(Photo by Victor Decolongon/Getty Images)
Last year was an unmitigated disaster for Virginia basketball.
The Cavaliers had trouble running an offense, limiting turnovers, keeping players healthy and could not stop anybody on the defensive end.
That's not exactly a formula for success.
As a result, Virginia posted a paltry 10-win season, the lowest number since the early 1970s. It also meant that 2007 ACC Coach of the Year Dave Leitao was shown the door after just four seasons as head coach of the Cavaliers.
His replacement, former Washington State coach Tony Bennett, certainly did not have the warm welcome he would have expected. Rumors had been flying over potential candidates like Minnesota's Tubby Smith, Oklahoma's Jeff Capel, and even Alabama's new coach Anthony Grant.
Bennett suffered from the wild imaginations of Cavalier fans. However, in just one offseason, the 40-year old with a mere three years of head coaching experience have fans believing that he may be the one to get Virginia back on track.
Indeed, considering how high skepticism and negativity have surrounded the major-revenue programs at Virginia, fans wanted to be on guard. Just like having your heart broken by previous relationships, Cavalier fans did not want to jump to quickly on the Bennett bandwagon.
The truth is, though, you can't help but like the guy.
Bennett has this endearing charm that has already seemed to claim the jaded hearts and minds of the Virginia fans heading into this season. Not a small task by any stretch of the imagination.
Of course, he was able to get people to believe with more than just good rhetoric.
Bennett has yet to coach a game for Virginia, but he already has some impressive feats to his credit.
First, Bennett was able to assemble one of the best coaching staffs in recent memory for Virginia. With the addition of former Liberty coach Ritchie McKay and former Cavalier Jason Williford alongside his top assistant at Wazzou Ron Sanchez, Bennett has a staff with several strengths.
McKay brings head coaching experience as well as strong recruiting ties, having been able to bring in Seth Curry to play for the Flames last season.
Williford brings knowledge about the Cavalier program and also has strong recruiting ties to the metro Richmond area.
Sanchez represents a connection to the West Coast and New York. He is a young man with talent and potential, while also bringing an expertise of working alongside Bennett and attaining success.
Second, Bennett was able to hold on to both incoming recruits guard Jontel Evans and forward Tristan Spurlock. Both men will provide depth at key positions for Virginia to be successful this season.
Third, Bennett has already gotten off to a quick start on the recruiting trail. Already, Virginia has five commitments for next season. Chief among these newcomers is James Johnson, a 6'9" senior from California who is currently ranked in the top 100 of most recruiting services.
Clearly Bennett has tried to pick players that fit his system, not necessarily the five-star home run names that Virginia has historically failed to get anyway.
It seems clear the Cavaliers are going to try and become successful by playing "Bennett Ball," an efficient and deliberate offense mixed with a suffocating defense.
The question is, will it work in the high-flying ACC?
The answer depends on how the players will be able to work together and improve a team defense that could not work as a cohesive unit last season.
For you see, Virginia's problem is not the talent on the team.
The Cavaliers have the reigning ACC Rookie of the Year in Sylven Landesberg, a future NBA draft pick. They also boast a solid post player in junior Mike Scott, who has the potential to rack up a double-double each and every night he hits the court.
The Cavaliers have senior Calvin Baker, the former CAA Rookie of the Year, an experienced hybrid guard who has proven to hit key shots in late-game situations.
However, this is a bizarre case where the whole is less than the sum of its parts.
Virginia lacked many things last season, but the greatest frustration came from a lack of unity. The team lacked an identity, as evidenced by the many starting lineups Leitao employed last season.
Having depth is one thing, but constantly changing your lineup to match your opponents' style does not help your team understand its own strengths and weaknesses.
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