Virginia Basketball: 5 Early Adjustments Cavaliers Should Consider

The Virginia Cavaliers improved to 7-0 on Saturday with a 45-26 win over Rutgers in the finals of the Barclays Center Classic. You read that right: 45-26 was the final score, and this game was played on the hardwood, not the gridiron.

The Hoos actually got off to a slow start versus the Scarlet Knights, trailing 18-17 at halftime before they put the clamps down on Rutgers in the final 20 minutes. 

In seven games this season, UVA has won by double figures in six of those contests. The one game where UVA won by single digits—a 64-56 win over LaSalle on Friday—the Cavaliers led by 18 points at halftime.

So, in actuality, Virginia has not been challenged yet. That should change this week with road dates at Maryland and VCU.

As the calendar has turned to December, here are five adjustments the Virginia Cavaliers should consider as the schedule toughens. 

Shoot Better from Three-Point Range

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Justin Anderson

Junior guard Justin Anderson is off to a red-hot start for Virginia. Anderson leads the Cavaliers in scoring, averaging 15 points per game and shooting 59 percent from three-point range. 

Anderson has hit on 16 of his 27 attempts from beyond the arc. The rest of the team is just 18-of-70. 

Malcolm Brogdon has hit just four of his 19 attempts from the three-point line after shooting 37 percent last season. UVA needs Brogdon and forward Evan Nolte—1-of-12 from three-point range—to connect on more attempts from beyond the three-point line. 

Get London Perrantes Going

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Virginia guard London Perrantes

Sophomore point guard London Perrantes has played in six games this season. He's averaging 30 minutes played per game, yet only 3.5 points and 2.7 assists per game.

Is a preseason foot injury to blame?

Watching Perrantes play, he doesn't appear to be limited in any capacity. His decision-making, though, isn't as strong as it was last year yet.

Perrantes is turning the ball over a little more frequently this season and is posting a 2-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio after posting a 3.5-to-1 mark last season. 

Virginia head coach Tony Bennett does believe that the missed practice time due to the foot injury has caused Perrantes to get off to a slow start, per Whitey Reid of The Daily Progress: 

“He’s done some good things,” Bennett said, “but I think possibly missing four weeks of practice and then playing a lot of games in a short amount of time could be [a reason]. I believe he’s only going to get better. I think his legs will get under him.”

Play Mike Tobey More

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Mike Tobey

After starting at center early in the season, Mike Tobey has come off the bench lately for the Cavaliers. Bennett decided to start senior forward Darion Atkins up front in place of Tobey in part because of Atkins' strong defense.

Tobey is playing 17 minutes per game and averages eight points and seven rebounds per contest. 

Tobey's biggest issue continues to be foul trouble. Against JMU in the season opener, Tobey fouled out in just 15 minutes of play. Last week, versus LaSalle, Tobey committed four personal fouls in just 13 minutes of action. 

If Tobey can stay out of foul trouble, his minutes will increase. He is too important on the offensive end for the Cavaliers. He's become a stronger rebounder this season, too. 

Create More Shots for Evan Nolte

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Evan Nolte

Junior forward Evan Nolte is not a star, nor was he expected to lead Virginia in scoring in 2014-15. He is, however, an outstanding three-point shooter who could help the Hoos win some important games as the schedule toughens.

The departure of Joe Harris created a void for UVA on the offensive end. Anderson has picked up much of the scoring load, but Nolte was expected to see more scoring opportunities as well.

It hasn't happened yet.

In six games, Nolte is averaging under two points per game and has missed his last nine attempts from beyond the arc. Moving forward, Perrantes and Brogdon need to use penetration to help create more open looks for Nolte. It will make Virginia much more versatile on offense. 

Keep Isaiah Wilkins in the Rotation

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Isaiah Wilkins

Isaiah Wilkins, the 6'7", 224-pound freshman forward from Lilburn, Georgia, has impressed in limited time thus far. 

It's tough to grade Wilkins or the other freshmen because they haven't played significant minutes against a quality opponent. Wilkins, though, is an ideal fit for the Cavaliers on both ends of the floor.

With his outstanding length, Wilkins is already a strong defender and a solid rebounder. While he's raw offensively, he has the potential to be a very good offensive player. But UVA doesn't need him to be great on offense this season. Bennett just needs Wilkins to give Virginia several solid minutes per game behind starter Anthony Gill. 

Wilkins has proved to be capable thus far. He can defend three positions and needs to continue to play for the Cavaliers so Bennett can determine his regular rotation for ACC play.