The lowdown
2000-01 record: 20-9; 9-7 in ACC (4th)
Final Ranking: No. 21 ESPN/USA Today; No. 16 AP
Postseason: Lost to Gonzaga, 86-85 in first round of NCAA Tournament.
Three Questions for 2001-02
1. Majestic Mapp's health. He sat out last season with a knee injury. The Cavs need his infusion of skills in the backcourt to keep up with Duke's lethal perimeter.
2. Another player with size has to emerge. The Cavs can't have everyone rely on Travis Watson inside.
3. The Cavs have been erratic shooting from the perimeter. If they can solve that issue then they can be a challenger against the Blue Devils.
Three Key Facts
1. The Cavaliers teased fans during the 2000-01 season, starting with a 10-0 start, then adding marquee wins over a second-ranked North Carolina, No. 3 Duke and No. 4 Tennessee and Maryland, on their way to a 20-win season. But losses to Maryland, Georgia Tech and Gonzaga in the first round of the NCAAs left fans scratching their heads while asking "What Happened?"
2. Virginia's 20 wins was a first since 1995 and by going 9-7 in the ACC, the Cavs posted consecutive winning seasons in the ACC for the first time since Ralph Sampson was swatting shots from 1981-83.
3. The Cavs return four starters and Mapp figures to replace Donald Hand at the point. Mapp, who had reconstructive surgery for a torn anterior cruciate ligament, averaged 5.3 points as a freshman in 1999-00.
Andy Katz's Scenarios
Best case: Not really enough (on paper) to beat Duke, but they can beat the rest of the ACC and finish second to the Dukies, thus earning a top-four seed in the NCAA Tournament.
Worst case: Drop to fourth or fifth and end up fighting for an NCAA bid again.
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Key Players Returning
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Player
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Yr.
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Pos.
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Ht./Wt.
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Comment
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Roger Mason Jr.
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Jr.
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G
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6-5/201
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PTS: 15.7 | REB: 3.7 | AST: 2.5
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Chris Williams
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Sr.
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F
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6-7/206
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PTS: 14.5 | REB: 6.7 | AST: 2.0
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Travis Watson
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Jr.
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F
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6-8/254
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PTS: 12.3 | REB: 9.1 | AST: 0.9
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Adam Hall
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Sr.
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F
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6-5/195
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PTS: 10.2 | REB: 5.5 | AST: 1.2
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Key Losses
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Player
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Pos.
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Ht./Wt.
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Comment
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Donald Hand
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G
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5-11/193
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PTS: 12.6 | REB: 3.2 | AST: 6.0
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Keith Friel
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G
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6-4/195
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PTS: 8.4 | REB: 1.0 | AST: 0.6
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Virginia Signings
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Player
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Pos.
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Ht.
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High School/College
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Jason Clark
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F
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6-8
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Virginia Beach/Hargrave Military Academy (Va.)
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Elton Brown
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F
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6-8
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Newport News/Warwick High (Va.)
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Jermaine Harper
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G
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6-3
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Gardena/Blue Ridge School (Va.)
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Keith Jenifer
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G
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6-3
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Baltimore/Hargrave Military Academy (Md.)
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