UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 2/16/13

Previous editions:

• UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 1/31/13
• UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 1/15/13
• UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 12/21/12
• UVAMBB Power Rankings -- 12/4/12

At regular intervals during basketball season, I will unveil the power rankings for all of the players on the basketball team. This is essentially a relative measure of how they've been performing in recent games, coupled with an in-order listing of each player's value to the team moving forward with the season. On with it...

(It's probably asinine to do this right before the UNC game today, but this is the first suitable chunk of time, inspiration, and energy I've been able to find this week.  The UVAMBB stars aligned!)

#1 Joe Harris (previous rank: #1)

Joey Buckets has the top spot on lock for the rest of the season, for obvious reasons.  So in this space, we can spend some time considering some interesting questions:

• Is Harris an All-ACC First Teamer this season?  It'd burn me up to see Erick Green make the First Team ahead of Joe.  Green scores a ton, but which player makes their team better?  Which team is any good at all?
• Would you trade Joe Harris for another year of Mike Scott right now?  The fact that you even have to hesitate to consider this one speaks volumes about Joe's play right now.
• By the time he graduates, will Joe Harris be one of the top ten UVA players of all time?  Top five?

#2 Akil Mitchell (previous rank: #2)

With Atkins and Tobey out, BIG FUNDAMENTAL is holding down the fort inside, and he's doing quite well with it.  Dealing with Carolina's bigs will be a tall task this afternoon, but with some help from Justin Anderson, Big Fun should be up to it.  In any case, Mitchell is an indispensable player for us right now.  Can't win without him.

#3 Justin Anderson (previous rank: #5)

He's arrived, and I think he's here to stay.  Last time, I called him "the straw that stirs the drink," and now I'm ready to declare JA as the liquor that makes the drink stiff.  (Go ahead and ponder that metaphor for a while.)  Virginia Basketball: Potent Potable.

#4 Jontel Evans (previous rank: #7)

Begrudgingly, I rank him here.  The thing is, he's just an important piece to the puzzle... especially if he can keep making those contested quasi-layups off the tippy top of the backboard when he dribble-drives.  Also, it's ugly, but 8 assists is 8 assists.

#5 Paul Jesperson (previous rank: #4)

He plays D and now he's making shots.  Second half shots.  Big shots.  I love it when he takes it to the hole, also.  Drive the lane more often, Jespy -- you're a surprisingly good finisher.

#6 Evan Nolte (previous rank: #6)
He can shoot it, but lately his shot's not falling with as much regularity (9-for-24 from 3 over the last five games, still a good .375 from downtown, but nowhere near the 50% he was shooting earlier in the season).  Nolte lost his starting spot to Anderson, but still offers a nice offensive weapon off the bench.

#7 Darion Atkins (previous rank: #8)

You get the sense that he'll be back from his shin splint soon, hopefully today.  It's been a concentrated month of healing, and he crept back into the rotation against Maryland and Virginia Tech.  We could really, really use him down the stretch as we make this NCAA Tournament push, and Akil Mitchell badly needs - and deserves - a break.

#8 Teven Jones (previous rank: #10)

Still seems to be in the doghouse, but he's averaging 9 minutes per game in Evans relief over the course of the last three games.  He's part of the rotation, and has a chance to solidify a role.

#9 Taylor Barnette (not previously ranked)

He's back to seeing some minutes, and he's bagging some 3s when he's in there.

#10 Mike Tobey (previous rank: #3)

Mono?  Are you effing kidding me?  Only at UVA.  I'll be surprised if we see Tobey again this season.  Can't risk popping his spleen.

#11 Doug Browman (previous rank: #9)

It looks like Tony Bennett finally wised up and is going with Teven Jones as the backup point guard.  I love Dougie, I love Kate Upton doing the Dougie, but the player has serious limitations.

HUGE game at UNC today.  A win does a lot of work toward helping our bubble status.  A loss wouldn't kill us, but it certainly won't help.  We need this one, guys.

GO HOOS!