By: StLouHoo
UVA’s non-conference schedule was announced over the summer, and features a number of high-profile opponents that deserve the same level of preseason breakdown that we recently did for the 18 ACC rosters. It’s an intriguing schedule; when adding in the lone early ACC game (12/7 at SMU), the Hoos will go into New Year’s weekend with 12 games under its belt split equally between 6 likely Top 75-quality opponents and 6 buy-games against teams that finished Bottom 75 in last season’s KenPom rankings. We’ll focus today on the six non-conference opponents likely to fit that Top-75 criteria for this upcoming season, games that will almost certainly all be Quad-1 and Quad-2 contests on our end-of-season resume.
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Neutral (Baltimore, MD)
| Player | 2023-24 Stat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | G Mark Armstrong (Turned Pro) | 34 G, 24.5 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 2.4 apg, 28% 3P% |
| SG Justin Moore (Graduated) | 29 G, 29.6 mpg, 9.8 ppg, 2.2 apg, 31% 3P% | |
| SG Brendan Hausen (Transferred to Kansas State) | 34 G, 17.6 mpg, 6.2 ppg, 0.5 apg, 38% 3P% | |
| G/F TJ Bamba (Transferred to Oregon) | 33 G, 28 mpg, 10.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 37% 3P% | |
| SF Hakim Hart (Graduated) | 34 G, 22.2 mpg, 6.3 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 33% 3P% | |
| F Tyler Burton (Graduated) | 34 G, 24.9 mpg, 7.5 ppg, 6.1 rpg, 33% 3P% | |
| F/C Lance Ware (Transferred to UT Arlington) | 33 G, 10.5 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 48% FG% | |
| Returners | SF Jordan Longino (SR) | 29 G, 21.7 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 2.5 rpg, 33% 3P% |
| F/C Eric Dixon (SR+) | 34 G, 30.6 mpg, 16.6 ppg, 6.5 rpg, 47% FG% | |
| C Nnanna Njoku (SR) | 11 G, 4.6 mpg, 0.8 ppg, 1.9 rpg, 50% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Aleksandar Gavalyugov (3-star FR) | |
| PG Jhamir Brickus (SR+ Transfer, La Salle) | 33 G, 36.6 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 4.8 apg, 40% 3P% | |
| SG Tyler Perkins (SO Transfer, Penn) | 29 G, 29.8 mpg, 13.7 ppg, 1.9 apg, 35% 3P% | |
| G/F Wooga Poplar (SR Transfer, Miami) | 29 G, 31.1 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 4.8 rpg, 39% 3P% | |
| SF Kris Parker (3-star RS FR) | ||
| F Josiah Mosely (4-star FR) | ||
| F Matthew Hodge (4-star FR) | ||
| PF Jordann Dumont (3-star RS FR) | ||
| F/C Malcolm Thomas (3-star FR) | ||
| F/C Enoch Boakye (SR Transfer, Fresno State) | 29 G, 22.7 mpg, 7.5 ppg, 7.7 rpg, 62% FG% |
UVA kicks off its year with two home buy-games against Campbell and Copping State on November 6th and 11th respectively, two tune-ups before a road trip to Baltimore as part of the Hall of Fame series sees us match up against Big East heavyweight Villanova. UVA last played ‘Nova in January of 2017, a hard fought 2-point loss at the Wells Fargo Center in Philly best remembered by Hoo fans for being Ty Jerome’s coming out party.
Kyle Neptune has struggled to keep Villanova competitive since Jay Wright’s retirement two off seasons ago, and he’s led ‘Nova only to a pair of .500 Big East records and subsequent NIT berths, still looking for his first NCAA Tournament has a head coach. A neutral site win over Virginia would be a likely resume booster come March and a confidence booster for a young roster in the short term.
