Virginia Basketball: 1 Prediction for Each Cavaliers Starter in 2014-15

With Tuesday's win over South Carolina State, the ninth-ranked Virginia Cavaliers, at 3-0, are off to the best start of Tony Bennett's six year era in Charlottesville. The Hoos will face their toughest test of the young season on Friday when George Washington—an NCAA tournament team last season—comes to town.

But what starting lineup will the Cavaliers have on Friday?

Through the first three games of the season, Virginia has featured three different starting lineups. In the season opener, point guard London Perrantes was suspended, but he returned for the next two games. 

Darion Atkins started ahead of Mike Tobey up front for the Hoos in the win against SC State, and that will likely be the biggest battle moving forward. 

With the expectation that Tobey will start for the Cavs, here is one projection for each Virginia starter in 2014-15.

Forward Anthony Gill Will Be Second-Team All-ACC

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Anthony Gill

The 6'8" junior came on for Virginia last season and was one of the more important players in the Cavaliers march toward the ACC championship.

This season, with Akil Mitchell gone, Gill will be relied upon more heavily from both ends of the floor. Through three games, he is averaging just less than 12 points and six rebounds per game. Keep in mind that he is averaging only 20 minutes per contest with the Hoos winning three blowouts. 

As the schedule gets tougher, he will not only play more minutes but become one of the more consistent and reliable frontcourt players in the ACC.

It's tough for any college player to average a double-double, but Gill will come close, and that success will lead to him becoming an All-ACC second-team selection.

Center Mike Tobey Will Become a Better Defensive Player

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Mike Tobey

Strength and an unwillingness to assert himself have held Virginia center Mike Tobey back in the previous two years. However, after bulking up in the offseason, he is ready for a breakout season.

Tony Bennett's biggest issue with Tobey last season was his defensive play. Bennett is happy with Tobey's progress thus far, per Jerry Ratcliffe of The Daily Progress. “I do like [Tobey’s] going up and rebounding on the defensive end better,” Bennett said. “He’s worked hard in the offseason.”

Tobey fouled out of the season opener at JMU in just 15 minutes. In the last games, he has scored in double figures, averaging 10 points and seven rebounds, despite playing an average of 18 minutes per game.

Virginia needs Tobey in order to win the ACC and possibly more this year. 

He will be up to the task. 

Guard Justin Anderson Will Lead the Team in Scoring

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Justin Anderson

Junior Justin Anderson is finally a full-time starter, and that move is paying immediate dividends for UVA.

Through three games, he leads the team in scoring at 15 points per game and is second in minutes behind Malcolm Brogdon. Anderson has hit 10 of his 16 three-point attempts thus far, too.

Anderson's shot is much improved, but so is his overall game. An outstanding defender, he has also become a better passer and rebounder.

The battle to lead Virginia in scoring will come down to Gill, Brogdon and Anderson. Expect Anderson to lead the Hoos in scoring, primarily due to his improved shot selection. Brogdon and Perrantes will help open things up for the super-athletic Anderson, and his points will rise. 

Guard Malcolm Brogdon Will Be the ACC Player of the Year

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Malcolm Brogdon

The best player on the best team has to count for something, right?

Last season, Brogdon was indeed the top player on the ACC's best team, and that success made him a first-team All-ACC pick. He will likely find himself on the first team again.

But he could be so much more.

Anderson, Tobey and Gill will help pick up the scoring load from Brogdon, but the junior guard does everything well. He can play the point, is a terrific shooter and is unafraid to take—and make—clutch shots. 

Brogdon is everything Bennett looks for in a player and is, arguably, the best all-around player in the conference. If Virginia wins the ACC again, he will be the conference's player of the year. 

Guard London Perrantes Will Lead the ACC in Assists

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London Perrantes

The ACC has been home to some of the best point guards in the history of college basketball. Whether it's Bobby Hurley or Kenny Anderson, the ACC is always loaded with top floor generals. 

Virginia's London Perrantes may not score like UNC's Marcus Paige, but he is—outside of Brogdon—Virginia's most important player. As a freshman last season, he dished out 140 assists, compared to only 40 turnovers.

That is terrific, and Perrantes was a true freshman.

With so many talented scorers around him, he will have plenty of options on every possession. Perrantes isn't off to a fast start yet this season, but he is one of the few true pass-first point guards in college basketball, and his numbers will rise when the competition gets better. 

He will lead the league in assists and be near the top of the league in assist-to-turnover ratio.