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2018 ACC preview: Notre Dame, Louisville battle for top

By Arielle Chambers

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Virginia Cavaliers 

Projected finish: 11th

Last year’s record: 19-14, 10-6 ACC

Key returners (last season’s stats):

G-Dominique Toussaint, 5’9, (Staten Island, NY), JR-  11.4 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 29.8 MPG; All-ACC honorable mention.

G- Jocelyn Willoughby, 6’0, (East Orange, NJ), JR- 9.6 PPG, 5.4 RPG, 29.1 MPG. LINE C- Felicia Aiyeotan, 6’9, (Lagos, Nigeria), JR- 7.4 PPG, 6.9 RPG, 2.1 BPG, 22.4 MPG; ACC leader in blocks last season; tallest active player in NCAAW 17-18 season; ACC All-Defensive Team.

(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Biggest losses (last season’s stats):

G-Aliyah Huland El, 6’1, (Randolph, NJ)- 10.1 PPG, 3.2 RPG, 26.7 MPG; seventh in program history for made three-pointers (137)

G- J’Kyra Brown, 5’11, (Rocky Mount, NC) –9.5 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 28.7 MPG.

Newcomers

G- Erica Martinsen, 5’9, (Clarence, NY), FR – two-time Western New York High School Player of the Year; ECIC II Player of the Year; school record in points (50) and three-pointers (8) in a single game.

Head Coach

Tina Thompson, 1st season

  • Spent three seasons at Texas as assistant coach and associate head coach
  • 2018 Naismith Hall of Fame inductee
  • Women’s Basketball Hall of Fame
  • First ever pick iin the WNBA draft
  • Four-time WNBA champion
(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images)
(Photo by David Dow/NBAE via Getty Images) /

Key games

Nov. 9– Mississippi State: 7 pm ET (ACCN)

Nov. 15 – @ Kentucky: 8:30 pm ET (SECN)

Jan. 10– Virginia Tech: 7 pm ET (ACCN)

Outlook

Virginia was not a struggling team when the decision to make a coaching switch occurred. The Cavaliers made it to the 2018 NCAA Tournament and beat California to advance to the second round.  This year, they hope to enter March Madness higher than a tenth seed and build upon what was already a successful program.

The new Virginia coaching staff is composed of WNBA greats. La’Keshia Frett Meredith, Thompson’s assistant coach, played seven seasons in the WNBA. Karleen Thompson also affiliation with the WNBA with coaching the Houston Comets, Los Angeles Sparks and the Atlanta Dream.

Coach Thompson emphasized reteaching fundamentals and getting back to pure basketball.  Drilling, drilling, drilling. In a generation with positionless basketball, getting back to basics could put Virginia over the edge. The Cavaliers have a true center in Felicia Aiyeotan, who was the tallest active player in the NCAA last season.  Complementing her, Dominique Toussaint and Jocelyn Willoughby have given some solid minutes at the guard position, with emphasis on defense.

Adjusting to new Thompson will be the real test to the team.  It will be somewhat of a rebuilding year for the program, but they are most certainly not starting at the rock bottom.

(Photos by Brian Bishop/Icon Sportwire)
(Photos by Brian Bishop/Icon Sportwire) /

Best case scenario:

Virginia sneaks in the NCAA yet again, but this year, with more shockers. Because of the diligence from the coaching staff and Aiyeotan finally coming into her own and having a bigger offensive presence (finishing inside), the easy high to low game has worked for the Cavaliers-enough to not only get them into the Tournament, but they survive a couple of rounds.

Worst case scenario:

Virginia does the opposite of what is expected. They’ve teetered toward the lower end of the 64 entering the NCAA Tournament and by a small margin, made it in last year. This year, they focus on the little things for long-term improvement, but because of the switches, they just miss a post-season opportunity.

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