The Wildcats’ backcourt is entirely restocked this offseason, leaning on a pair of Big 5 transfers in La Salle’s Jhamir Brickus (2nd Team all-A-10) and Penn’s Tyler Perkins to step up in competition. The crown jewel of their transfer class is senior Miami transfer wing Wooga Poplar, a streaky volume scorer who has historically struggled against Virginia. All three are proven 3-point shooters, with Brickus also an established pass-first floor general, and they’ll pair with incumbent 6th man wing Jordan Longino for a tight perimeter rotation that lacks much depth beyond a couple of 3-star rookies.
In the paint Nova is anchored by the bonus-season return of All-Big East 2nd Teamer Eric Dixon, a well-rounded multi-level scoring threat as well as solid defender and rebounder. His supporting cast is a question mark, however, as Villanova has four freshmen forwards and centers in the discussion for rotation roles along with Fresno State transfer Enoch Boakye.
As far as starting lineups go, Villanova vs Virginia may be a bit of a push, with Nova having a bit more proven scoring at more positions, and Dixon arguably the best player on either roster. UVA has the better depth, however, and both teams will be breaking in new-look rosters early in the season. Bennett’s greater experience should give him the edge over Neptune in terms of early season performance, but Nova will have played a couple more games (to include a road game at St. Joe’s) than we will have so they will have had more time to gel.
This should be a great early season test between two clubs with high hopes for the season but also know they need as many high-quality resume wins as possible.
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Neutral (Bahamas)
| Player | 2023-24 Stat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | G Santiago Vescovi (Graduated) | 35 G, 25.3 mpg, 6.3 ppg, 2.5 apg, 33% 3P% |
| G/F Freddie Dilione (Transferred to Penn State) | 18 G, 5.2 mpg, 1.7 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 29% 3P% | |
| SF Dalton Knecht (Graduated) | 36 G, 30.6 mpg, 21.7 ppg, 4.9 rpg, 40% 3P% | |
| SF Josiah-Jordan James (Graduated) | 36 G, 29.2 mpg, 8.4 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 34% 3P% | |
| F/C Tobe Awaka (Transferred to Arizona) | 35 G, 13.1 mpg, 5.1 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 59% FG% | |
| C Jonas Aidoo (Transferred to Arkansas) | 36 G, 24.8 mpg, 11.4 ppg, 7.3 rpg, 52% FG% | |
| Returners | PG Zakai Zeigler (SR) | 36 G, 31.6 mpg, 11.8 ppg, 6.1 apg, 34% 3P% |
| SG Jordan Gainey (SR) | 36 G, 18.4 mpg, 6.8 ppg, 1.2 apg, 29% 3P% | |
| SG Jahmai Mashack (SR) | 36 G, 17.9 mpg, 4.5 ppg, 1.3 apg, 36% 3P% | |
| G/F Cameron Carr (SO) | 14 G, 4.3 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 0.6 rpg, 28% 3P% | |
| PF Cade Phillips (SO) | 13 G, 6 mpg, 0.9 ppg, 1.4 rpg, 67% FG% | |
| C J.P. Estrella (SO) | 25 G, 5 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 71% FG% | |
| Additions | SG Bishop Boswell (4-star FR) | |
| SG Chaz Lanier (SR+ Transfer, North Florida) | 32 G, 33.4 mpg, 19.7 ppg, 1.8 apg, 44% 3P% | |
| F Darlinstone Dubar (SR+ Transfer, Hofstra) | 33 G, 34.6 mpg, 17.8 ppg, 6.8 rpg, 40% 3P% | |
| F/C Igor Milicic (SR Transfer, Charlotte) | 31 G, 32.2 mpg, 12.8 ppg, 8.5 rpg, 49% FG% | |
| F/C Felix Okpara (JR Transfer, Ohio State) | 35 G, 23.5 mpg, 6.6 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 59% FG% |
Following the Villanova game, UVA will return home just long enough to get in a couple of practices before jumping on a plane bound for Nassau in the Bahamas for our annual holiday Multi-Team Event (MTE). The last time the Hoos visited the Bahamas was 2018 when we won the Battle 4 Atlantis event. This year’s event has a stacked quartet of opponents, and UVA drew Tennessee in the first round of the 2-day bracket. The last time the Hoos played the Vols, UVA got blown out 87-52 in Knoxville in December 2013, a legendary result that immediately preceded Bennett’s first ACC title run.
