BASKETBALL ROSTER BREAKDOWN

Dear Wahooze Faithful:

Here's another shot of roster thoughts/musings on the basketball team. Three writers = TRIPLE THE ANALYSIS

I wholeheartedly apologize for not having something of this nature up earlier. We've barely mentioned basketball, much less written a preview for it, and now the season is already upon us. To make up for this negligence, please accept my introduction of the entire roster and some thoughts on the schedule, NCAAs, and our season opener against South Carolina State:

(Get ready, folks. It's time to be excited)

HOOS 11-12 ROSTER:
(I'm going to steal a page out of Kendall's book and introduce the guys in ascending importance to the success of the team this year.)

The Redshirt:
Paul Jesperson - G - Fr. (6-6, 197)

Tony Bennett announced yesterday before the game that this freshman wing would be redshirting this year - saving a year of eligibility for him to contribute as a 5th year senior and not during his least-ready freshmen year in which he would be little-used. I'm usually against redshirting in basketball, though last year's decision with James Johnson made plenty of sense, and I don't see much of a benefit using one of Jesperson.

I understand that he probably wouldn't contribute much to the team this year, as there are plenty of wings and shooters for the team to rely on, but I would rather see Paul get his handful on minutes here and there while gathering much-needed game experience as a freshman (even if it only came towards the end of blowouts). It might be notable to explain that this is largely completely against my views on redshirting in football, but the two aren't really comparable. The nature of college basketball is one of higher transition as well as quicker adaptability for freshmen. You could say that spreading out the depth chart (putting distance between Jesperson and the similarly-styled Joe Harris) can help the team in the long run, but assuming we continue to recruit the right players, I think it's pretty negligible. Truly, I'm worried that having a highly-recruited freshman redshirt two years in a row appears to be a habit for Bennett or effects the perception of the program.

Kids like Jesperson will give the correct soundbites of "I picked the school based on the coaches and academics, not playing time" or "Now that I'm here, I want to do whatever I can to help the team, even if that means taking a RS." But these guys come to college to play. I'd hate for future recruits to look at our team and think "well they already have three wings/forwards/comboguards/whatever so I'd probably be redshirted if I went there."

The Walk-Ons:
Doug Browman - G - Jr. (5-11, 176)
Ryan Wright - G - So. (5-10, 150)
Rob Vozenilek - G - Fr. (6-2, 185) straight outta St. Chris in the RVA.
Angus Mitchell - F - Jr. (6-6, 205)
Thomas Rodgers - G - So. (6-6, 209)

These guys wont do much for the team outside of practicing hard and cheering from the bench, but you'll see them come into the game towards the end of blowouts (in fact, four of them got in against SCSt yesterday). If they get in the game at any other point this season, something has gone horribly wrong.

The New Guy
Darion Atkins - F - Fr. (6-8, 222)

Atkins would have seen his first minutes at UVA yesterday but for a season-starting three game suspension handed down by Bennett. Let's hope that the "violation of team rules" is nothing more than a minor grievance or misunderstanding. Atkins will benefit from going against Sene, Scott, and Mitchell in practice everyday as well as his first year working with a college S&C coach, but could easily provide some value to the team as a freshman. Early reports about Atkins note that he's got a remarkable talent for blocking shots, despite being listed at 6-8. A wiry guy with a deceptively-long reach is exactly the type of forward who can help stuff the paint in the packline defense. Particularly important is that natural shotblocking ability, as in the Bennett's D, you can't get stuck going all out for a block and missing (see: the difference between Leitao's coaching of Sene and Tony's). So timing, being everything, seems to be something Atkins has down.

The Introduction
James Johnson - F - rFr. (6-9, 238)

Johnson comes out of his redshirt year ready to contribute down low for the Hoos right away. The big man seems plenty athletic from what I could see in his 13 minutes of action in his debut. He hustled all over the floor and was definitely willing to throw his body around in the paint. Johnson also drew four fouls in the limited action, though some of the subsequent FTs were consequences of SCSt being in the double bonus. I liked what I saw though from Johnson and he should definitely contribute and improve as the season goes on.

