Learn to love this face. He's #2 in these rankings.
For all of you who aren't fantasy sports geeks... "Dynasty Rankings" are rankings that take into account not only the current value, but also the future value of a player, extending to the end of his career (in this case, the exhaustion of his college basketball eligibility).
I thought it might be fun to take a quick look at the dynasty rankings of the players on the Virginia basketball roster. With both short- and long-term relative value in mind, which players are the most important to the program as Tony Bennett heads into the "show me" year(s) of the rebuilding mission?
Here are the rankings. (Year in school listed for 2011-12 season.)
#13 Thomas Rogers / So. / G-F
He's a walk-on, and likely won't consume a scholarship at any point in his career, barring attrition elsewhere on the roster. So in that regard, he's a bargain player. He's a good shooter who could carve out a niche role as an upperclassman. After seeing what Bennett did with Will Sherrill, I won't count out any walk-on, especially the ones that were actively recruited to walk on at Virginia.
#12 Will Regan / So. / PF
We didn't see much from Regan in a season where the team was perilously thin in the frontcourt. That doesn't bode well. I assume he'll improve with added strength and experience, but he's already been recruited over and seems to have a minimized role moving forward.
#11 Assane Sene / Sr. / C
He'll likely be the starting center next season, unless James Johnson is good enough to push him to the bench. I love the way Sene has improved, but with only one more year to play, he doesn't have much more opportunity to have an impact on the program. If he takes another big step forward and is a key player on a team that wins a game or two in the NCAA Tournament in 2012, then this ranking will be too low.
#10 Jontel Evans / Jr. / PG
You might disagree with what I'm about to say, but I'm saying it anyway. The ceiling for the team is relatively low as long as Evans is its primary point guard. He's a limited player, with a few flaws he'll never be able to overcome. I love him coming off of the bench as a defensive-minded role player, but I just don't see him as a critical piece to the ongoing puzzle at this time.
#9 Sammy Zeglinski / Sr. / PG
Like with Sene, the clock is ticking with Sammy. If he can stay healthy and step up to take the reins of a successful team next season, it could be the breakthrough campaign that paves the way for future success... and I will have ranked him too low here. In 2011-12, he'll be the best we have at the point guard position, so he's a pivotal player in that regard.
#8 Darion Atkins / Fr. / PF
I don't think he'll see much playing time in 2011-12, but the three years after that he'll be one of the top frontcourt players, alongside James Johnson and Akil Mitchell, and eventually Mike Tobey. He's a potential three year starter, if he can beat out Mitchell at the 4.
#7 Paul Jesperson / Fr. / SF
He's a bit redundant with Joe Harris, but minus explosive, dynamic guards who can create their own scoring, we need players who can shoot and who are true shot-makers. I get the sense that Jesperson is an excellent version of the type of sweet shooting wing Tony Bennett wants to build his offense around.
#6 Akil Mitchell / So. / F
I'm sold. I think he's going to be a very good defender and the kind of athletic frontcourt player who can keep possessions alive and make positive things happen when the conventional plays break down. Every good team has at least one player like this.
#5 KT Harrell / So. / G-F
He had a rocky freshman season, but I still believe in his talent. A mid-range scorer is a really unique weapon in today's game, and Tony Bennett knows how to take advantage of that. Harrell's defense should quickly improve, also. To me, he looks like a key complimentary player for the balance of his career; a #3 scorer type.
#4 James Johnson / RS Fr. / PF-C
Buy the hype. It's been a long time since we've had a big man with these kinds of physical abilities and skill sets. He might never be a guy who you dump the ball down to on the blocks to generate sure points, but at worst he'll come close to being able to provide that. I don't want to say he's a program-changer, but he's the kind of player UVA basketball has lacked since Travis Watson graduated. In other words, a banger with the skill to do more than just deliver five hard fouls.
#3 Mike Scott / Sr. / PF
He will be the best player, leading scorer, and leader on the 2011-12 team. If that team breaks through into the postseason, Mike Scott will have played no small part in delivering the program from the abyss in which Pete Gillen and Dave Leitao plunged it. I'm excited to see what he can do with Sene, Johnson, and Mitchell taking some of the pressure off of him in the post.
#2 Malcolm Brogdon / Fr. / G
I know this ranking is really high, but -- stick with me here -- watching the NCAA Tournament this year I realized that you cannot be a Sweet Sixteen type of team without a guard who can go get you points and make things happen. Brogdon is the only thing even remotely close to Kemba Walker that Virginia basketball has to offer.
#1 Joe Harris / So. / G-F
Simply put, he's a perfect fit with Tony Bennett. I fully expect him to be the face of the franchise in his junior and senior seasons, after serving as the secondary scorer to Mike Scott next year. Great shooter, with a rapidly improving floor game. His defense is coming around, too. He's close to being a complete player, minus the ability to create shots on his own on a regular basis. If we're ever able to pair him up with a playmaking point guard, look out.
