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The start of the Virginia Basketball season is right around the corner, and we are counting down the days until the Hoos welcome Towson to John Paul Jones Arena on November 6. Every day until tip-off, we’ll be feeding you everything you need to know to be ready for the 2018-2019 campaign. Missed a day or joining us late? Catch up here.
Despite its finish, the 2017-18 campaign was a special season for Virginia Cavaliers basketball. The Hoos went 31-3 and were ranked #1 in the country. Records were set, not just for Virginia, but within the ACC as a whole. Heading into the 2018-2019 season, the Hoos still stand to be in good shape as they look to defend their ACC title and make some noise in the NCAA Tournament.
Virginia only loses Devon Hall, Nigel Johnson, and Isaiah Wilkins to graduation and no players transferred out or went to the NBA. This means that the Hoos return 66.7% of the points from last season, as well as 62.1% of minutes.
These figures stack up well compared to the rest of the ACC. Looking at the chart below, only Syracuse, VT and BC return more points than UVA. Of those three, Syracuse and BC finished in the bottom half of the conference, while Virginia Tech finished a strong 10-8 and, of course, was one of just three teams to beat Virginia last year.
Percent Returning in the ACC
| School | Points | Minutes |
|---|---|---|
| School | Points | Minutes |
| Notre Dame | 85.3% | 87.7% |
| Wake Forest | 77.2% | 77.3% |
| Louisville | 75.9% | 66.9% |
| Georgia Tech | 73.2% | 73.6% |
| North Carolina State | 72.6% | 71.6% |
| Pittsburgh | 63.3% | 60.2% |
| Boston College | 53.6% | 60.5% |
| Miami (FL) | 47.8% | 47.5% |
| Syracuse | 41.9% | 44.9% |
| Florida State | 36.4% | 43.0% |
| Virginia | 31.9% | 39.9% |
| Duke | 26.1% | 44.6% |
| Clemson | 23.9% | 32.4% |
| North Carolina | 20.7% | 26.8% |
| Virginia Tech | 16.3% | 26.3% |
This retention bodes well compared to previous seasons as well. The 67% returning points and 62% returning minutes figures are the highest since 2016, when UVA reached the Elite Eight. Here is a breakdown of how well the Hoos did compared to how much returned from the previous season:
UVA Returing Stats Over Time
| Year | % of Minutes Returning | % of Scoring Returning | % of Rebounds Returning | % of Assists Returning | Wins |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Year | % of Minutes Returning | % of Scoring Returning | % of Rebounds Returning | % of Assists Returning | Wins |
| 2020 | 40% | 32% | 42% | 30% | |
| 2019 | 62% | 67% | 54% | 54% | 35 |
| 2018 | 59% | 52% | 69% | 46% | 31 |
| 2017 | 57% | 42% | 48% | 69% | 23 |
| 2016 | 76% | 74% | 72% | 83% | 29 |
| 2015 | 71% | 71% | 68% | 72% | 30 |
| 2014 | 71% | 85% | 83% | 62% | 30 |
| 2013 | 59% | 50% | 52% | 64% | 23 |
Whenever Virginia returned this much production they either made the Elite Eight or won 30 games.
This certainly bodes well as the Hoos hope to top a 31 win season—at the very least, to advance beyond the fi...you know what, never mind. Virginia fans have a lot to look forward to this upcoming season, and there’s a pretty good reason that most preseason polls are tabbing the Hoos in the Top 10.