2013-2014 Roster Breakdown

ROSTER BREAKDOWN:

Starting Lineup-
G: Malcolm Brogdon 6'5  217  RS-So
G: Joe Harris              6'6  225  Sr
G: Justin Anderson    6'6   227  So
F: Akil Mitchell         6'8   235  Sr
F: Anthony Gill         6'8   230  RS-So


Guards-
-Malcolm Brogdon: About as big, physical, and strong of a PG you'll find just about anywhere. Many fans question his fit as a true point guard, but I'll reiterate what plenty have said before: under Tony Bennett, there really is not that much difference between the 1 and 3 spots. Rather, Tony looks for certain qualities in each of his guards. Obviously for a coach like Bennett, fundamentals are paramount, so you have to be able to have a strong enough handle to take care of the basketball and you have to be competent on defense. Malcolm is fine on both of those fronts. While his handle was not his strong suit as a freshman, I don't think anyone saw him as a real liability with the ball in his hands. At his worst, he looked like a typical freshman guard. He'll never be a guy who will use his handle to break a defender down, and that's fine. From what I've heard, Malcolm's handle has improved dramatically thanks to the work he put in during his redshirt year. It won't be flashy, but I'm willing to bet he'll be very strong with the ball and won't cough it up often. As far as his defense, I was actually more impressed than some others by how he played defensively his first year. He did a very good job on Terrell Stoglin and Nick Faust when called upon, and those are guys who on paper should be matchup problems. I'm sure there will be a few guys Malcolm will have troubles staying with, but overall, I expect him to defend well. The rest of his game is pretty much where he excels. He can drive, overpower smaller guards, post up, move the ball around, and is a capable shooter when he has a look. I could go on, but what I really expect to see from Malcolm this year is solid, steady play. Given the rest of our roster, we don't need a PG who can go out and win games by himself (ala Sean Singletary). Instead, what we need at point is a guy who can limit mistakes, make good decisions, and create opportunities for the loads of surrounding talented players, and it seems like Malcolm's the right guy for the job.
Brogdon VSTV Clip

-Joe Harris: Not too much needs to be said here. He's probably the best shooter in the country if you interpret "shooter" broadly and not just as a 3 pt specialist. Regardless of where he is on the floor, he can find shots and make them. Each year I continue to be surprised at just how big he is. He's the same size as Justin Anderson, and honestly, whenever I see them together Joe may even seem a bit bigger. People like to knock on his athleticism, which I think is just silly. Is he Justin? No. But watch him burn players on Duke, UNC, NCST, etc. and tell me he's unathletic. I think the biggest thing for Joe this year is his supporting cast. Most fans assume that Joe's production must necessarily drop due to the amount of depth and talent around him. While that does make sense, I still think Joe will score just as much if not more so than last year. I feel this way because last year, he had very limited help. Most of the looks he got he created for himself. When you're playing along a PG and SG who realistically are not threats to score, a team can afford to pay more attention to you. This is what we really saw a lot of after the Duke game. Teams keyed in on Harris and made guys like Evans and Jesperson go out and make them pay for it. They did not. This year will be different. Joe will be surrounded be viable offensive weapons. Opposing defenses won't be able to sag off other guys to help with Joe. If they do, they'll pay for it. Ultimately, I think this will have the greatest effect on Joe's efficiency. I think he'll get better looks and have to work less to get them. And if you're giving him good looks, you're cooked.


Harris VSTV Clip

-Justin Anderson: By the end of last year, as Harris struggled, Justin emerged as the teams best player. His statline against Iowa was just silly.

NIT - QUARTERFINAL                                                                                                                                                                                           FGM-FGA FG% 3PM-3PA 3P% FTM-FTA FT% REB AST BLK STL PF TO PTS
Wed 3/27	vs (6) IOWA	L 75-64	35	6-14	.429	5-8	.625	7-8	.875	6	2	5	3	2	4	24

Now, I think one of the most interesting questions going into this season is what exactly will be Justin's role? It's tough to say for sure, but there's one thing that's a given: he'll have a huge impact on our success. He's just the type of player that can make a difference between winning and losing, even if it doesn't show up on the statsheet. I think his on ball and packline defense will take a leap forward this year. He'll likely get the toughest assignment each night unless it's a tiny guard or a huge center. Anything in between is right in his wheelhouse. I also expect his shooting to improve from last year. He struggled hitting outside shots early on in the year, but rebounded from an 0-9 start to shoot 36% the rest of the way. I don't think he'll ever be a 40-45% guy, but if he can consistently hit 35-40% of his shots from range, it will help the team greatly. He also showed a very solid midrange game last year, which will only get better. And finally, my favorite part of Justin's game: blocks and dunks. There will be lots of them.

