Virginia basketball 2015-16 season preview

Overview: After tying a program record with 30 wins last year, the back-to-back ACC regular season champions open the season looking to cement their spot as a conference heavyweight. In his seventh season in Charlottesville, head coach Tony Bennett will again rely on his lockdown defense to win low-scoring games and frustrate opponents. Last year, the Cavaliers ranked first in the country in average points allowed at 51.5 per game, stemming from a combination of both physical play and Bennett’s pack-line defense adopted from his father, Dick.

Virginia returns nearly all of its key weapons with the exception of swingman Justin Anderson, who left for the NBA. Redshirt seniors Malcolm Brogdon and Anthony Gill will carry most of the offensive load for the Cavaliers. An athletic 6-foot-5 guard, Brogdon averaged a team-high 14.0 points per game with 3.9 rebounds and 2.4 assists a season ago. The Atlanta native uses his size and strength to get inside and generate contact, leading to plenty of trips to the free-throw line, where he converts 88 percent of the time. Gill provides a low-post threat, averaging 11.6 points and 6.5 rebounds per game last year on 58.2 percent shooting. Tennessee transfer Darius Thompson is now eligible and should provide another scoring threat in the backcourt alongside Perrantes, a pass-first floor general who can knock down a 3-pointer when the defense leaves him open.

One thing that needs to go right: The Cavaliers avoid a meeting with Michigan State in the NCAA tournament. The Spartans eliminated Bennett's squad in the Sweet 16 in 2014 and in the Round of 32 last season.

One thing that could go wrong: Despite the inside-out combination of Brogdon and Gill, Virginia’s offense can be stagnant at times. The Cavaliers scored 65.4 points per game in 2014-15, which ranked 219th nationwide.