Tennessee has established itself as one of the SEC’s most consistent programs under Rick Barnes, making six NCAA Tournaments in the last seven seasons (they were probably NIT bound the COVID-shortened year). They’ve won a few SEC championships in that span, and finished a strong 27-9 (14-4) with an Elite Eight run last year. Expectations are similarly high this year.
PG Zakai Zeigler is back for his final year in college, a veteran floor general who finished second on the Vols in scoring last year and led the entire SEC in assists. The wing rotation is yet to be set as Barnes has a deep battle for PT ongoing with a pair of veteran role players in senior guards Jordan Gainey and Jahmai Mashack competing with prolific mid-major transfers Darlinstone Dubar (Hofstra) and Chaz Lanier (North Florida). With four-star rookie Bishop Boswell also in the mix, odds say Barnes will have solid options to work with come November.
The front court rotation took a hit with unexpected outbound transfers of quality big man Jonas Aidoo along with the promising Tobe Awaka, so there are some unknowns here. The aforementioned Dubar could start in a small lineup, with former Wahoo and recent Charlotte transfer Igor Milicic (3rd Team all-AAC and a career 36% 3P%) presenting a dangerous 5-out offense. Ohio State transfer Felix Okpara figures in as well if UT wants more muscle on the inside, but otherwise they’ll need unproven sophomores Cade Phillips and/or JP Estrella to grow into bigger roles to feel better about post depth.
This is a tough draw for UVA early in the season, with the Vols featuring high quality transfers around an elite senior PG, with a top-notch coach who should be able to coach up the depth. Tennessee is ranked 13th in ESPN’s “too early” preseason Top 25, and we find it hard to argue with that ranking. UVA’s decade-long run of winning its November non-conference tournaments was sadly snapped last year, and Tennessee may be the reason we fail to reestablish that winning streak this year.
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Neutral (Bahamas) – If result of contest aligns with UVA
| Player | 2023-24 Stat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Rayj Dennis (Graduated) | 35 G, 34.3 mpg, 13.6 ppg, 6.7 apg, 33% 3P% |
| G Dantwan Grimes (Transferred to SE Louisiana) | 12 G, 8.4 mpg, 4.7 ppg, 1.3 apg, 67% 3P% | |
| SG Ja’Kobe Walter (Turned Pro) | 35 G, 32.3 mpg, 14.5 ppg, 1.4 apg, 34% 3P% | |
| SG Miro Little (Transferred to Utah) | 34 G, 7.1 mpg, 1.7 ppg, 0.7 apg, 36% 3P% | |
| SF Austin Sacks (Graduated) | 10 G, 1.5 mpg, 1.2 ppg, 0.2 rpg, 50% 3P% | |
| PF Jalen Bridges (Turned Pro) | 35 G, 31.7 mpg, 12.2 ppg, 5.7 rpg, 47% FG% | |
| PF Caleb Lohner (Transferred to Utah) | 35 G, 9.2 mpg, 2.4 ppg, 2.3 rpg, 54% FG% | |
| F/C Jonathan Tchamwa Tchatchoua (Graduated) | 19 G, 5.5 mpg, 1.4 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 46% FG% | |
| C Yves Missi (Turned Pro) | 34 G, 22.9 mpg, 10.7 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 61% FG% | |
| Returners | SG Jayden Nunn (SR) | 35 G, 28.7 mpg, 10.5 ppg, 2 apg, 44% 3P% |
| G/F Langston Love (RS JR) | 24 G, 25 mpg, 11 ppg, 2.9 rpg, 48% 3P% | |
| F/C Josh Ojianwuna (JR) | 35 G, 15.5 mpg, 4.9 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 74% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Jeremy Roach (SR+ Transfer, Duke) | 35 G, 32.7 mpg, 14 ppg, 3.3 apg, 43% 3P% |
| PG Rob Wright (4-star FR) | ||
| G/F VJ Edgecombe (5-star FR) | ||
| SF Davidson Hubbard (SR+ Transfer, Hampden-Sydney (D3)) | ||
| F Jalen Celestine (RS SR Transfer, California) | 27 G, 26.9 mpg, 8.7 ppg, 3.2 rpg, 44% 3P% | |
| PF Jason Asemota (4-star FR) | ||
| PF Yanis Ndjonga (RS JR Transfer, JuCo) | ||
| F/C Norchad Omier (SR+ Transfer, Miami) | 31 G, 30.6 mpg, 17 ppg, 10 rpg, 55% FG% |
The first team UVA might see in the 2nd game of the Baha Mar event is the Big XII’s Baylor Bears, a team viewed with Top 10 upside by many pundits and a New Blood powerhouse under national title-winning coach Scott Drew. Despite having lost a number of key contributors to graduation and the pro’s, Baylor has seemingly restocked effortlessly this offseason, and likely head to the Bahamas as the bettors’ favorite to win the event.
