This is exactly the kind of reason why I don't feel bad about not having a forward-looking UVa basketball post finished by now: Because things are still changing, the dust has not settled, and it is still too early to definitively talk about the prospects of the 'Hoos next season, because we don't know who will be on the team.
Last Monday, Ty Jerome and De'Andre Hunter entered their names into the NBA draft, forward Justin McKoy of North Carolina decided to come to Virginia this fall over UNC, and the Hauser brothers, Sam and Joey, who are forwards, announced they are transferring from Marquette, and reportedly, Virginia and Wisconsin are the heavy favorites to land both.
Jerome and Hunter are certainly leaving their names in the draft and not returning to Virginia.
Then last Tuesday, Kyle Guy said he was declaring for the NBA draft but leaving the option open to return to school, and Mamadi Diakite followed his lead Wednesday. A week ago, the thought was that
Guy may come back to Charlottesville, and Diakite almost certainly would. Any player can begin the process of declaring for the NBA draft and receive evaluations and feedback and then take his name out of draft consideration by May 29.
But this Monday, Guy said he would remain in the draft. It was not shocking, but I also would not have been shocked had he returned. Guy's NBA stock is not as high as Hunter's or Jerome's, but his aspirations are just as high. Plus, his fiancee will be a law student at Notre Dame in the fall, so who knows how that played into his decision.
My feeling is that all of these players went out on top this season as juniors, and the trio of Hunter, Jerome, and Guy leave lasting legacies by going pro now. They have nothing more to accomplish at Virginia other than padding their all-time statistics -- they could've, of course, tried to repeat as champions, but that would've been exceedingly tough. As a team, they had the perfect ending, a storybook finale. That could also influence Diakite to keep his name in the draft, but we will see. I think he still has room to be much more consistent on offense and in rebounding, which would increase his stock.
Also Monday, sophomore guard Marco Anthony said he would transfer from Virginia, an unsurprising move. Anthony's production went down this season as Kihei Clark passed him on the depth chart. Next year, incoming four-star guard Casey Morsell was likely to take some of his time, too. Anthony, from San Antonio, averaged 1.2 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists this year and 2
points, 1 rebound, and 0.7 assists in 2017-18. His minutes went down from 7.9 per game to 5.4. Anthony's best game came at home against Louisville last season. With Nigel Johnson suspended, Anthony stepped in and scored 10 points, making two 3-pointers. That made me think he'd develop into a rotation player this year, but it just didn't happen.
So, in total (as of now), if Diakite returns, five players who were on this season's roster won't be on it this fall: the graduating Jack Salt, Hunter, Jerome, Guy, and Anthony. Three of those spots are being taken by incoming freshmen in Morsell, McKoy, and center Kadin Shedrick. Additionally, Austin Katstra, a former walk-on who was put on scholarship this season, is expected to revert back to walk-on status next year (apparently this is not that uncommon). That leaves three open spots as of this writing.
The belief seemed to be, before Guy's announcement that he'd remain in the draft and Anthony's that he was leaving, Tony Bennett would not be able to take the Hauser brothers as a package deal. But now, the math has changed, and it would be easier to fit them on the roster. They would need to sit out 2019-20. The team is also in need of an additional ballhandler, and it seems likely Bennett will look to the transfer market for a guard.
So hopefully you kept up with all that: Goodbye to Hunter, Jerome, Guy, Salt, and Anthony. Hello again or goodbye to Diakite. Hello Morsell, Shedrick, and McKoy. And we will see what happens in regards to potential incoming transfers.
My next planned post, unless more news pops up before I finish, will include my season-ending awards, which have become an annual tradition for the hoops team.
Last Monday, Ty Jerome and De'Andre Hunter entered their names into the NBA draft, forward Justin McKoy of North Carolina decided to come to Virginia this fall over UNC, and the Hauser brothers, Sam and Joey, who are forwards, announced they are transferring from Marquette, and reportedly, Virginia and Wisconsin are the heavy favorites to land both.
Jerome and Hunter are certainly leaving their names in the draft and not returning to Virginia.
Then last Tuesday, Kyle Guy said he was declaring for the NBA draft but leaving the option open to return to school, and Mamadi Diakite followed his lead Wednesday. A week ago, the thought was that
 |
| Kyle Guy leaves Virginia as its all-time leader in 3-point percentage at 42.5. |
But this Monday, Guy said he would remain in the draft. It was not shocking, but I also would not have been shocked had he returned. Guy's NBA stock is not as high as Hunter's or Jerome's, but his aspirations are just as high. Plus, his fiancee will be a law student at Notre Dame in the fall, so who knows how that played into his decision.
My feeling is that all of these players went out on top this season as juniors, and the trio of Hunter, Jerome, and Guy leave lasting legacies by going pro now. They have nothing more to accomplish at Virginia other than padding their all-time statistics -- they could've, of course, tried to repeat as champions, but that would've been exceedingly tough. As a team, they had the perfect ending, a storybook finale. That could also influence Diakite to keep his name in the draft, but we will see. I think he still has room to be much more consistent on offense and in rebounding, which would increase his stock.
Also Monday, sophomore guard Marco Anthony said he would transfer from Virginia, an unsurprising move. Anthony's production went down this season as Kihei Clark passed him on the depth chart. Next year, incoming four-star guard Casey Morsell was likely to take some of his time, too. Anthony, from San Antonio, averaged 1.2 points, 0.5 rebounds, and 0.5 assists this year and 2
 |
| Marco Anthony's playing time went down this season. He will be remembered for busting out some fantastic dance moves during the NCAA tournament, though. |
So, in total (as of now), if Diakite returns, five players who were on this season's roster won't be on it this fall: the graduating Jack Salt, Hunter, Jerome, Guy, and Anthony. Three of those spots are being taken by incoming freshmen in Morsell, McKoy, and center Kadin Shedrick. Additionally, Austin Katstra, a former walk-on who was put on scholarship this season, is expected to revert back to walk-on status next year (apparently this is not that uncommon). That leaves three open spots as of this writing.
The belief seemed to be, before Guy's announcement that he'd remain in the draft and Anthony's that he was leaving, Tony Bennett would not be able to take the Hauser brothers as a package deal. But now, the math has changed, and it would be easier to fit them on the roster. They would need to sit out 2019-20. The team is also in need of an additional ballhandler, and it seems likely Bennett will look to the transfer market for a guard.
So hopefully you kept up with all that: Goodbye to Hunter, Jerome, Guy, Salt, and Anthony. Hello again or goodbye to Diakite. Hello Morsell, Shedrick, and McKoy. And we will see what happens in regards to potential incoming transfers.
My next planned post, unless more news pops up before I finish, will include my season-ending awards, which have become an annual tradition for the hoops team.
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