Joe Harris: So much more than just a deadly sniper from behind the arc.
#1 -- Mike Scott (previous rank: #1)
He played well in Maui, especially in the win over Oklahoma (27 points, 15 rebounds). So far, he's been a double-double machine, and exactly the kind of low post foundation that our burgeoning guards need to complement their outside shooting. He's UVA's best player and he's been playing really well, but is at risk of being caught from behind on these rankings by...
#2 -- Joe Harris (previous rank: #6)
In his last five games (all on the road against big-time competition in Stanford, Washington, Oklahoma, Wichita State, and Minnestoa) Harris has averaged 14.4 points per game and stroked 13-of-22 three pointers (59% from three). He's playing over 30 minutes per game, and is exploding like a supernova right before our eyes. He is more than just a shooter, though. He battles in the paint, plays decent D, and contributes wherever possible. I've been beyond impressed with the guy. He might be the best player I've ever seen at using screens to get open and then catching and shooting in rhythm, and his shooting stroke... sheer perfection. I love this guy. I FREAKING LOVE THIS GUY!
#3 -- Jontel Evans (previous rank: #2)
Bub continues to provide that football player presence on the basketball court. He's struggled in a few of the games on the long road trip, but in terms of pure value to the team, his on-ball defense and tenacity cannot be ignored.
#4 -- Mustapha Farrakhan (previous rank: #4)
Mu makes so many boneheaded plays, that it's sometimes hard to give him proper credit for the positive impact he can bring to the game. I still contend that his mistakes are usually mistakes born from aggression, and with a young team learning how to play hard, I'll always be able to live with that. I think he looks for his own perimeter shot a little too much, and could stand to take it to the basket a bit more or at least dish it off to the hot hand (usually Harris), but by and large I don't have many complaints about what Mu is doing right now. He's an important part of the rotation, and a guy who brings a lot of energy coming off of the bench.
#5 -- KT Harrell (previous rank: #5)
He seems to be settling into his role as a complimentary player, which is fine but maybe a slight disappointment. I think Harrell suffers a little bit from the weight of expectations, but it's clear that Joe Harris is the freshman star here. Harrell has been playing good defense, an has emerged as an opportunistic scorer. Moving forward, I'd like to see him exert his mid-range game a bit more --- that can be a weapon that creates more space for Scott on the inside and Harris and Mu on the outside.
#6 -- Will Sherrill (previous rank: #8)
I was really sad to see Sherrill go down against the Gophers. I hope his injury isn't serious and that he's back in the rotation in short order. Over the course of the last five games, he's been a solid starter and has played good, smart, fundamental defense while providing a nice pick and pop weapon. His outside shooting stroke has added a nice dimension to the offense. if he's forced to miss time, I'll be looking for Assane Sene, Will Regan, and Akil Mitchell to take his minutes and run with them.
#7 -- Assane Sene (previous rank: #9)
See my post "The BIG Key" from earlier today.
#8 -- Billy Baron (previous rank: #3)
His minutes have been steadily declining, and without time on the floor he hasn't been able to impact the game with his incendiary outside shot. The simple fact of the matter is that Jontel Evans has outplayed Baron to this point, and Tony Bennett will go with the more steady point guard. Baron will have his chance to climb back to relevancy during the holiday season homestand, where we'll see a few blowouts and plenty of garbage time.
#9 -- Will Regan (previous rank: #10)
I list him above Mitchell for two reasons: 1) He's a bit of a Sherrill clone, and I think we'll be looking to replace Sherrill while he's out with that injury. 2) Regan has done more with his time on the floor than has Mitchell to this point. I actually really like what I've seen from Regan in recent games --- he plays hard, doesn't shy away from contact, and has a very pretty shooting stroke.
#10 -- Akil Mitchell (previous rank: #7)
No doubt, he needs some seasoning. I still think he's potentially the team's second-best rebounder behind Mike Scott, but he needs to be somewhat of a threat on the offensive end, and he needs a lot of work to be able to fit in with the defensive system. He's a work in progress, and should be viewed as such.
Upcoming Games:
Sunday, Dec. 5, 6:00 PM -- @ Virginia Tech, FSN
Tuesday, Dec. 7, 7:00 PM -- Radford
~~~ EXAM BREAK ~~~
Friday, Dec. 17, 8:00 PM -- Oregon
Note:
Sammy Zeglinski should be returning to action for that Dec. 17th game against Oregon. Stay tuned...
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