At regular intervals this basketball season, I will update the power rankings for all of the players on the basketball team. This is essentially a relative measure of how they've been playing in recent games, coupled with an in-order listing of each player's value to the team moving forward with the season. (I'm only including players that are receiving regular minutes in the games, thus no Mike Scott... even though he was
by far our best player before he went down, and no James Johnson... even though I think he's wildly valuable to the program.)
Mu: suddenly, insanely valuable.
#1 -- Mustapha Farrakhan (previous rank: #4)
I know, I know. It sounds crazy. But when Mu plays well, we win. When he doesn't, we lose. And who is more important to the team right now? For better or worse, this limited yet mercurial yet oddly explosive player is the straw that stirs the drink for the Hoos.
#2 -- Jontel Evans (previous rank: #3)
With Sammy Z. still playing like he's rusty and not quite at 100%, and with Billy Baron's buns planted firmly on the bench, Bub is our only true point guard. And he's been a difference maker, too. When he attacks the basket, good things happen. And you know he's going to give you A++ level defense, night in, night out.
#3 -- Assane Sene (previous rank: #7)
The Big Key is now our only real option in the frontcourt. And though he's still foul-prone and makes plenty of mistakes, has anyone improved as much as he has since early November? He blocks shots, and now he's a reliable rebounder, plays decent defense (when he isn't getting cheap whistles), and is even pitching in with some garbage points. He works hard, and he's playing well.
#4 -- KT Harrell (previous rank: #5)
KT and Joe Harris should really be tied at #4. We need them both to score around 10-12 ppg if we want to be truly competitive. KT has recently been better able to get his own shot, so he gets the slight nod over Harris. There is a very bright future here, and I'm really enjoying watching this young guy blossom. He does need to improve from the free throw line, however.
#5 -- Joe Harris (previous rank: #2)
He battled through a shooting slump, now he needs to battle through defenses that are keying on him. He's struggling a little bit right now, disappearing for long stretches, and picking up too many cheap fouls. He's playing like a freshman, which is to be expected. His stroke is still Yoohoo-sweet, and it'll all come together sooner or later.
#6 -- Will Sherrill (previous rank: #6)
He's playing through the pain of a broken leg, and he's playing pretty well, all things considered. He'll never be a guy you can lean on for points, but he'll chip in a 3 every now and then, and also the occasional layup or stickback. To me, Sherrill is a living testament to the quality of Tony Bennett's coaching.
#7 -- Akil Mitchell (previous rank: #10)
Mitchell has a golden opportunity to rise up a few more spots on this list, but he's still too erratic at times. He loses position on defense and he forces up shots off rhythm. Still, his athleticism and rebounding ability have been invaluable in the absence of Mike Scott. I hope he can handle 20 minutes per game moving forward, because we need him to factor into the frontcourt mix.
#8 -- Sammy Zeglinski (previous rank: n/a)
Once he's back in a groove, he'll settle in among the top five on this list. But for now, the shot isn't falling with any regularity, his ballhandling is jittery, and his defense is a step slow. He's bringing leadership and intangibles to the team, but those things aren't enough to win games in the grind of the ACC.
#9 -- Will Regan (previous rank: #9)
Big Woody has definitely had his moments lately. But those moments are too few and far between, and too punctuated with bad footwork on defense and poor decisions with the ball on offense. Once he gains some strength and decides to go up strong without screwing around, he'll be a legit role player for a winning team. For now, he's a work in progress with diminishing minutes with which to progress.
#10 -- Billy Baron (previous rank: #8)
With Sammy back, Baron's minutes are gone. It makes sense; Bennett is a guy who will value experience and defensive intelligence. I just can't help but wonder if Baron's ability to shoot the rock might help spark some much-needed scoring runs. I say if Sam's shot continues to brick, Billy should start easing back into some of those minutes he saw at the beginning of the season.
How good is this team right now?
Good enough to hang tough with UNC and Duke, but not good enough to get those wins. The upcoming schedule (@BC, GT, UMD, @WF) presents some opportunities for wins. If we exit the month of January on a 2-2 run, I'd feel pretty good. The goal at this point should be to duplicate last year's 15 wins while building the young nucleus into something that can win more games next year. Can we win five more this season, and finish with a 6-10 ACC record? I think so.
One thing I'll be looking for down the stretch is a "signature win" for Tony Bennett. A win where we beat a superior team on the power of his coaching alone. Opportunities for that win will come @ Florida State, home against Duke, and home against Virginia Tech... and in the ACC Tournament in March.
