The Virginia men’s basketball team starts its season on Friday night at 7 p.m. when JMU visits the John Paul Jones Arena. Let’s look at 10 questions about the Hoos as they prepare for tip-off.

10. Will Virginia be the state’s premier program?

Last season, the Cavaliers opened their season at George Mason without Jontel Evans or Teven Jones available at point guard. They fell 63-59. With both of those players back in the fold, the Wahoos began to build momentum into late December with an 8-game winning streak. Evans experienced an injury setback, however, and the Hoos played an all-around stinker against Old Dominion in Richmond. That resulted in a 63-61 loss.

This season, the Cavaliers get another shot at state supremacy and they get it early. Four of the first six opponents on this year’s schedule call the Commonwealth home. UVa opens with what should be an overmatched James Madison squad. Of course, even with Evans out, the same could have been said about last season’s ODU club that finished 5-25. This is a very different Virginia roster in terms of experience and depth, but it is still important for the team to come out and take care of business in the opener. The same could be said of the games with Liberty and Hampton later in November as well as the ACC contests with Virginia Tech.

One of the season’s marquee match-ups, however, will in all likelihood be for the state’s top dog bragging rights. VCU, ranked No. 14 in the preseason polls, visits a sold-out John Paul Jones Arena next Tuesday to take on the No. 24 Cavaliers. That one is a contrast in styles with UVa’s Pack-Line defense trying to grind opponents up in the halfcourt, while the Rams’ Havoc approach tries to tear you apart from end to end. The result of the game likely won’t impact the NCAA Tournament hopes for either team, but it will provide an early season test for both squads.

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