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Message: [QUOTE="73CAV, post: 1032888, member: 3916"] I don't know about that. First, which two teams were designated as your [I]conference rivals[/I]? You will play them twice every year. On the other hand, it is worth noting that seven different players led Virginia in game scoring this past season, and six of them did it at least twice. Five of the latter group return. It is also worth mentioning that neither Harris nor Mitchell averaged as many as 30 mpg this past season while nine players did get double digits in minutes, and a tenth averaged more than 9 mpg. Only two players averaged double-digit points, and no one more than 15 ppg. Finally, five of the returnees will be third yearmen (although both Brogdon and Gill have redshirts behind them). Under Bennett's tutelage, it has become reasonable to expect a significant performance improvement after two seasons of play. It was that way with both Harris and Mitchell. Especially, Mitchell. The same was true of Mike Scott (now with the Hawks), also. What is unknown about next year's team is whether they can re-create the same sort of chemistry that the 2014 squad possessed. I'd like to think they can, especially with Perrantes at the point, but you never know until they lace up their sneakers. You are right about Virginia not getting the same sort of classes that UNC and Duke sign, but, then again, UVa won't be relying on true frosh, either. Also, while Virginia's 2014 conference schedule might be worth criticizing, it was the hand they were dealt, and it was the one they played. I think they played it pretty well. Out of 16 conferences wins, only four were by fewer than double digits, and, for the conference's regular season (wins & losses), UVa averaged 12.9 points per game more than their opponents. Virginia may, or may not, be a Top Ten team next season, but with the new paradigm of intercollegiate basketball (and one & dones), teams with experience and upperclass leadership tend to do better than those which rely on true frosh, no matter how many recruiting stars were next to their names when they signed their LOI's. Sadly, we're going to have to wait another seven or eight months to discover who is closer to the truth. [/QUOTE]

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