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DECEMBER 2016 ◆ 15 the past such as Wilkins, Shayok, Devon Hall, Darius Thompson and Jack Salt will be called upon to increase production. "London, if you're going to have one senior, that's a good one to have without a doubt," Bennett said. "And then you talk about Isaiah, Devon, Marial, Darius, those are upperclassmen. Those guys didn't play as big of a role. That's what's exciting. They want that opportunity to step up. "So you hope that experience is enough. It has some upperclassmen, I don't think it has the battle-tested veteran team. And that's what I'm unsure of. It's not as battled- tested in those roles, but it's also an oppor- tunity for all those guys. "It's all kind of wait and see." There's a certain uneasiness to it all. Brogdon and Gill were rocks of Bennett's program for so long, nearly taking the Cava- liers to the Promised Land on their way out. "We're going to have to find ways to be good defensively, to score because you just don't replace those guys," Bennett said. "'Oh, we got the exact replica of Malcolm Brogdon or Anthony Gill.' We don't. We have some different pieces. But those are challenges, real challenges. "And I don't care what the preseason rankings are. That means nothing. I knew where our team is, I know what they can become. But the reality is we have a lot of work to do." Call it unfinished business. "That's a burning desire," Bennett said of reaching the Final Four. "And I'm very competitive and I want that." ◆ Malcolm Brogdon's career was coming to a close, but the University of Virgin- ia's best player in 2015-16 couldn't help but give a nod of approval to the future. It was early March of last season and the Cavaliers, a No. 1 seed, were on the brink of the NCAA Tournament. Their starters were into their sixth month of battling their scout team, a bunch made up of walk-ons and a couple of intriguing scholarship forwards. There was the 6-9 Austin Nichols, a transfer from Mem- phis, and the 6-9 Mamadi Diakite, a redshirt from Africa. Both were soon to be eligible for the Cavaliers. "They're going to be huge," Brogdon said of the duo. "They are going to be like two bigs that we haven't had before. Darion [Atkins] would be the closest one in terms of defensive and shot-blocking ability. But there is going to be two of them. "Austin is very offensively talented and can block shots. Mamadi, we're still trying to figure out what he's going to do the best. He's a very good offensive player, but he's an amazing athlete and can really block shots, as well." D i a k i t e c a m e t o t h e B l u e R i d g e S c h o o l i n St. George, Va., from Conakry, Guinea, Africa, in Janu- ary 2014. He played soccer and ran track, but it's on the basketball court where he garnered attention. He committed to UVA over Southern Cal and Wash- ington in August 2015 and enrolled at the school a month later. The redshirt year, he said, served him well. "I learned so much about myself, on and off the court," Diakite said. His on-court presence, as Brogdon alluded to, is likely to be felt more on the defensive end. Diakite blocked four shots a game during his last season at Blue Ridge. "He's an unbelievable athlete and he's skilled with it," said third-year forward Isaiah Wilkins. "Sometimes there's a bit of a language barrier just because he's kind of new to this country, so it's definitely going to take me being patient and learning with him. "But he's wired, he's stronger, he's way stronger, he put on 20 pounds. He's going to be a rim protector for us, but he can shoot the ball. He's an unbelievable ath- lete. So he's definitely going to help the team blowing up ball screens and blocking shots." — Andrew Ramspacher HOO TO WATCH: REDSHIRT FIRST-YEAR MAMADI DIAKITE Diakite — a native of Conakry, Guinea, Africa — averaged 12 points, eight rebounds and four blocked shots as a senior for St. George (Va.) Blue Ridge School in 2014‑15. PHOTO COURTESY UVA Sharpshooting guard Kyle Guy, last year's Mr. Basketball in Indiana, believes the Cava‑ liers boast the best first‑year class in the country. PHOTO COURTESY UVA