Anderson/Nolte VSTV Clip

-London Perrantes: I'm a really big fan of London's skillset. Over the summer, I watched 4-5 full game tapes and came away very impressed. He's a leader on the floor. He can shoot the ball from range. He has great touch on his passes. But the thing that stands out the most is his vision/decision making. London always seems to be hyperaware of what's happening on the court at any given time. He can read the defense and predict what they're going to do. He always seems like he's one step ahead of the defenders. These skills make him a great fit for this year's team, as he could distribute and make his teammates better. Here are some blurbs from those who followed him on the recruiting trail:

 "...Perrantes, who carved up his opponents with the precision of a physican's scalpel. Time and again, the 6-foot-1, 185 pound passing phenom made not only great decisions off ball screens delivered to his doorstep or in the open floor, but decisions that most others would have never seen seen much less had the skill to execute.

In that respect, Perrantes reminds a lot of former ASU point guard Derek Glasser, who always got the ball to the right spot and never did it riskily. Few high school court generals have the playmaking capability of Perrantes. Even fewer feel no need to showboat or be risk tolerant in order to provide moments of flair.

In an era of unaccomplished players showcasing swagger while ignorant to their mediocrity, Perrantes is genuinely really good at something and completely unaffected by it, at least outwardly. At the same time, he knows he's made real strides with his game and that's where his pleasure is derived. "

"A player who was surprisingly omitted from the all-star games was London Perrantes. The Crespi floor general played well in an environment that breeds selfishness. Perrantes played his game, which is centered on making his teammates better and playing with patience and poise."

I think those speak well about what we can expect from London.




-Teven Jones: For whatever reason, people seem to forget about Teven. Maybe it's because of Brogdon's hype, or the arrival of Perrantes and Hall, but I think fans may be overlooking Jones. Granted, he had his ups and downs, but for the most part, I think it's fair to say he made the most of a less than ideal situation. At times he was thrown into the fire. Other times he seemed to be in Bennett's doghouse. Credit Teven for sticking it out and coming back, despite the fact that every fan, present company included, wondered aloud whether he might be our next player to jump ship. I think this speaks to his "fire." Like Jontel Evans, Jones has a bit of that football, chip on the shoulder mentality. On top of that, I think that he actually has more potential than people realize. Defensively, if it all comes together for him, he could be a menace. Not only is he lightning quick with both his hands and feet, but he has an incredibly long wingspan for someone his size. This was likely one of the reasons why programs such as Clemson expressed interest in him as a defensive back. If the light comes on, he could be a terrific defensive player. Teven actually has surprisingly solid offensive potential as well. I don't think he'll be a double digit scorer, but he showed the ability to protect the ball, run the offense, and knock down shots when needed. If he keeps improving, he'll find himself a role on this team. His athleticism and energy are traits that few possess.

-Devon Hall: Speaking of forgotten men, remember when Devon reclassified to the class of 2013 committed last summer? It was a huge freaking deal. He was essentially the long awaited savior PG that the Bennett "haters" had used as proof for Tony's "recruiting deficiencies." Well, thanks to the reclassification and a poor summer on the AAU circuit, Devon saw his once elite ranking plummet. Personally I have some issues with how they weighted his AAU play (where I believe he struggled because of the role Boo Williams had him in) against his HS play (where he played brilliantly), but at the end of the day, rankings are simply rankings (see Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell). All that said, while I think that Devon has All-ACC talent, it might take him some adjusting. If we really needed to have him play a serious role this year, I think he would do fine, with some expected freshman struggles early on. But the fact is, given our depth, we can ease him in and let him develop naturally. Ultimately I think this will work out for the best. He, like Malcolm is a big PG, but unlike Malcolm, he's much more of a natural at the position. While is a capable shooter, he was once so highly regarded because he was one of the best passers in the country. Kendall Marshall may seem like a lazy comparison given the fact that they're both oversized, lefty, pass-first PGs from VA, but I think it's actually pretty damn spot on. There are differences but if you want to imagine Devon's style of play, that's a good place to start. The key for him, however will be on defense. He has potential on that end, but it will take a lot of hard work and practice.


Forwards/Centers-

-Akil Mitchell- Obviously, Akil's career has been a "surprise." But only when you consider his recruitment. While he was very raw, when he played during his first year, you could tell that he had potential. He never looked like someone who was overmatched by this level of competition. Rather, he seemed like someone who, one he fine-tuned his game, could make a big impact in the league. Well, he's done just that. If I could point to a specific moment where we as fans realized that he might turn out to be more than expected, I think it would be the Duke game at Cameron his first year. He only had 2 points, but they were a loud two points (a vicious slam in transition). But overall he looked like he belonged in his league. He certainly began to prove that his second year. Once again, the Duke game stood out. I was basically right behind the Virginia bench during that game at Cameron. And again, not all that impressive on the statline, but still, he made a significant impact in the game. Fast forward to last year, and surprisingly (yet also somehow completely unsurprisingly) Akil stepped his game up to another level. Most significantly, he became pretty much the best post defender in the ACC. It didn't matter who he was facing; he gave them hell. His most amazing improvement, though, was offensively. From his Sophomore to Junior years, Mitchell went from an average of 4.1 points per game to 13.1. Part on that was due to a significant improvement of his skillset, but perhaps the most impressive way Akil got better was mentally. Akil, better than anyone in the league, knew how to get himself easy buckets. I haven't checked any stats on this (I'm not sure these stats even exist), but I'd be willing to bet he led the ACC in dunks. Some may attribute this to lucky bounces. They couldn't be more wrong. What Akil does is undeniably a skill. He knows where to be and when. He's lethal on rolling of screens, which is where he got most of these dunks. From what we have heard during the offseason, it sounds like we should expect Akil to keep getting better....

