Virginia Men’s Basketball Starting Five: An All-21st Century Lineup

In the thick of the offseason, let’s dive into the last 25 years of Virginia men’s basketball and discuss who cracks the starting five of the 21st Century. With no Ralph, who takes the center spot? Will it be 2019-dominated or spread across the 2000s? I’ll reveal each player, followed by a list of their accolades and a skinny as to why they belong in the top rung.

*I’ve grandfathered Roger Mason and Travis Watson into this list, despite the fact that they started their careers in Charlottesville prior to 2000.

Guard: Ty Jerome (2016-2019)

Accolades: Second-Team All-ACC (2019), NCAA All-Tournament Team (2019)

Backup: J.R. Reynolds (2003-07), London Perrantes (2013-17), Reece Beekman (2020-24)

Jerome is the runaway pick for this slot despite Reynolds’ one-two scoring punch with Singletary, Perrantes’ longevity with some high-achieving Cavalier squads and Beekman’s defensive chops. The 6’5” New York native captured the program’s first NCAA Championship in 2019 and was selected with the 24th pick in the subsequent NBA Draft, leaving Charlottesville after his junior season. While the numbers aren’t jaw-dropping when compared to ‘Hoos of the 2000s, Jerome dissected defenses with his savvy, methodical style of play and finished with a career-high 13.6 PPG and 5.5 APG his final year. Clutch play against the likes of Purdue, Auburn, and Texas Tech cements Jerome’s case as the starting point guard for this all-21st Century team. He is too good to be overlooked.

Guard: Sean Singletary (2004-08)

Accolades: 3x All-ACC First Team, 2004-05 All-ACC Freshman Team

Backup: Kyle Guy (2016-19), Sylven Landesberg (2008-10)

While Singletary missed the party of the 2010s, he was busy pacing Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao’s teams as an elite scorer and Duke slayer. No Cavalier since has matched Singletary’s 19.8 PPG clip, and he twice hit the 19.0 PPG threshold. Despite his smaller size (6’0”), I’ll give the advantage to Singletary over the likes of Kyle Guy and Sylven Landesberg because of his strength as a passer and scorer. I would be remiss if I did not include Singletary in this starting five — a bright spot of the 2000s — even if he’ll likely concede ball-handling duties to a national champion in Jerome. Also a clutch player, Singletary etched himself into John Paul Jones immortality with a buzzer-beating jumper to upend the Blue Devils, 68-66 (OT), in 2007.

Guard: Malcolm Brogdon (2011-2016)

Accolades: 2015-16 ACC Player of the Year, 2015-16 ACC Defensive Player of the Year, 2015-16 First-Team All-American, 2014-15 Second-Team All-American, 2015-16 NABC Defensive Player of the Year, 2x First-Team All-ACC

Backups: Roger Mason (1999-2002), Joe Harris (2010-14)

The easiest pick of them all, Brogdon spearheaded Bennett’s magical emergence in the mid-2010s and led the ‘Hoos to Sweet Sixteen and Elite Eight appearances in 2014 and 2016, respectively. The 6’5” shooting guard led Virginia in scoring across three consecutive seasons (2013-2016) and garnered a host of honors in his senior campaign as evidenced by a 18.2 PPG, 3.1 APG, and 39.1% 3PT statline. Brogdon’s basketball IQ on the other side of the court also earned him the NABC’s Defensive Player of the Year title in 2016. One can only look to center Ralph Sampson as a more decorated ‘Hoo, as the Atlanta native was instrumental in bringing Virginia basketball back into the forefront of national conversations.