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Cautiously Optimistic W Cavaliers Welcome, But Manage, High Expectations By Whitelaw Reid hat a crazy ride the Virginia basketball team took its fans on last season. The Cavaliers had electrifying wins against Wisconsin and Duke, mortifying losses to Delaware and Old Dominion, and just about every other kind of result in between. In the end, Virginia (23-12) tied for fourth in the ACC, failed to make the NCAA Tournament and lost at home to Iowa in the quarterfinals of the NIT. This season, expectations have risen drastically for the program. In its annual preview, ESPN predicted the Cavaliers to finish second in the new 15-team ACC. Virginia head coach Tony Bennett said managing expectations will be an important aspect of the season. On the eve of the team's first practice in October, Bennett had former UVa head coach Terry Holland and former Cavalier player and current Dallas Mavericks head coach Rick Carlisle, who were in town, talk to the team about that very subject. "It was really helpful that they both addressed that," Bennett said. "They said, 'You are a little older, sounds like you have got a deep team, what do you think about the expectations?' "Carlisle said that managing expectations is about the process. We talk a lot about that, to not get caught i14-16.Men's Basketball Preview.indd 1 up in what people say, especially now. It is about getting better each day." Much of the optimism for the 2013‑14 squad, which was picked to finish fourth at the ACC's media day, centers around the return of fourth-years Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell. Harris was a first-team All-ACC selection last season, while Mitchell was a third-teamer. The big question heading into last season was whether Harris would be able to pick up the scoring load from the departed Mike Scott. The answer was a resounding yes. Harris scored more than 20 points on nine occasions, including an out-of-his mind 36-point outing in a 73-68 upset of third-ranked Duke. Who knows where Virginia would have been without Mitchell last season. He developed more than anybody could have hoped and made fans forget about Scott. Mitchell finished with 12 double-doubles, two more than Scott had notched the season before. Defensively, Mitchell was in charge of guarding every good frontcourt player that Virginia faced. The good news for Harris and Mitchell this season is that they figure to have plenty of offensive support. As a first-year, center Mike Tobey showed flashes of brilliance. The Monroe, N.Y., native is probably the best big man Virginia has had since the days of Olden Polynice (1983-86). The youngest player on the team improved with 11/5/13 2:18 PM