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It’s never too early to look at next basketball season, and thanks to Ken Pomeroy, we can start getting excited now.
Here's my computer's top 10 for 2019 assuming everyone in @DraftExpress top 40 leaves: 1) Kansas, 2) Duke, 3) Villanova, 4) Auburn, 5) Kentucky, 6) North Carolina, 7) Nevada, 8) West Virginia, 9) Gonzaga, 10) Virginia, 11) Maryland.
— Ken Pomeroy (@kenpomeroy) March 24, 2018
The Hoos spent the majority of the 2017-18 season at or near the top of the KenPom rankings, and there’s no reason to think they won’t live there again next year. Three starters, Ty Jerome, Kyle Guy, and Jack Salt, all return for the Hoos. Guy (14.1 points per game) and Jerome (11.7 points per game) led Virginia in scoring last season.
Throw in a newly-repaired ACC Sixth Man of the Year in De’Andre Hunter (9.2 points per game), reserves Mamadi Diakite, Jay Huff, and Marco Anthony, redshirt Frankie Badocchi, and newcomers Kody Stattmann and Kihei Clark and you’re in business. The possibility of a graduate transfer also exists as the Hoos will have to replace Nigel Johnson.
Virginia finished the regular season with the No. 1 rated defense on KenPom, and despite losing Devon Hall and Isaiah Wilkins, the defense could be in a position to repeat that feat.