With the Virginia men’s basketball team halfway through its regular season, it’s time for a definitive ranking of the team’s MVP up to this point. I asked a few of my friends, and I got several answers. That’s understandable. With a team this deep, the question becomes somewhat difficult.
Sure, without Anthony Gill’s dominating presence down low late in games, the Cavaliers would have at least two losses — but what about consistency? Malcolm Brogdon has been a pretty reliable force on both sides of the ball, but he’s rarely taken control of a game like we saw him do last year. And Justin Anderson, whom I would call the favorite in this race, doesn’t even rank in the team’s top three in rebounds, blocks or steals — though he is top three in turnovers committed.
So, let us systematically evaluate.
Yes, this will be a list — and I get that lists are the easiest columns to pull off. But it’s my first column in more than two years, so cut me a little slack. Plus, this list will leave you satisfied, and won’t sting like when your favorite music review website doesn’t even put T-Swift’s “1989” in the top 30.
Why won’t this list disappoint? Because it’s purely scientific. If you don’t agree with the rankings, you don’t agree with science. And if you don’t agree with science, you don’t deserve to be on your computer right now reading this article.
The rankings will be determined by a point system established before I calculate the results. As I write this introduction, I still don’t know who is going to come out on top. And just to give credit where credit is due, you should know I got this idea from a Jalen and Jacoby podcast that came up with the best backcourts in the NBA. While I’m switching up the scoring categories, I’m staying true to its core. (If you’re curious, they picked Manu Ginobili and Tony Parker from San Antonio, and while they aren’t in top form right now, you can’t argue with their resume.)
On to the scoring system!
Major categories (1st place = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd = 1 point):
Points
Field goal percentage (min. 60 shots)
Rebounds
Assists
Minutes played
Intangibles
Minor categories (1st = 1.5 points, 2nd = 1 point, 3rd = .5 points):
Blocks
Steals
3-pt. percentage (min. 10 attempts)
Free throw percentage (min. 30 attempts)
Turnovers (fewest, min. 200 minutes)
Personal fouls (fewest, min. 200 minutes)
Bonuses (each can only be claimed once per player):
SportsCenter Top 10 spot (3 points)
ACC Player of the Week (3 points)
Top five in the ACC in one of the above categories (3 points)
OK, this scoring system might throw a monkey wrench into the whole unbiased and scientific shtick I was going for previously. I wish I had the numbers for plus/minus in team scoring when each player is on the floor, or offensive and defensive efficiency ratings, but I couldn’t find any sources that were a) reputable and b) affordable (looking at you, Ken Pomeroy). If you strongly disagree with any of the scoring decisions, please feel free to bicker in the comment section below.
The players are ranked below, with their respective scores in parentheses. A full scoring breakdown can be found at the column’s conclusion.
Honorable Mention: Darion Atkins, senior forward (6) and Mike Tobey, junior center (7)
I have to hand it to our two big men for turning things around as of late. When the season started and Tony Bennett went back and forth between which of these two started, it often seemed like a loss-minimizing calculation. Atkins’ outside shot and Tobey’s play under the rim have certainly qualified as cringe-worthy at times, and the team surely needed to limit that kind of play.
In recent games, however, the two have picked things up dramatically. Tobey recorded his first two career double-doubles this season, and now leads the team in rebounds. In the Harvard game, he played almost perfectly in the opening minutes, and I’m convinced he single-handedly caused the demoralization leading to the Crimson’s demise. Atkins, on the other hand, has finally become a viable starter in his senior season, and actually leads all Cavaliers in field goal percentage. And he was a clear-cut reason Virginia was able to come away with a victory Saturday against Notre Dame. I have no reason to doubt these players will only improve as the season progresses.
4. London Perrantes, sophomore guard (8)
Perrantes has been somewhat of a disappointment to start the season. But then again, that’s largely due to how impressively he played down the stretch last season. Perrantes has been a good distributor and defender so far, but still hasn’t been able to establish himself as a consistent scoring threat. As expected from a point guard, he leads the team in assists by a mile with 62, and his assist-turnover ratio is an admirable 3.1.
The most frustrating thing about Perrantes is that we know what he’s capable of offensively. We saw it against Miami a week-and-a-half ago, when he lead the team in scoring with 26 points. It’s very possible that — just like last season — he’ll heat up for ACC play. Last year, his 3-point shooting cranked up to 51 percent during conference play after he hit just 37 percent in non-conference games. Additionally, his ACC points per game improved by 1.2 over non-conference play. When London’s shot is respected, the entire offense opens up and becomes one of the scariest guards in the country.
3. Anthony Gill, junior forward (9)
One could make an MVP argument for any of the three remaining players. Without Gill, the Cavaliers would not be a top-10 team, possibly not even top 20. He’s third on the team in points, second in rebounds and field goal percentage — not to mention first in being the manliest man out there on a game-to-game basis. And though he has one of the strangest free-throw stances we’ve ever seen, he’s managed to up his percentage by eight points from last season, making him less of a concern when he steps up to the line.
Perhaps Gill’s best skill is turning up the heat when he’s needed — which is why I ranked him second in the “intangibles” category. When the offense is struggling, passing the ball to Gill and letting him work a defender is rarely a bad strategy (see: Davidson and Miami games). Also, there’s something about the fact that all the players call him the funniest guy on the team. While he didn’t make No. 1 on this list, I can’t think of another guy at this university with whom I’d rather play pickup basketball.
2. Malcolm Brogdon, junior guard (12)
Brogdon has quietly been putting together another phenomenal season. He’s second on the team in points, assists and minutes played, and first — fourth in the ACC — in free throw percentage. He’s currently on pace to score more and shoot better than he did last year, and while his assists and rebounds per game have dropped marginally, I have a nagging feeling there’s another level we haven’t seen from Brogdon this year just waiting to come out. I’m also going to trust Bennett when he talks about Brogdon’s great leadership, which is why he receives intangibles points.
Brogdon is that steady force in the game you can always rely on, even if it goes underappreciated. He hasn’t had any game-winners this season, and has only made a few plays which have brought the crowd up on its feet, but his calmness in tough situations is just as important as any Top 10 jam could ever be. Brogdon is the yin to Justin Anderson’s yang.
1. Justin Anderson, junior guard (20.5)
All right, maybe this wasn’t that close of a contest after all. If you were thinking that all the bonuses in my scoring scale worked in Anderson’s favor, you were correct. But even if you take out the bonuses, Anderson still comes out on top (though only by 2.5).
And who’s really surprised? He’s the team’s leading scorer, the entire conference’s leading 3-point shooter, and by far the most fun guy to watch on the floor. His clear passion for the game not only helps his team, but gets all of John Paul Jones Arena pumped up during home games. When the guys need some help working out of a slump, he’s the one who waves his arms up and down to get the stadium on its feet. Then, he’ll knock down a timely 3-pointer or slam home an electric dunk, and the entire place erupts. There’s already talk about him being a first-round NBA Draft prospect — and while I’m happy for J.A., it will be a sad day when the Cavaliers have to watch him leave.
Results Broken Down:
Major categories (1st place = 3 points, 2nd = 2 points, 3rd = 1 point):
Points — Anderson, Brodgon, Gill
Field goal percentage (min. 60 shots) — Atkins, Gill, Tobey
Rebounds — Tobey, Gill, Atkins
Assists — Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson
Minutes played — Perrantes, Brogdon, Anderson
Intangibles — Anderson, Gill, Brogdon
Minor categories (1st = 1.5 points, 2nd = 1 point, 3rd = .5 points):
Blocks — Atkins, Tobey, Gill/Wilkins
Steals — Shayok, Gill, Perrantes/Atkins
3-pt. percentage (min. 10 attempts) — Anderson, Shayok, Brogdon
Free throw percentage (min. 30 attempts) — Brogdon, Anderson, Tobey
Turnovers (fewest, min 200 minutes) — Tobey, Shayok, Gill
Personal fouls (fewest, min 200 minutes) — Perrantes, Anderson, Shayok
Bonuses (each can only be claimed once per player):
SportsCenter Top 10 spot (3 points) — Anderson
ACC Player of the Week (3 points) — Anderson
Top five in the ACC in one of the above categories (3 points) — Brogdon, Anderson
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