Duke transfer Jeremy Roach arrives for his COVID year as one of the most high profile transfers in CBB this season, and will captain a backcourt featuring not only two retuning double-digit scorers in Jayden Nunn and Langston Love, but also will see 5-star one-and-done candidate VJ Edgecombe potentially serving as a 6th man. 4-star rookie Rob Right will likely work in off the bench as well as the heir-apparent at guard.
Cal transfer Jalen Celestine likely starts as a stretch 4, an effective floor spacer who has thrived in a complementary role. Miami 5th year Norchad Omier arrives as a double-double machine on the blocks as well, giving Baylor a strong starting front court. The bench will need to sort itself out, with junior Josh Ojianwuna back in a reserve role and otherwise looking to rookies and non-D1 transfers to fill out the rotation.
Drew is one of the most respected coaches in the game these days, and Baylor will be an early season favorite to win the Big XII. Between landing a couple of the highest rated transfers on the market, a consensus 5-star scoring wing, and returning experienced veterans on both the perimeter and in the post, this should be yet another strong season for Baylor.
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Neutral (Bahamas) – If result of contest aligns with UVA
| Player | 2023-24 Stat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Daniss Jenkins (Graduated) | 33 G, 30.7 mpg, 14.9 ppg, 5.4 apg, 35% 3P% |
| G Jordan Dingle (Graduated) | 31 G, 25.1 mpg, 11.6 ppg, 1.7 apg, 31% 3P% | |
| SG Nahiem Alleyne (Graduated) | 32 G, 17.6 mpg, 6.4 ppg, 1 apg, 38% 3P% | |
| G/F Sean Conway (Graduated) | 25 G, 8 mpg, 2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 31% 3P% | |
| SF Glenn Taylor (Transferred to Oklahoma) | 33 G, 17.5 mpg, 4.4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 42% 3P% | |
| F Chris Ledlum (Graduated) | 31 G, 28.8 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 32% 3P% | |
| PF Drissa Traore (Transferred to Rhode Island) | 28 G, 6.4 mpg, 1.7 ppg, 1.2 rpg, 46% FG% | |
| C Joel Soriano (Graduated) | 33 G, 28.2 mpg, 13.8 ppg, 9.5 rpg, 58% FG% | |
| Returners | SG Simeon Wilcher (SO) | 28 G, 9.1 mpg, 2.8 ppg, 1.1 apg, 42% 3P% |
| F RJ Luis (JR) | 23 G, 21 mpg, 10.9 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 20% 3P% | |
| F Brady Dunlap (SO) | 25 G, 12.4 mpg, 3.2 ppg, 1.5 rpg, 31% 3P% | |
| F/C Zuby Ejiofor (JR) | 33 G, 11.2 mpg, 4.3 ppg, 3.1 rpg, 49% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Deivon Smith (SR+ Transfer, Utah) | 28 G, 29.5 mpg, 13.3 ppg, 7.1 apg, 41% 3P% |
| G Kadary Richmond (SR+ Transfer, Seton Hall) | 35 G, 32.7 mpg, 15.7 ppg, 5.1 apg, 27% 3P% | |
| SG Jadiden Glover (4-star FR) | ||
| G/F Lefteris Liotopoulos (3-star FR) | ||
| F Aaron Scott (SR Transfer, North Texas) | 34 G, 30.2 mpg, 11 ppg, 5.6 rpg, 37% 3P% | |
| F/C Ruben Prey (3-star FR) | ||
| C Khaman Maker (3-star FR) | ||
| C Vincent Iwuchukwu (JR Transfer, Southern Cal) | 31 G, 15.7 mpg, 5.5 ppg, 3.8 rpg, 50% FG% |
Our old friend Rick Pitino is starting his 2nd year back in the Big East this season, having guided the Red Storm to a respectable 20-13 (11-9) record in his first season after moving up from Iona. Six key rotation players are gone, mostly to graduation, so Pitino has a lot of early-season work to do to have St. John’s ready for the Bahamas trip early in the season.
