By Jerry Ratcliffe

With so much versatility dotting Virginia’s basketball roster heading into Tony Bennett’s 10th season as the Cavaliers’ coach, I couldn’t help but ask if this team reminded him of any he has coached or if it was unique.

Granted it’s early, with the first game not until Tuesday night when Towson comes to Charlottesville. Still, Bennett has seen this team in action during practices and in two scrimmages against Villanova and Richmond.

“I think it’s too early to say,” Bennett told me. “Now that Braxton (Key) is eligible, we have more versatility. He didn’t play in the Richmond scrimmage but did compete in the Villanova scrimmage here.

“There is some versatility,” Bennett said. “How we perform, how we come together … when you go through the rough spots, if you can stay healthy,” are all factors in how a team will develop.

Consider that Virginia returns All-ACC guard Kyle Guy, along with point guard Ty Jerome, center Jack Salt, and ACC Rookie and Sixth Man of the Year in De’Andre Hunter, along with Mamadi Diakite, and that speaks volumes about a team that went 31-3 a year ago. Also consider that the Cavaliers added 6-8 forward Braxton Key, a two-year starter at Alabama, who transferred in the offseason, along with sophomore Marco Anthony and redshirt sophomore Jay Huff, and that’s a pretty strong nucleus to work with.

Freshman guard Kihei Clark is a pesky defender at the point and could see playing time right off the bat.

There are a lot of interchangeable parts, particularly in a basketball climate where teams are using more small ball in putting four guards or small forwards on the floor at the same time. UVa could certainly go: Guy, Jerome, Hunter, Key and either Salt or Diakite any time it wanted.

Likewise, the Cavaliers could go big with Salt, Diakite and either Hunter or Key in the frontcourt.

What’s also interesting, although certainly would be rare, is that if he so chooses, Bennett could have a player at every position on the floor capable of making 3-pointers because Diakite and seldom-used 7-foot-1 Jay Huff can both shoot the three.

“Some of my better teams have been versatile,” Bennett said. “I’ve never had a team where I could go all-small ball, although we did it against UNC-Wilmington in the NCAA Tournament. This might be one of those teams, the most diversified in that regard.”

Clark, a 5-foot-9 guard from Woodland Hills, Calif., bring a certain dynamic to the team. He’s a pest.

“He’s a real good on-ball defender, he gets after the ball, he’s quick and he’s strong even though he’s smaller,” Bennett said. “I haven’t coached a lot of guys like him who can really pick up (fullcourt), Nigel (Johnson) at times last year, and Jontel Evans was terrific.

“They’re all a little bit different, but that kind of tenacity and ability to pester the ball and ignite the guys behind them is nice,” Bennett said.

The coach said that kind of intensity on-ball could make the Pack-Line defense even better.

We often hear Bennett say, “one out, four in,” meaning one guy applying ball pressure, which can be full or three-quarters court, or even halfcourt. The coach likens it to a quarterback in the pocket, where if given time he can dissect and pick a defense part. However, if he’s pressured, it changes everything, and that’s where guys like Clark can make an immediate impact.

“I played against Muggsy Bogues, so I know about somebody who is up under you and can always be a problem,” said Bennett, who played guard for the NBA’s Charlotte Hornets, and was a teammate of Bogues, who at 5-3, was the shortest player ever to play in the NBA.

One of the main factors in how unique this Virginia team can be is the addition of Key, a 6-8, 225 junior. He is essentially another De’Andre Hunter, although it would be difficult for Key to match Hunter’s year from 2017-18.

Having both on the floor at the same time would be interesting simply because Hunter was a nightmare of a matchup both offensively and defensively last season.

What about both of them playing together?

“It’s crazy,” Hunter said. “Braxton can guard inside and out, and I can do the same. It makes it easier for the other guys on defense, especially having guys like Jack and Mamadi back there, which makes it hard to score.”

Hunter said Key is quick and strong, and then there’s Clark, who adds yet another dimension defensively.

Bennett wasn’t divulging much about the scrimmages against defending national champion Villanova or Richmond, but he uses those to experiment and discover various aspects about his team.

Villanova coach Jay Wright, once said that every time he plays or scrimmages against one of Tony’s teams that it’s a great learning experience, and we assume vice versa.

In fact, we asked Tony about that scrimmage.

“Coach Wright’s team won two nationals championships in the last three years for a reason,” Bennett said. “They have a different team but they’re tenacious. They’re ready from the start, they have intensity and physicality, and if you’re not ready for it, they’ll knock you back, and that happened to us.”

Our spies said that while the Wildcats did knock Virginia back, that the Cavaliers came back and took care of business.

“We played well, they played well, it was a close game,” Hunter said. “Playing against them showed us how good we can possibly be. In the beginning they came out strong, but we fought back.”

Bennett said that they break up those scrimmages into different segments.

“Scrimmages reveal a lot and sometimes exposes things,” Bennett said. “When we weren’t right it really exposed some issues, and then we saw when ball pressure was applied, and when we really came together, and collectively we were good defensively we were really good.”

It seemed that Bennett was saying that his team learned a lot about being ready right out of the gates.

“There’s a level of pressure [Villanova] put on you that taught us some things,” Bennett said. “They spread the floor, they’re talented, aggressive off the dribble.

“Richmond was a different kind of scrimmage,” he added. “They run some Princeton stuff, a lot more switching defensively, so you’re seeing different things that prepare you and tell you what you need to work on. So, it was the physicality and intensity of Villanova, and then just how cerebral Richmond was … they make you play hard but think hard, too.”

Those two scrimmages appeared to be exactly what Virginia needed to get ready for an early season schedule that could include Butler or Dayton (in the Bahamas tournament), a Big Ten Challenge game at Maryland, VCU and South Carolina (also on the road) before conference play begins.

Shameless Self Plug

I’m honored to be the guest speaker at the Virginia Basketball Club Tipoff Luncheon on Tuesday, Nov. 6, noon at the Double Tree Hotel in Charlottesville. Cost is $20 and open to the public. Come join us. The Virginia Basketball Club dates back to at least the 1970s.