The Bluechipper
Malcolm Brogdon - G - Fr. (6-5, 215)

Brogdon comes to Virginia this season as the highest-rated recruit in the incoming class. He's big for a guard, but throughout his recruitment and pre-season practice, we've been hearing that he'll be able to log some minutes at the 1 for the Hoos. After I'm watching him play 22 minutes against an inferior opponent, I'm nowhere near ready to validate that - but I did like what I saw from him. Brogdon has a pretty good shot and hit 2/3 from the floor, including a nice 3 from the top of the arc. He also was 4/4 from the stripe and walked away with 4 assists to 2 turnovers. Malcolm is obviously physically ready to play plenty of minutes for the Hoos this year, but we'll have to see how he handles the speed of better competition. If I had to pick an obvious area for improvement, he seems a little too relaxed on the floor, which hopefully doesn't lead to lackadaisical play. I like the guys to play with a chip on their shoulders, but there's plenty of time to see some fire from the future-star.

The Glue Guy
Akil Mitchell - F - So. (6-8, 234)

I really can't speak highly enough of Akil's performance last season. Seen by most as an afterthought of a recruit, Akil admirably logged emergency minutes early on when Mike Scott went down the early in the year with his injury. Soon into the season, though, Akil really started to contribute to the success of the team. Through his trial by fire first year, Akil showed a ton of athleticism and really filled a position of need for the Hoos. This year, Akil should see serious minutes in relief of Scott and Sene or potentially crack the starting lineup if Bennett goes with a smaller look.

The Sparkplug
Jontel Evans - G - Jr. (5-11, 188)

Jontel started the SCSt game at the point, but only due to Sammy nursing a twisted ankle. In general, Jontel is not the type of player that should be play 30-40 minutes for the Hoos, but he serves as a great change of pace at the 1 by providing hard-nosed defense. He's also pretty darn fast and made good decisions on most of his fast break opportunities on Sunday. He's never going to light up the scoreboard and frankly shouldn't ever have the green light to shoot anything but a layup, but he finds his way into the lane every once and a while. Jontel has definitely had other lapses in his game during his first two years, but I liked how he finished most of his plays and made good decisions/passes in this season's opener. Jontel might not be the 6th man, but he's ranked higher than Akil here because point guard play will be an absolute key for the Hoos success. The team's better with Sammy running the show, but Jontel has his place in the gameplan and should be a guy that can dial the energy of the game up off the bench regularly.

The Gentle Giant
Assane Sene - C - Sr. (7-0, 239)

Assane has come a long way in his time at Virginia. Especially towards the second half of last season, Sene established himself as a strong presence on defense in the paint, combining his shotblocking skill with the discipline needed to execute the packline defense. He limited his mistakes by playing intelligent and purposeful basketball on the defensive end, but still left a lot to be desired in his offensive game. Sene's always played with a ton of energy, but lacked the killer instinct needed to aggressively control the paint. GO UP STRONG, BIG MAN! Even catching the ball was an issue at times (something that my old coach(dad) used to preach as the fundamental most important skill in basketball). Without being able to catch the thing, you're not going to accomplish a lot.

However, year-by-year we've seen Sene establish some moves down low - showing flashes with the occasional put back, lay up, or even a little hook here and there. Sene finished the SCSt opener with 7 points, but a little of that inconsistent play is still around. He had a couple nice moves to score, but completely botched a lob pass (granted, it could've been a better throw) and still was getting out-muscled for some rebounds (he only finished with 5, compared to Mike's 15). Look for Sene to continue to improve as the year goes on, particularly benefiting from more depth alongside him in the frontcourt.

