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No. 7: VIRGINIA CAVALIERS
Last season: 29-8, 13-5 ACC
Tony Bennett. Those two words have given the Cavaliers instant credibility. UVa is 89-19 overall and 45-9 in ACC play over the past three years under him. Sure, Malcolm Brogdon is gone, but Virginia still has senior floor leader London Perrantes. Plus, Bennett will add the services of former Memphis forward Austin Nichols, one of the best frontcourt players in the country. -- Jeff Goodman
Best case: Elite Eight, Final Four. In 1984, Virginia cracked the Final Four the season after it was expected to do it. This year could be a repeat of that scenario. While Bennett lost Brogdon and Anthony Gill, he returns one of the best and most efficient point guards in the nation in Perrantes, along with a stellar talent in Memphis transfer Nichols, who has had a full year to practice, work on his body and absorb Bennett's system.
Worst case: First-weekend casualty. Virginia has won 89 games over the past three seasons and isn't going anywhere. But, who will replace Brogdon as the high-character, rock-solid leader? The Wahoos will defend and be incredibly efficient but can be bounced early, too. The "best case" is far more likely than the "worst case" for Bennett's crew.
