Virginia rising junior guard Paul Jesperson is transferring to another school, he announced Monday afternoon.
Jesperson averaged 4.7 points and 2.2 rebounds per game this past season and started 33 of 35 contests. The 6-foot-6, 197-pounder from Wisconsin shot 37 percent from 3-point land, considerably better than the 2011-12 season when he shot just 22.6 percent from 3. That year, he averaged 1.5 points per game. Jesperson was originally supposed to red shirt his freshman season but was pushed into early action because of injuries and transfers.
He came into the program as Mr. Basketball in his home state and was known as a stellar 3-point shooter but he rarely showed dead aim while a Cavalier. His best game came this past season at Maryland, when he made all four of his 3-pointers for a career-high 12 points.
Jesperson was not a terrific one-on-one defender, but he was known for being a good team defender and for knowing the ins and outs of coach Tony Bennett's pack-line defense. His experience will be missed but in reality, he was really going to have to improve offensively next season to see more time than he did this past season. At guard, Joe Harris, Taylor Barnette, Justin Anderson, and Teven Jones are returning after seeing significant minutes this past season and Malcolm Brogdon is expected to be back after sitting out with an injured foot. Brogdon averaged 6.7 ppg in 2011-12. Virginia has also signed two top-100 point guards in London Perrantes and Devon Hall which could make the dynamics of playing time surrounding the guards even more interesting.
No word on where Jesperson could be headed. His transfer means Bennett now has an extra scholarship he can use on another recruit, or possibly a transfer into Virginia, or he can just hold it and use it on the 2014 class.
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| Paul Jesperson |
He came into the program as Mr. Basketball in his home state and was known as a stellar 3-point shooter but he rarely showed dead aim while a Cavalier. His best game came this past season at Maryland, when he made all four of his 3-pointers for a career-high 12 points.
Jesperson was not a terrific one-on-one defender, but he was known for being a good team defender and for knowing the ins and outs of coach Tony Bennett's pack-line defense. His experience will be missed but in reality, he was really going to have to improve offensively next season to see more time than he did this past season. At guard, Joe Harris, Taylor Barnette, Justin Anderson, and Teven Jones are returning after seeing significant minutes this past season and Malcolm Brogdon is expected to be back after sitting out with an injured foot. Brogdon averaged 6.7 ppg in 2011-12. Virginia has also signed two top-100 point guards in London Perrantes and Devon Hall which could make the dynamics of playing time surrounding the guards even more interesting.
No word on where Jesperson could be headed. His transfer means Bennett now has an extra scholarship he can use on another recruit, or possibly a transfer into Virginia, or he can just hold it and use it on the 2014 class.
Yeah, can't say I'm missing him too much... I pretty much agree with you here. I remember him hitting a bunch of threes and not doing much else.
ReplyDeleteKinda reminds me of David Watford... OH WAIT, I don't remember him doing anything right.