The Virginia Cavailers have looked like a more fresher, energized team than last year. Their two star guards, J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary return to be part of a potent backcourt. The starting lineup also includes Mamadi Diane (averaging 20.0 ppg) and Laurynas Mikalauskas, who showed he can play a solid inside game. UVA will need help this season from post player, taking the scoring load off Reynolds and Singletary at times. The Cavs are 2-0 after victories of Morgan State, 85-66 and Arizona, 93-90.
ACC play is sure to be much more tighter than in the past couple years since Duke or North Carolina isn't as strong due to players leaving for the NBA. Virginia has as good a chance as most conference opponents in entering the NCAA tournament this year. In the coming weeks UVA is scheduled to play UNC-Asheville, Maryland Eastern Shore, Purdue, NC State, and Hampton. The competition will start to heat up though in December when they play rival ACC teams. Their defensive strength will be put to the test and Coach Dave Leiato must work on sound strategies to offset the opposition's scoring threat.
For the last 3 years or so the Cavs haven't thrived at having explosive inside scoring from their big men. This year Cav fans should see much more production in the paint. I predict that Sean Singletary will increase his points per game to at least 20 as he finished last season with around 18 a game. Having a new home, John Paul Jones arena may bring new life onto the basketball court and help this developing Cavs team exceed expectations. Good luck in the new season Cavs!
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