NBA put on hold at Virginia as upperclassmen thrive

CHARLOTTESVILLE, Va. — Virginia men’s basketball coach Tony Bennett has built the Cavaliers into one of the nation’s elite programs.

The Cavaliers are enjoying arguably the most successful stretch in school history. Their No. 1 ranking is the program’s first since the Ralph Sampson era ended 35 years ago.

They are also the top overall seed in the NCAA Tournament and have won 30 or more games three of the last five years.

Virginia’s style of play receives the majority of headlines — the Cavaliers are essentially a slow-down team, committed to the idea that they can not only find a high-percentage shot before the shot clock runs out, but prevent less-disciplined teams from doing so. Their Pack-Line defense has routinely been ranked among the most effective in the nation.

One of the main reasons the system works so well is Bennett’s roster usually features upperclassmen with NBA talent, from Joe Harris to Malcolm Brogdon to London Perrantes. Bennett, the 2018 ACC coach of the year, has been able to find — and recruit — players committed to not only buying into his system, but staying in school.

“There are certain programs that are upperclassmen programs where the guys improve. Unless you can recruit all the top 10, top 20 players, you need guys ... that will be patient, see a little success and get better and better,” Bennett said, listing Brogdon, Harris, Perrantes, Mike Tobey and Devon Hall as examples.

The Cavaliers’ outright Atlantic Coast Conference title this season was their third in five years, something even Sampson, a three-time national player of the year, didn’t achieve. They rolled through the ACC’s regular season, including victories at home against North Carolina and on the road at Duke — Virginia’s first win in Durham in 23 years. Then they captured the ACC Tournament title in New York, finishing 20-1 against league competition.