Its that time of year folks. And Wave..keep your opinions to yourself, DONT WANT TO HEAR IT.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-bas...-questions-acc
1. Can a team lose to a No. 16 seed by 20 one year and successfully defend its ACC title the next?
Jeff Borzello: Well, I had to scrap this entire answer early Monday afternoon when Virginia announced that Alabama transfer Braxton Key received an NCAA waiver to play immediately this season for the Cavaliers. Key gives Tony Bennett another option on the offensive end to go with the returning perimeter trio of Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and potential first-rounder De'Andre Hunter. The biggest question for Virginia was how Bennett pieced together the rest of his lineup around those three -- especially in the frontcourt. Key, at 6-foot-8, 225 pounds, can play as a versatile power forward for the Cavaliers, making it a little easier for Bennett to figure out the rest of his rotation. This puts Virginia squarely in the mix with Duke and North Carolina for an ACC title. The Blue Devils obviously have all their freshmen, while North Carolina is flying somewhat under the radar heading into the season. When they go small with Coby White, Kenny Williams, Nassir Little, Cameron Johnson and Luke Maye, there won't be many teams that can guard them. I'll still go with Duke, but this three-way battle is awfully interesting.
John Gasaway: The easy answer here is Virginia can absolutely defend its ACC title as long as UMBC stays safely tucked away in the America East. So, sure, the Cavaliers really are the favorites. Just look at recent non-UMBC history. Over the past five seasons, the Hoos have won 73 ACC games. That's 10 more than both Duke and North Carolina can claim over that span. Bennett may still be figuring out the NCAA tournament, but he has demonstrated beyond a doubt that he's got the ACC's number. With a healthy Hunter, returnees such as Guy and Jerome and new addition Key, Virginia is the team to beat.
Myron Medcalf: Definitely. Virginia's regular-season prowess is not the issue. The Cavaliers return a legit first-round prospect with Hunter. Jerome is a pro, too. And Guy could secure a first-team All-America squad nod this season. Add Alabama transfer Key and it's easy to envision another league title for Bennett's squad.