The Would-be Star
KT Harrell - G - So. (6-4, 202)

There was a distinct moment in the South Carolina game that can clearly sum up KT's career so far at UVA. After starting completely cold in the first half, fans would sigh/murmur towards the end of the half when he missed another jumper. Certainly this wasn't disapproval - no one is ever going to criticize one half of 0-fer shooting, especially not the first half of the season. But the grumbling in the crowd was more than simple disappointment. It hinted at a greater concern. Not merely the concern or frustration with an inconsistent guard, but rather the worry of unfulfilled potential.

Let me clearly state: That entire arena - the fans, coaches, other players (okay, maybe not the other team), the athletic staff - every person there wants KT to be a star. Not a serviceable two-guard. Not a semi-reliable mid-range jumper hustle guy. They want a star. They want JR Reynolds (or more aptly, Roger Mason). Is it lunacy to expect anything along those lines from a sophomore a game into his 2nd season? For sure. But I'll tell you, the kid could do it. The beautiful thing is he doesn't have to, yet or ever really. This team has Mike freakin Scott, a stronger-bigger-longhaired Joe Harris, and a charismatic dynamo in incoming recruit Justin Anderson next year. But don't tell me KT couldn't light it up for this team day in and day out and don't tell me all 8 thousand folks (or whatever pathetic attendance it was Sunday) weren't waiting for it to happen. Come the second half, it did. KT hit 3 triples in the span of two minutes from different corner of the arc - turning a comfortable win into a blowout. No pressure, but more of that please. Seriously though, no pressure.

The Veteran Floor General
Sammy Zeglinski - G - Sr. (6-1, 184)

Okay, so that's a pretty boring over-used moniker to give our 5th year senior point guard, but it completely conveys Sammy's role and his importance to this team. The Hoos need someone to dictate their offense and control the tempo of the game. Sammy does that better than anyone on the team, easily. The importance of senior leadership on a team is referenced a lot, but it's the practical skills that Sammy brings that are the most valuable. He's quick enough, he plays smart, and he has a decent shot when he needs it. More importantly, he can pass the ball to Mike Scott. Seriously, that should be 75% of our plays. "Okay guys, let Sammy take it up. Joe, you set a pick. Sammy, throw it to Mike. 2 points. Yay." But let's not forget, the guy can light it up from deep when he wants. I bet Uncle Fester and the Hokies haven't forgotten. Didn't we sweep that garbage team last year? (Yes.)

The Green Light
Joe Harris - G - So. (6-6, 211)

We saw a lot of what Joe can do for this team during his freshman year. Joe can shoot all day long from anywhere on the court. He's got the prettiest shot on the team and definitely has the green light from Tony to take the shots when he wants. That being said, to be a complete wing in the ACC, you're going to have to do a lot more than shoot. You'll need to drive into the lane, make plays off the ball, and create your own shots against a defender. One look at the sophomore rendition of Joe and you'll see he's up to the task. He looks much stronger and definitely more willing to mix it up inside.

Tony actually was forced to play Joe as a forward last year, something he probably wont be faced with a lot this season, but the experience definitely could have helped his development. I ranked Joe higher than Sammy in importance despite continually stressing how necessary pointguard play will be to our success. Why? Because someone besides Mike Scott is going to have to score the points sometime - and boy-oh-boy can Joe do that.

The All-American
Mike Scott - F - Sr. (6-8, 237)

Injuries are rarely a good thing. Injuries to start players are never a good thing. But wow, could Scott's injury last year be a blessing for this team. Not only did it allow immediate development of guys like Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell, but takes our star player's final season from what may have been an NIT birth but ended up as a satisfactory first-winning-season-in-forever and puts him on a team squarely focused on the NCAA tournament. Mike is a luxury few teams in the country can boast. He's unbelievable on the boards, plays great defense with a high motor, and can score from everywhere and anywhere. Mainly, he likes to abuse fools in the paint, but we've seen plenty of evidence for his jumpshot. Barring something terrible happening, expect Mike to double-double his way to an All-ACC nod and lead this team to some legitimate success by season's end. Additionally, if you're not following @Mscottuva23, you're really missing out.


(Roster Pictures Credit: Virginiasports.com)