Virginia announced Monday that 7-foot center Assane Sene, who injured his ankle Jan. 22 against Georgia, will not return to the team regardless of health issues. The athletic department then announced on Tuesday that standout freshman Malcolm Brogdon will also be out for the season.
These are two body blows for coach Tony Bennett's Cavaliers, the same squad that relies so heavily on team defense. Bennett's defensive principles have positioned Virginia to potentially capture an NCAA at-large bid this weekend, but how much trouble are they in without Sene and Brogdon?
Well, Bennett's club has been the best defensive team in the ACC this season, but opponents' scoring numbers trended upwards without Sene and Brogdon in the lineup. It is hard to project otherwise as the competition gets stiffer from here on out.
In the team's first 17 games, with Sene in the lineup, the Cavaliers held opponents to an effective field goal percentage of 42.8 and just .83 points per possession. Had those numbers held, they would rank in the top-five nationally in both categories right now.
Virginia still remains tied for first nationally in opponents' points per possession (.87), but its getting worse and worse. In its two games without either player, the Cavaliers have allowed more than a point per possession.
Sene, of course, has been out since late January. Although the Cavaliers were worse off defensively without him patrolling the paint, they had ultimately adjusted to his absence. But Brogdon was a consistent presence off the bench for Bennett all season season and will be missed on both ends of the floor.
With both guys done for the year, this Virginia team suddenly looks poised for an early ACC exit and an uneasy feeling on Selection Sunday.