Two elite 5th-year point guards arrive in Utah’s Deivon Smith (formerly of GT) and Seton Hall’s Kadary Richmond, who combined for over 12 assists a game last year in their respective power conferences, while also being productive volume scorers. Pitino will be looking at a trio of young guards to prove themselves with former 4-star Simeon Wilcher having a shot at bigger role as a sophomore plus a pair of freshmen inbound as well.
St. John’s may go big on the wings with two starter-level combo forwards on the roster in incumbent RJ Luis and North Texas transfer Aaron Scott available as upperclassmen. USC transfer big man Vincent Iwuchukwu projects to start at center, while role players from last year’s roster like Brady Dunlap and Zuby Ejiofor will battle with 3-star freshmen for backup roles.
St. John’s has the pieces in place for another solid year in the Big East, but as far as this November event they’ll still have questions with lots of new pieces to integrate and a lot of inexperience on the bench. Should UVA see them at the event, it’s probably in the consolation game, and hopefully UVA’s got the superior depth to win the 2nd game in two days.
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Away – ACC/SEC Challenge
| Player | 2023-24 Stat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | SG Zyon Pullin (Graduated) | 33 G, 33.5 mpg, 15.5 ppg, 4.9 apg, 45% 3P% |
| G/F Julian Rishwain (Transferred to UNLV) | 8 G, 7.8 mpg, 1.6 ppg, 1.6 rpg, 40% 3P% | |
| SF Riley Kugel (Transferred to Miss State) | 33 G, 23.3 mpg, 9.2 ppg, 3.5 rpg, 31% 3P% | |
| F/C Tyrese Samuel (Graduated) | 36 G, 26.8 mpg, 13.9 ppg, 7.4 rpg, 56% FG% | |
| Returners | G Walter Clayton (SR) | 36 G, 30.9 mpg, 17.6 ppg, 2.6 apg, 37% 3P% |
| G/F Will Richard (SR) | 36 G, 29.5 mpg, 11.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 35% 3P% | |
| G/F Denzel Aberdeen (JR) | 32 G, 9.8 mpg, 3.3 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 35% 3P% | |
| PF Thomas Haugh (SO) | 36 G, 14.7 mpg, 3.9 ppg, 3.7 rpg, 45% FG% | |
| C Alex Condon (SO) | 36 G, 20.3 mpg, 7.7 ppg, 6.4 rpg, 46% FG% | |
| C Micah Handlogten (JR) | 33 G, 18.9 mpg, 5.3 ppg, 6.9 rpg, 62% FG% | |
| Additions | PG Urban Klavzar (3-star FR) | |
| G Alijah Martin (SR+ Transfer, Florida Atlantic) | 34 G, 30.6 mpg, 13.1 ppg, 1.6 apg, 34% 3P% | |
| G/F Isaiah Brown (3-star FR) | ||
| PF Sam Alexis (JR Transfer, Chattanooga) | 33 G, 26.4 mpg, 10.8 ppg, 9.1 rpg, 55% FG% | |
| C Olivier Rioux (3-star FR) | ||
| C Rueben Chinyelu (SO Transfer, Washington State) | 35 G, 13.8 mpg, 4.7 ppg, 5 rpg, 62% FG% |
Coming back from the Bahamas, UVA will look to reset with a pair of buy games over Thanksgiving week against Manhattan and Holy Cross before hitting the road yet again. A year after UVA scored a high-quality early season neutral site (Charlotte, NC) win over Florida, ESPN and the conferences saw fit to match these two teams up in the 2nd annual ACC-SEC Challenge, this time on the road. (Note: UVA was home in last year’s ACC-SEC Challenge, so a road date was due.) The Gators are looking to build on last season’s NCAA Tournament berth as they begin Todd Golden’s 3rd season in Gainesville and bring back a number of veteran rotation players in that pursuit.
