CBS hoops analysts agree, Virginia is No. 1 in ACC heading into season

Posted on Sunday, Oct. 18, 2020, 5:36 pm

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo by Jon Golden

Two CBS basketball writers believe that Virginia is the best team in the ACC and one of the nation’s top teams.

With the college basketball season only five weeks away, Tony Bennett’s Cavaliers are itching to get back to action after last season’s momentum was halted by the pandemic during the ACC Tournament in Greensboro.

A ton of talent returns for the Wahoos, who were picked fourth in the nation in Dick Vitale’s preseason predictions, the highest of any ACC team in Dickie V’s poll.

CBS is also on board with just how good the Cavaliers will be.

Jon Rothstein, who has a true appreciation for UVA’s style of play, picked Virginia No. 1 in his ACC preseason rankings.

Rothstein’s predictions go like this:

1. Virginia
2. Duke
3. Florida State
4. North Carolina
5. Miami
6. Louisville
7. Syracuse
8. Georgia Tech
9. Clemson
10. NC State
11. Notre Dame
12. Pitt
13. Boston College
14. Virginia Tech
15. Wake Forest

Oh, and not only does Rothstein like Virginia’s team, he likes one of its players. His pick for ACC Player of the Year is the same as mine: Sam Hauser, who sat out last season after transferring to UVA from Marquette.

Rothstein also has Hauser on the ACC First Team along with David Johnson of Louisville, Michael Devoe of Georgia Tech, Scottie Barnes of Florida State and Harrison Brooks of UNC. Notice there weren’t any Duke players among his selections.

Meanwhile, another CBS writer, Matt Norlander, agrees with his colleague on Virginia.

Norlander selected Virginia as his preseason favorite to win the ACC.

Norlander wrote: “Expect Virginia to be a near-concensus pick to win the ACC thanks to five major minutes-getters returning to the No. 1 defense in college basketball. The Hoos were brutal on offense last season (234th in adjusted points per possession), but if that can be corrected thanks to the injection of Sam Hauser into the offense, the reigning national champions will have a realistic shot of staying on top of the college hoops mountain. Breakout player candidate supreme: sophomore shooting guard Casey Morsell. The X-factor: Jay Huff, who didn’t meet expectations a season ago.”

Norlander also selected Tony Bennett as the ACC Coach of the Year.

“With Virginia poised to be the best team in the ACC for the fourth time in eight years, Bennett is given the nod thanks to an augmented roster that could be highlighted by redshirt senior Sam Hauser. The Wahoos ended the 2019-20 season on an eight-game winning streak, finishing 23-7. Bennett had, for the seventh time, a top-five defense according to KenPom.com. In fact, UVA was No. 1 on D and probably will be No. 1 this season. With no ACC team looking to make a significant year-over-year jump, Bennett is the obvious pick heading into November.”