"During my drop-in at the Nike Big Man Skills Academy in New Jersey this summer, I thought Mitchell looked just as good, if not better, than bigger pro prospects Willie-Cauley Stein (of Kentucky) and Mitch McGary (of Michigan)." -Luke Winn, SI.com (aka the best hoops writer in the business)




-Anthony Gill: HYPE HYPE HYPE HYPE. 
But seriously, this is the problem with transfers. Whether they're actually good or not, fans will treat them as if they're the second coming of Christ. Do I think the Gill-hype reached somewhat ridiculous levels? Yeah. Is it warranted? From what we've all heard, probably.

I remember talking with a couple of players last summer, after AG had just transferred from South Carolina. While I don't remember their exact words, I do remember how highly they praised him. I more or less interpreted their praise as he was one of if not the best player on the team at the time.

Now that phrase soon became common knowledge, as it seems a number of different sources were saying the same things. While I completely believe what was said to be true, I don't want fans to get the wrong impression. I can imagine a scenario where Gill is the "best" player on the team without the fans realizing it. I'm absolutely stoked to have him and think he will make a HUGE immediate impact, but it might not necessarily translate to big stats. Don't get me wrong, I expect many double-doubles from AG. But the hype has gotten to a point where I think people feel he'll be putting up 20ppg, which just isn't likely to happen. AG will probably have more impact in the win column than any statistical category. 

AG HS Highlights

-Darion Atkins: Once again, we have someone who the fanbase has continually overlooked. Now, in this case, you can't really blame that much given the ridiculous depth of the frontcourt and Darion's injury last season. But at the same time, it's important to remember that before injuring his shin last year, Atkins was playing at essentially an elite level. He was effective on both ends and had shown clear improvement from his first year. His breakout game came against Wisconsin on the road, where he went for 14 and 7. Those numbers are very good, but they don't really tell just how well he played in that game. He was FANTASTIC. And it wasn't a fluke, either. He was playing very good basketball up until he went down with a stress reaction in his shin. For all intents and purposes, that ended his season. It sounds like he's back to 100%. If that's true, then I expect him to play a large role this year. Even though he has been overlooked by many, it's clear that he and Akil had a certain rapport together, that is especially obvious on the defensive end. Darion should be able to use his length and athleticism to frustrate not only his own man, but also whomever he ends up double teaming. I would call Darion our "sleeper" for the year. Personally, I'd start him over Gill because with a frontcourt of Anderson, Mitchell, and Atkins, you have easily the best defensive frontcourt in the nation. But whatever Darion's role ends up being, I expect him to do well. He's been solid his first two years and he has nowhere to go but up.



-Mike Tobey: Possibly the most talented/skilled big Virginia has had in decades. Not much was known about him when he committed, but he quickly made a name for himself on the AAU circuit. After a while, Mike went from unknown to potential future pro. After committing to UVA, Tobey blew up. This was partially due to a huge summer on the AAU circuit, but it also had to do with just his overall talent and potential. After a little while, it became clear that we had stolen Tobey before his name really had gotten out there. While he took some time to get used to the college game, it was obvious from the beginning that Mike possessed a certain, unique skillset that would allow him to be very productive and successful. Eventually, this skillset made him an effective player in league action and eventually earned himself a spot on the U19 National team. While he did not play quite as many minutes as others, he used the experience to better himself, as the stiff competition made him acutely aware of what it takes to become a great player. I think you'll see this experience payoff throughout the course of this season and beyond.



-Evan Nolte: If there was going to be an "odd man out" this season, it might very well be Evan Nolte. Now, this has little to do with his ability or potential. While many fans remember his late season struggles, one must not forget how important he was to the teams success early on in the year. I expect Evan to play a significant role this year simply because of his ability to knock down outside shots. It will be interesting to see how he fits into the team going forward. Bennett had mentioned how they play to work him into the SF role a bit more, but honestly, I see him as a better fit in the post. Either way, we'll need him to knock down outside shots.




Well, there's the breakdown. Be sure to comment or tweet @EmbracePaceUVA.

Go Hoos!