Up top, the Gators do need to figure out an answer at point guard in the wake of Zyon Pullin’s graduation, most likely asking score-first combo guard Walter Clayon to take on a bigger role as a facilitator. FAU transfer Alijah Martin will likely slide into the other starting guard spot with incumbent Will Richard at the 3, giving the Gators three starting seniors on the perimeter with double-digit-scoring pedigrees. The backups on the wings come with question marks, as UF will be relying on little-used junior Denzel Aberdeen and a couple of 3-star rookies to make early bench impacts.
In the post, the Gators need a couple of guys to up their games in the wake of do-everything big Tyrese Samuel’s graduation. Returning posts Thomas Haugh, Alex Condon, and Micah Handlogten provided reliable minutes as underclassmen last year but will be competing for feature roles along with Chattanooga transfer Sam Alexis and Wazzu’s Rueben Chinyelu. There are ample options for Florida to work with here, and it’s likely at least one or two rise to the occasion.
This will be UVA’s first true road game of the season, though of course will have had three high-profile neutral site games already. This contest should be just as closely contested as last year’s thriller, Todd Golden continues to build a winning culture in Gainesville going into his 3rd year in the SEC, and a win for the Hoos here would be a season-long statement win to help with March positioning.
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Home
| Player | 2023-24 Stat Line | |
|---|---|---|
| Departures | PG Jahvon Quinerly (Graduated) | 32 G, 32.7 mpg, 13.5 ppg, 4.9 apg, 35% 3P% |
| G Caleb Mills (Graduated) | 14 G, 24.2 mpg, 7.9 ppg, 1.4 apg, 37% 3P% | |
| G Jayhlon Young (Transferred to Vermont) | 27 G, 11 mpg, 2.2 ppg, 0.9 apg, 31% 3P% | |
| G/F Jayden Hardaway (Graduated) | 30 G, 12.6 mpg, 3.1 ppg, 1 rpg, 33% 3P% | |
| G/F Carl Cherenfant (Transferred to New Mexico State) | 18 G, 4.4 mpg, 0.1 ppg, 0.9 rpg, 0% 3P% | |
| SF David Jones (Turned Pro) | 32 G, 32.3 mpg, 21.8 ppg, 7.6 rpg, 38% 3P% | |
| F Jaykwon Walton (Graduated) | 32 G, 27.8 mpg, 8.3 ppg, 3.9 rpg, 29% 3P% | |
| PF Nae’Qwan Tomlin (Graduated) | 21 G, 26.9 mpg, 14 ppg, 6 rpg, 60% FG% | |
| PF Ashton Hardaway (Transferred to Saint Mary’s) | 30 G, 8.2 mpg, 2.3 ppg, 0.8 rpg, 34% FG% | |
| PF Jonathan Pierre (Transferred to Belmont) | 19 G, 6.1 mpg, 1.8 ppg, 0.7 rpg, 38% FG% | |
| F/C Malcolm Dandridge (Graduated) | 27 G, 18.8 mpg, 8 ppg, 5 rpg, 61% FG% | |
| C Jordan Brown (Graduated) | 18 G, 10.3 mpg, 4 ppg, 2.2 rpg, 48% FG% | |
| Returners | PF Nick Jourdain (SR+) | 32 G, 22.1 mpg, 6.5 ppg, 4 rpg, 59% FG% |
| Additions | PG Tyrese Hunter (SR Transfer, Texas) | 33 G, 32.1 mpg, 11.1 ppg, 4.1 apg, 34% 3P% |
| G Jared Harris (3-star FR) | ||
| G PJ Haggerty (RS SO Transfer, Tulsa) | 31 G, 33.7 mpg, 21.2 ppg, 3.8 apg, 29% 3P% | |
| G Baraka Okojie (SO Transfer, George Mason) | 32 G, 24.4 mpg, 8.1 ppg, 2.4 apg, 26% 3P% | |
| G/F Colby Rogers (SR+ Transfer, Wichita State) | 34 G, 35 mpg, 16.4 ppg, 3.4 rpg, 41% 3P% | |
