Midwest No. 1 – Virginia Cavaliers (Overall: 24-6, Conf: 13-5)
Team Strengths
Virginia’s arguably the best team in the ACC right now. That’s because the Cavaliers play extremely well on defense (59.6 points allowed per game) and they own a highly-efficient offensive game (70.7 PPG). Plus, they have a guy like Malcolm Brogdon, who was recently named as the ACC Player of the Year, to lead them. Brogdon gives the Cavaliers not just someone who can score in bunches, but also a lethal go-to-guy who’s never afraid to take the last shot. In the regular season, Brogdon is averaging 18.4 PPG, 4.2 RPG and 2.8 APG while shooting 41.1 percent from the three-point line.
Team Weaknesses
With Malcolm Brogdon playing at such a high level right now, the Cavaliers can’t allow themselves to be overwhelmed by this too much. Basketball will always be a team sport and a player alone cannot beat a team all by himself no matter how good he is. That said, a lot of pressure will certainly be on Anthony Gill (13.6 PPG) and London Perrantes to take some of the scoring load off Brogdon from time to time. And also, Virginia’s supporting cast has got to show up as soon as possible because there’s bound to be times when the usual point-getters struggle with their shots.
Team Statistics
Category
Stat
NCAA Rank
Points Per Game
70.7
222
Rebounds Per Game
32.2
312
Blocks Per Game
3.0
220
3-Point Percentage
40.6%
10
Free Throw Percentage
76.1%
15
Starting Lineup
Position
Name
PPG
F
Anthony Gill
13.6
F
Isaiah Wilkins
4.6
F
Malcolm Brogdon
18.4
G
Devon Hall
4.6
G
London Perrantes
11.2
Writer’s Prediction
Virginia makes it to the Elite Eight before falling off eventually.
