TheSabre.com Poll: How Many Points Will Virginia Basketball Average This Season?

Throughout the offseason, there has been a lot of discussion about the new 30-second shot clock in men’s college basketball this season. For Virginia, the change often brings up two trains of thought as fans ponder if the Hoos can keep up their recent success with a shorter clock.

The quicker clock may not have much of an impact on the Pack-Line defense, which is designed to get back in transition and force contested jumpers as often as possible. Many think that UVa’s defense will be as good or better with the 30-second clock. So while that discussion has occurred regularly over the past several months, the second train of thought is one that has a less definitive conclusion. In facing a shorter clock, will the Hoos increase their tempo on offense by looking for earlier chances in transition and can they remain as efficient with less time to work with overall?

The answer to that question is one storyline that Cavalier fans will be watching all season long. In the Tony Bennett era to date, UVa has averaged 64.3 points per game (65.5, 61.9, 62.5, 64.2, 66.2, 65.4) with the last three-year window showing an uptick to 65.3. More overall possessions should lead to a greater scoring average in theory, but how high will the Hoos get? That’s the poll question this week!

How Many Points Will Virginia Basketball Average This Season?

The poll remains open until next Thursday at noon and the results will be recapped the following Thursday (see last week’s results below).

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One of Editor Kris Wright’s favorite questions in his annual “10 questions” preseason feature provides this week’s question for the poll:

Who Will Be UVa Basketball’s ‘X Factor’ This Season?

Over the last two seasons, Wright tabbed Justin Anderson (2013-2014) and Anthony Gill (2014-2015) as his preseason ‘X Factor’ picks. Voters could define ‘X Factor’ however they liked. All 11 scholarship players available to play this season were in the poll.

Sophomore Marial Shayok led the voting with 29% (260 votes). He flashed a lot of potential as a freshman and with Justin Anderson now in the NBA, Shayok has a chance at a larger role this season. Fellow sophomore Isaiah Wilkins claimed 16% (143) of the votes; he’s in a similar spot as Shayok where minutes opened up with the end of Darion Atkins’ career in Charlottesville. Two veterans in Mike Tobey (15%/134 votes) and London Perrantes (9%/78 votes) were next in the poll.

Stay tuned for Wright’s 10 preseason questions including his answer to the X Factor question soon. Here are the full results to the poll: