Virginia basketball: A look ahead

No. 9 Virginia at James Madison, 7 p.m.; streaming online at jmusports.com

Coming soon: Season schedule with game-by-game predictions.

Now let's take a look at specific players that the team has lost, who's been added, and who's back.

Losses
Virginia lost two cornerstones from last season and two cornerstones of coach Tony Bennett's program during his first five years in Charlottesville: forward Akil Mitchell and guard Joe Harris. Obviously, some of what these guys provided to the team can't be quantified, things such as leadership and understanding what Bennett is all about and how to execute his philosophy on the court. They were both there during bad times, too, meaning they had an appreciation for hard work and understood where the program had come from.

On the court, Mitchell brought toughness, tenacity, and rebounding, not to mention superb individual defense and terrible free-throw shooting. The poor shooting won't be missed, but his defense will be. He was also a key cog of the Pack-Line defense as a whole since he would "hedge" on picks at the top of the key. It was one of his strengths. Everything Harris did speaks for itself. His great 3-point shooting is the skill that will be most remembered -- he finished second in school history in 3-point percentage (40.7) -- but he gave much more than that. He was an underrated on-ball defender and did a great job, especially last year, of moving without the ball and drawing defenses away from other players so that they could contribute. His leadership and trip to Bennett's house after the Tennessee game have gone down in Wahoo lore forever.

Teven Jones was the only Cavalier to transfer. He did not play much last year but was a great vocal cheerleader on the sideline and brought defense and intensity to the team.

Gains

Center Jack Salt

The incoming freshmen are 6-foot-11, 235-pound center Jack Salt, from New Zealand, 6-foot-7, 224-pound forward Isaiah Wilkins, 6-foot-5, 207-pound guard Marial Shayok, and 6-foot-5, 205-pound guard B.J. Stith. Virginia also gained a transfer in former Tennessee forward Darius Thompson, but he will have to sit out this season before being eligible for the 2015-16 season.

Salt is raw but gives the Cavaliers another physical presence in the paint. He's known to foul a lot and he is still working on the intricacies of the American game. It wouldn't be shocking if he gets redshirted. "This year, I'm just trying to get better," Salt said at the UVa media day. "Whatever coach Bennett thinks, I'm going to be happy with [as far as redshirting goes]. Just come out, train every day, and get better ... Practices are intense but I've really enjoyed them so far."

Forward Isaiah Wilkins

Wilkins is a lanky forward who said he likes the high post and will face up from that spot and take a shot. If his name is familiar, that's because he is the step son of one Dominique Wilkins, former Atlanta Hawks great, the "Human Highlight Reel." "When I was younger we would train outside the house and work on different stuff," Wilkins said. "But he's kind of let me do this on my own. That way I can make my own path."

Shayok has impressed since reaching the floor and is said to possess a solid, all-around game. The Canadian was going to Marquette to play for Buzz Williams but decided to commit to his second school, UVa, after Williams left for Virginia Tech. Ironically, he will now face Williams twice per year.

Guard Marial Shayok

Stith's name ought to sound even more familiar to you. That is because he is the son of one of the all-time Virginia greats, Bryant Stith, the leading scorer in school history. "It means a lot to me, the family, to him," Stith said of what it is like to follow in his father's footsteps. "Every day it is motivation. I come out every day in practice, I see his name, I see his picture on the wall, it makes me work that much harder ... I do have to put on blinders. I block a lot of the outside distractions and just focus on me and the team rather than just my name and the family."

Stith, who was, at first, a slasher in high school but has since worked on his shot a lot, said he believes his defense is what could get him on the floor as a freshman. "Every coach in the United States says that if you don't play defense, you won't play. It's evident here at the University of Virginia. If I just pick up the principles defensively, I believe that I can get on the court."

Guard B.J. Stith

Thompson decided to re-open his recruitment after one year with Tennessee after Vols coach Cuonzo Martin left for the California job. "I would describe my game as a pass-first type of guard," he said. "I can knock down open shots. Always trying to drive, kick, and find an open teammate for a better shot."

Thompson said he wants to get stronger in his redshirt year. He said he's had a hard time learning the Pack-Line early on but has been getting better. He started 10 games as a true freshman at UT, averaging 2.6 points, 2.0 rebounds, and 2.4 assists per game.

They're baaaaaack ...

Guard Devon Hall

This guy could also go in the gains category -- Devon Hall. The 6-foot-5, 203-pound Virginia Beach prospect redshirted last season as a freshman. He came into the program with the reputation as a pass-first guy but said he worked extensively in his redshirt year on improving his shot. With London Perrantes suspended for the JMU game, Hall could get the start at point guard but he can play the 1 through the 3. "I think my game has changed a little bit," Hall said. "In high school, I was more pass-first and getting my teammates the ball. I think I'm a little more aggressive now, and think that can open things up for a lot of other guys. And my shot has gotten so much better. It's been a matter of staying confident with it and keeping my shoulder and feet square."

London Perrantes has been suspended for the JMU game for an undisclosed violation of team rules, but he was arguably the most valuable player on the team last season as a true freshman. As soon as the point guard got comfortable in the starting lineup, Virginia took off. His calming demeanor and ball handling were great assets for Virginia and he also developed a dangerous 3-point shot. Teams would often sag off him, worrying more about Joe Harris and Malcolm Brogdon. He was soon knocking those open shots down. It took awhile, though. I was putting together a graphic about him

Guard London Perrantes

at The Daily Progress a couple months ago and I think I found out he shot 31 percent in his first 22 games from 3 and then 56 percent in his last 15 games from 3. "I was just trying to get some experience in college basketball. I definitely felt like it was a completely different game," Perrantes said of his slow start to his freshman season. "Just getting your feet wet and learning the ropes. I feel like that took me awhile."

He ended up shooting 43.7 percent from beyond the arc, best on the team. He also was one of the nation's best at assist-to-turnover ratio and ended up averaging 3.8 assists per game. "This summer I worked on a lot of off-the-dribble stuff," he said. "People already know I can catch and shoot so to be able to go by someone that is coming at me hard is definitely something I worked on a lot."

"We can be really good; we just have to figure out roles," Perrantes said. "We have some new guys. We are trying to figure out our roles after losing Joe and Akil. We are going to have people stepping up ... anybody can . It won't be one person, it will be all of us."

Perrantes will be looking to take on even more of a leadership role this year, something he started to do last season as the Cavaliers began their hot play in the ACC. "After the Tennessee game, before the Florida State game, [coach Bennett and I] sat down and I feel like he told me that I was a young guy but 'we are going to ask a lot of you. I have faith in you.' Just hearing that from your head coach was huge."

Guard Malcolm Brogdon

Shooting guard Malcolm Brogdon came back last year after taking a year off to heal after undergoing foot surgery and gave the Cavaliers more than they were expecting during his sophomore season. He ended up leading the team in scoring (12.7 ppg) and got better and better at ball handling as the year went on, especially once Perrantes took over the main point guard duties. Still, Brogdon's handle didn't make me as nervous at the end of the year as it did say, during the VCU game when he was getting pick pocketed from behind by sneaky Ram defenders. One of the highlights of the season included Brogon's game-winning 3-pointer at Pittsburgh on Super Bowl Sunday. He also scored 23 points in the ACC tournament final against Duke. He was named a first-team All-ACC team member.

Forward Anthony Gill

Forward Anthony Gill scored 13 points last year in his first game as a Cavalier vs. JMU as a sophomore, introducing himself as a player to watch to fans. His production dipped in the middle of the season, but by year's end he was consistently scoring in double figures. He averaged 13.8 ppg from the Maryland through Memphis games (a six-contest stretch) last year and ended with averages of 8.6 points and four rebounds per game. He shot 58.7 percent from the field and 62.7 percent from the free throw line. He became quite adept at getting to the free throw line, taking 17 charity stripe shots vs. Duke in the ACC tournament championship. Gill is going to have to make more of his free throws if he he is going to continue getting to the line at such a high rate. "I changed a lot of things with my free throws over the summer. I'm shooting more from the side. And I repped my jump shot. Being able to trust it more, because I can get to the lane when I want to and get inside, but I want to be able to have a jump shot, too, so [defenders] have to respect that, too."

Gill attributed his rise last year to starting to understand Bennett's complicated defensive system. "[My confidence] was always there the whole year," he said. "At the end of the year, I started to understand the defense. That made it easier on me. I wasn't putting as much pressure on myself ... [early on I was messing up] positioning and anticipating things. I was late reacting to things."

Gill said that players were putting a lot of pressure on themselves at the beginning of preseason practice this year but Bennett calmed them down. "It was tough at first. Guys in practice were like we got to get to where we were last year, got to keep up with all these expectations people have on us. But coach Bennett sat us down and told us not to do that and to just be the best team that we can be."

On going to JMU and facing the Dukes in one of their biggest home games ever, Gill said, "I think it is going to be fun. They will be excited, we will be excited. Lot of nerves in that gym. We will just have to go in there and do what we do, block everything else out and just play our game. In all actuality we are going to have win games on the road to be good."

Guard Justin Anderson

Guard Justin Anderson actually played about two-and-a-half fewer minutes per game during his sophomore season than he did in 2012-13. However, his production was still basically the same. He averaged just under eight points per game, just over three rebounds per game, shot about 30 percent from 3-point land, about 40 percent overall, and about 71 percent from the line, which was five percent lower than his freshman year (it seems as if the entire team took a step back on free throws last season). He once again brought a lot of energy to games and showed his great leaping ability, which is perfect for blocking shots (though fewer last year) and powerful dunks. The challenge for him will once again be to harness his terrific speed into basketball skills and get more consistent, especially with his shot. It will be interesting to see if Anderson, now in his third year, will slide into the starting role left vacant by Harris on the wing or if Bennett elects to bring him off the bench again. Anderson lost 15 pounds in the offseason and the coaches think he will move better because of it. "Justin's game, he provides that spark that very few can with a big block," Bennett said. "I want him to use his hustle plays, his physicality, on the glass where there is an opportunity for a drive."

Forward/center Mike Tobey

Forward/center Mike Tobey, much like Anderson, is still looking to take that next step toward being consistent. He averaged 6.4 ppg last season, only slightly under what he was at for his freshman campaign, but his rebounding average actually jumped up about a whole rebound per game to 3.8. His main objective in the offseason was getting stronger and by all accounts he has done that with strength and conditioning coach Mike Curtis. He was unable to have an entire offseason dedicated to personal development during summer 2013 because he was playing on the U19 National Team on which Bennett was an assistant coach. Tobey is now listed at 7-foot instead of 6-11, so hopefully he has added some meat to those bones. He has said he needs to get more aggressive around the basket. It was frustrating to watch him at times last year be timid at the rim. A 7-footer needs to be dunking the ball on people's heads but so many times, he would opt for a lay in. He needs to get meaner. He is also young for his age, starting college two years ago at 17. Hopefully with more maturity under his belt, both physically and mentally, he can reach his full potential. Which I think is quite high. So let's hope it gets there.

Forward Darion Atkins

Forward Darion Atkins, the only scholarship senior on the roster, is another player who I am excited about. He was kind of buried on the depth chart last year with the emergence of Gill and also because Bennett elected to start Tobey, opting for his offensive ability in a lineup that already had the defense-oriented Mitchell starting. However, this year, with Mitchell gone, I could see Atkins sliding in to that starting spot. Looks wise and physically, at 6-foot-8, 241 pounds, he would be the best candidate for taking over for Mitchell, whose defensive prowess would be hard to match. But Atkins can get close, I think, and can also bring good rebounding skills and a more polished offensive game to the post than Mitchell possessed. You could tell Atkins rushed things last year when he got in games because he wasn't seeing a lot of minutes. He pressured himself to do well with the limited time he was getting. I fully expect him to have a bigger role this year and I think he is a guy that gets better once he gets a lot of minutes and gets in the flow of the game. I am still waiting for the reappearance of early 2012-13 season Atkins. That guy was a beast and I know he is out there somewhere. Rediscovering that Atkins could go a long way to helping Virginia realize its full potential this season.

Guard/forward Evan Nolte

Last but not least is forward Evan Nolte, he of the terrible police mug shot. Like Perrantes, he has been suspended for the JMU game. Unlike Perrantes, we know why. The junior was arrested during the summer in Charlottesville for public intoxication and resisting arrest. I believe the police tried to put him in a cab so he could go home but he ran away. Anyway, that all seems kind of silly now. What didn't seem silly were the dire straights that the Cavaliers were in during the first round of the NCAA tournament last season against Coastal Carolina, down 10 points at one point in the first half. Nolte didn't have a ton of highlights last season, but that game was one of them as he came off the bench to score eight points, hitting two 3-pointers, sparking Virginia to rally past the Chanticleers. "That was one of the first games I really feel like I played the 4 position," Nolte said. "It felt really good to get in there, especially with not playing much as last season, it always feels good to come in a big game and play well."

For good measure, here is Nolte's
mug shot. What is that shirt
he is wearing??

Overall, Nolte's production dipped quite a bit from his freshman campaign. He played 10 fewer minutes per game and scored three fewer points per game. His 3-point shooting decreased from just under 39 percent to just over 33 percent. Like Atkins, I am waiting for the early 2012-13 Nolte to come back, the one that had five 3-pointers and 18 points at Virginia Tech. That Nolte was mostly missing in action last season. One of Nolte's problems is Bennett finding a place to play him. Nolte is kind of a tweener. Not particularly fast enough or athletic enough for the 3, but not physical enough for the 4. Hopefully, Bennett can find a role that suits Nolte and play him only when necessary at the other spot.