Virginia’s depth helping its rapid climb in the AP Top 25
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By HANK KURZ Jr.
AP Sports Writer
The starting five is the same, but that’s where comparisons between the Virginia team that has climbed to No. 3 in the Top 25 and last year’s NIT quarterfinalists ends. One more year together and a trip to Italy has made the first five significantly better, but part of the credit for that surely goes to another group: the reinforcements. Transfer Ben Vander Plas and freshmen Isaac McKneely have giving coach Tony Bennett a deeper bench and more scoring options. Virginia has scored 70 points or more in its first six game for the first time since the 2003-04 season.