| G/F PJ Carter (RS SR Transfer, UTSA) | 31 G, 19.8 mpg, 9.5 ppg, 2.4 rpg, 40% 3P% | |
| PF Tyreek Smith (SR+ Transfer, SMU) | 33 G, 19.2 mpg, 8.2 ppg, 5.4 rpg, 58% FG% | |
| F/C Moussa Cisse (SR+ Transfer, Ole Miss) | 26 G, 17.6 mpg, 4.5 ppg, 4.6 rpg, 56% FG% | |
| C Dain Dainja (RS JR Transfer, Illinois) | 38 G, 10.8 mpg, 6.1 ppg, 3.6 rpg, 67% FG% |
After the Florida road trip, the Hoos will quickly turn around for another road trip for a standalone ACC game at SMU, immediately followed by Exam Week. The Hoos will squeeze in a buy game against Bethune-Cookman during that week, after which we’ll see one last high-profile non-conference opponent as Memphis comes to JPJ to complete a home-and-home contract, which also will be UVA’s first big home contest of the year. UVA struggled badly at Memphis last December, losing 77-54, and will be looking for revenge against a near-totally rebuilt Memphis roster.
It’s been a tumultuous offseason in the Tigers’ program, even by the standards of a Penny Hardaway tenure that seems to thrive on tumult. Most of the coaching staff turned over, to include a number of staffers leaving as recently as Labor Day, perhaps tied to reports of NCAA investigations. At the same time the Tigers have only one returning scholarship player, Hardaway’s roster churn even including losing his own son to the transfer portal (forward Ashton, a deep bench guy, left for St. Mary’s).
The back court is entirely made up of new faces, with Texas PG Tyrese Hunter the crown jewel of the class. Mid-major volume scorers PJ Haggerty (Tulsa) and Colby Rogers (Wichita State), along with likely key reserves from George Mason and UTSA, will round out the perimeter rotation, spotty on shooting from the 1- and 2-spots, but do feature multiple players who can facilitate.
5th year big man Nick Jourdain gives Hardaway one established piece to build around in the post, where three well regarded transfers (SMU’s Tyreek SMith, Ole Miss’ Moussa Cisse, and Illinois’ Dain Dainja) provide a competent-looking 2-deep at the 4 and 5. Done are proven feature scorers, but none are raw either, as well as all coming from solid conferences.
Last year Memphis had the benefit of a summer tour to get a head start on building chemistry. This year, there’s even greater amounts of roster turnover, additional staff churn, and no such foreign tour, so Memphis may have more to worry about early in the season. Like last year, this Memphis team is going to lean hard on athleticism and physicality, especially in the front court, boosted by the valuable experience of seven players in at least their 4th year of college ball. This Memphis program may ultimately fizzle in AAC play and suffer ups and downs all season, but will nonetheless have the tools in place to score a win at JPJ if the Hoos are not yet locked in and gelled by mid-December.
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Alright – thanks for tuning in! Be on the lookout next week for a Cuts recap of the Blue/White scrimmage. “What’s Real?” There will be speculation!
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