardson drop 23 points in an Elite Eight battle against Syracuse.

In 2016-17, Virginia once again has a talented, deep roster that will thrive in Bennett’s system.

They return senior point guard London Perrantes, who shot 49 percent from beyond the arc last year, along with Isaiah Wilkins, Devon Hall, Marial Shayok and Darius Thompson.

While Perrantes will be the leader of the pack, the most important player for UVA will likely be Memphis transfer Austin Nichols. The big man is a terrific shot blocker, is skilled on the offensive end and is capable of running the floor when Virginia wants to up the tempo and score in transition.

Beyond Nichols, the Cavaliers are also adding a solid freshman class that consists of five-star combo guard Kyle Guy, four-star point guard Ty Jerome, four-star small forward DeAndre Hunter and four-star power forward Jay Huff.

It’s evident that Virginia will be in the mix for the second slot in the ACC standings behind Duke. But if they want to play for a Final Four berth in March, there are three questions they must answer heading into the 2016-17 campaign.

Feb 19, 2015; Memphis, TN, USA; Connecticut Huskies forward Kentan Facey (12) guards Memphis Tigers forward Austin Nichols (4) during the game at FedExForum. Mandatory Credit: Justin Ford-USA TODAY Sports

3. Is UVA’s front court strong enough beyond Austin Nichols?

As mentioned on the previous slide, Austin Nichols is Virginia’s most important player. He is a typical Tony Bennett-type big man who will be the last line of defense, protect the rim and allow the guards to gamble on the perimeter.

On offense, Nichols can score around the basket and stretch the defense on occasion.

Nichols is going to produce big numbers for Virginia and should be one of the best newcomers, if not the best newcomer, in the ACC.

But who’s going to play next to Nichols? Who else is going to score and defend in the front court?

Anthony Gill and Mike Tobey aren’t walking through the door, so Isaiah Wilkins, redshirt freshman Mamadi Diakite, freshman Jay Huff and redshirt sophomore Jack Salt will have to step up.

Wilkins is the most experienced of the bunch, as he played 21.4 minutes per game last season. Wilkins started for the majority of the season and averaged 4.6 points and 4.1 rebounds per game, while playing solid, aggressive defense.

The 6’9″ Diakite redshirted last season, but he has the most intriguing potential as he was ranked 37th in ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2015. Diakite had offers from USC and Washington and was the fifth best player in the state of North Carolina.

The forward is an incredible athlete for his size. He runs the floor like a gazelle, has a lot of length and is super quick off his feet.

Huff, who was ranked 73rd in ESPN’s top 100 for the class of 2016, has good upside, similar to Diakite. He is a sharp shooting big who can stretch the floor and rebound on both ends of the floor. The Durham, NC native has added extra weight since joining the team. Coming into college, Huff was only 195 pounds, but he is now listed as 215 pounds on the Virginia official roster.

The final player is Salt. He may not factor in as much as the latter three, but he does have good size at 6’11”.

Wilkens is the most consistent of the bunch, giving him the upper hand to start next to Nichols. But I believe as the season goes on Diakite will emerge as the most dynamic big man on the roster (besides Nichols obviously).

Oct 8, 2016; Madison, WI, USA; Milwaukee Bucks guard Malcolm Brogdon (13) dribbles the ball as Dallas Mavericks guard J.J. Barea (5) defends at the Kohl Center. Milwaukee defeated Dallas 88-74. Mandatory Credit: Mary Langenfeld-USA TODAY Sports

2. Can Malcolm Brogdon be replaced?

Malcolm Brogdon averaged 18.2 points, 4.1 rebounds and 3.1 assists per game in his senior campaign last year. He shot 46 percent from the field overall, 39 percent from long range and 90 percent from the free throw line. He was efficient and reliable on the offensive end of the floor.

Brogdon was anything but the fastest player in college basketball, however, he played at a good pace, didn’t turn the ball over and picked his spots on the floor.

On the defensive end, Brogdon was even more valuable. He guarded multiple positions (including the opposing teams’ best player), developing into one of the most versatile defenders in the NCAA.

Point blank: There is no one that can possibly replace Brogdon.

In fact, Brogdon’s versatility and ability to handle the basketball allowed point guard London Perrantes to push off the ball and find in rhythm shots from the perimeter. Perrantes will initiate Virginia’s offense more in 2016-17, but they will also need Kyle Guy, Devon Hall and Ty Jerome to pitch in on different occasions.

Hall and Guy are the players most likely to push Perrantes off the ball this season. Hall played 21.9 minutes per game and averaged 2.0 assists per game. He can make the proper plays in transition, but also has the patience to set up the offense in the half court.

Guy is ranked 27th in ESPN’s top 100 and is labeled as a five-star recruit. Even though he’s a combo-guard by nature, he is a good playmaker with solid instincts and quickness. He can knock down jump shots and also has the wingspan to lock up opposing guards on defense.

Ultimately, Virginia has no shot to completely replace the services of Brogdon. But they can ease the pain if they receive a group effort in the back court.

Mar 17, 2016; Raleigh, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers mascot “Cav Man” dances on the court during a stoppage in play against the Hampton Pirates in the first half at PNC Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-USA TODAY Sports

1. Will Virginia be able to compete with the top teams in the country?

Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers don’t have a lot of weaknesses. They have experience, depth, an elite defensive scheme and an excellent coaching staff. UVA also has a great point guard in London Perrantes and a bunch of complementary players who can shoot, pass and defend.

In order for Virginia to break their March “drought” though, they will need to beat the top teams in the country. And they certainly haven’t been able to do that in the past (at least when the NCAA Tournament rolls around), which makes this year a major question mark. Whether it’s Duke, Kansas, Kentucky, Villanova or Oregon, the talent across the nation has improved drastically.

If Virginia couldn’t protect a 16-point lead and beat a Syracuse team that caught lightning in a bottle, how are they going to be able to break through against teams like the Blue Devils, Jayhawks, both Wildcat teams and the Ducks.

On the bright side, the ‘Cavs are playing a schedule that will prepare them for the big stage. Their non-conference schedule consists of games against Peter Jok and Iowa, Memphis or Providence, Ohio State, West Virginia and at California. Then they have to go through the gauntlet that is the ACC.

Their game against Duke on February 15th will provide a baseline as to how they will play against those elite teams.

But any team that has Bennett as their coach, Perrantes as their point guard and Nichols as their centerpiece big man will be the mix when March comes around. It’s just a matter of Virginia finally getting the monkey off their back.