Virginia Basketball: Stock Watch for Cavaliers' Top Players
The Virginia Cavaliers survived their first test without star guard Justin Anderson in Wednesday's 51-47 road win at NC State. It wasn't pretty, but the Hoos' suffocating defense gave them just enough to outlast the Wolfpack.
The biggest question moving forward for head coach Tony Bennett is how will he divvy up Anderson's minutes? He tried various formulas against the 'Pack. Evan Nolte, Marial Shayok and Devon Hall all saw increased action.
What UVa needs most, though, is continued improved play from its big men, Mike Tobey and Anthony Gill. Both were tremendous in the Hoos' first post-Anderson performance.
With the regular season winding down, let's take a look at the stock watch for some of Virginia's top performers in 2014-15 and what the outlook is for each player moving forward.
Malcolm Brogdon
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Junior Malcolm Brogdon, a first-team All-ACC selection last season, deferred much of the scoring to Anderson this season. However, since ACC play began, Brogdon has started to look for his shot more and has become more assertive on the offensive end.
Brogdon has struggled from the floor in the last two games against Louisville and NC State. But, like most great shooters, he continues to take shots. He's too good of a shooter to not stay aggressive. His free-throw shooting has helped the Hoos clinch both wins in the past week.
Bennett will continue to rely on Brogdon with Anderson out and when he returns. He's arguably UVa's top all-around player, so expect his scoring to increase over the next month.
Stock: Up
London Perrantes
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Sophomore point guard London Perrantes is one of the best point guards in the country. If he looked for his own shot more, most fans around the country would know his name. Jay Bilas of ESPN is a big fan of Perrantes and recently discussed him, per ESPN Insider:
"Perrantes is an error-free point guard who does what the situation calls for. He does not need to score, but when he was needed, he went shot for shot against Angel Rodriguez at Miami and was simply magnificent.
"
With Anderson out, Perrantes must look to score more. Throughout his two years on campus, Perrantes has had a knack for making clutch shots. He was terrific against Miami and North Carolina. Against NC State, he was aggressive early but didn't score again in the game's final 30 minutes.
Look for Perrantes to begin looking for his own shot a bit more in the next few weeks. That will make the Hoos even more dangerous in March.
Stock: Trending Up
Justin Anderson
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Anderson's terrific season came crashing down a bit in last week's win over Louisville. He injured a finger on his shooting hand in the first half and came back in the game briefly. The pain was too much, however, and he had to sit out the second half.
The Hoos managed to pull out a tough win despite Anderson's absence.
For the season, Anderson is shooting over 48 percent from three-point range. Until recently, he'd been over the 50-percent mark all season. Anderson leads the team in makes and attempts from beyond the arc by a wide margin, making that percentage even more impressive.
He's led Virginia in scoring in most games this season and is the team's best one-on-one defender. His absence over the next three to five weeks will be a big test for UVa's quest for a second straight ACC title.
Stock: Even
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Anthony Gill
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Gill has spent much of the season in the team's starting lineup. However, recently Bennett has decided to bring Gill off the bench some to give the Cavs' second unit a boost.
It's a role Gill is familiar with, having come off the bench the majority of last season. He still plays starter minutes and leads the Cavaliers in rebounding and is third on the team in scoring. He's a terrific low-post player and is very good at drawing contact underneath the basket. Gill gets to the free-throw line often, but he must do a better job of connecting from the charity stripe.
Against NC State, Gill was just 3-of-8 from the line. That must improve, or else he'll be relegated to the bench late in games even though UVa needs him on the floor.
Gill is a very good player and the Hoos will rely heavily upon him on the offensive end of the floor moving forward.
Stock: Up
Mike Tobey
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Tobey is having a solid season this year. He can step out and hit 15-foot jumpers, or score with ease around the basket with both hands. Few big men are as skilled offensively as the 7-footer.
In the last two games, he's stepped up. Against Louisville, he dominated in the first half before foul trouble forced him to the bench for a good portion of each half. That's a part of his game he still sometimes struggles with.
He was dominant against the Wolfpack on Wednesday, too. This time, Tobey was aggressive late in the game and even made some big free throws to clinch the victory. Bennett needs Tobey to play aggressive for a full game, not just in stretches. Until he reaches that point, he will not fulfill his vast potential.
Expect the Hoos to continue feeding Tobey down low. He's tough to stop and can help replace some of Anderson's scoring.
Stock: Up
Darion Atkins
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Every good team needs a player who does the things no one notices. One who plays good defense, takes charges and rebounds well on both ends.
That's Darion Atkins.
It was Akil Mitchell's role the past few years. While Atkins is not quite as good of an overall player as Mitchell was, their similarities are strong.
Atkins has quietly been a big reason for UVa's success this season. He's also made some big baskets in the games against Duke and Louisville. But it's his defense and rebounding that earn him his keep.
Stock: Even
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