On the spot on his wall where most teenagers hang tongue-wagging pictures of Michael Jordan gliding through the air or LeBron James posterizing an opponent, sophomore guard Teven Jones has only five words written: Defensive Player of the Year.
As Jones enters his sophomore season competing for playing time at point guard with sophomore Malcolm Brogdon and freshmen London Perrantes and Devon Hall, he has made it his priority to become a lockdown defender. For a Cavalier squad that has been the stingiest scoring defense in the ACC each of the past three seasons, determining who will replace former All-ACC defender Jontel Evans in the starting lineup may come down to which point guard performs best without the ball in his hands.
“I’m not even worried about offense because that will come,” Jones said. “It comes naturally. But I take pride in stopping somebody when they come at the defense.”
Virginia’s dominant 2013 defense was anchored by Evans, who served as a steadying force when he returned from injury last season. His ball handling and decision-making ability filled a much-needed void for the Cavaliers on their march to a school record 19-straight home wins and an NIT appearance. Though his occasionally erratic offensive play and inconsistent jump shot somewhat handcuffed Virginia offensively, his tenacious defensive effort made him an invaluable cog for the Cavaliers nonetheless.
Now, with a wide-open competition for the starting point guard position underway as the team gears up for its Nov. 8 season-opener against James Madison, the four candidates are attempting to showcase their ability to seamlessly fill Evans’ ever-active shoes defensively. For a team with a deep and talented roster that some have labeled the strongest in coach Tony Bennett’s tenure, the fifth-year coach will look for a player that can complement Virginia’s primary offensive options while shining on the defensive end.
“It comes down to whether or not you can guard those point guards, and that’s something we’re really going to have to replace this season without Jontel because he was a bulldog in that regard,” Bennett said.
Aside from the point guard position, few starting spots are up for grabs for Virginia. The team boasts a wide array of proven offensive options that can reduce the pressure to score on whomever brings the ball up. All-ACC seniors Joe Harris and Akil Mitchell will likely occupy one guard and post spot, respectively, while standout sophomore forward Justin Anderson is expected to occupy the wing opposite Harris.
Flanking Mitchell in the post, Bennett will have his pick between hulking, 6-foot-11 sophomore Mike Tobey, junior forward Darion Atkins or highly-touted sophomore South Carolina transfer Anthony Gill, whose bruising inside presence and soft touch has earned him comparisons to former Cavalier great Mike Scott.
The abundance of talent that will surround the Cavalier point guards has registered with sophomore Malcolm Brogdon, whom many consider the leading candidate for the job. Brogdon, who was forced to sit out all of last year with a broken left foot, will return to a reloaded lineup aiming for its second NCAA Tournament berth in three years.
“It is hard to not be fired up,” Brogdon said. “I think everybody’s very excited about this year. I just think we have the right pieces and it’s about us buying into the system that coach Bennett preaches and us playing together and having great chemistry.”
Brogdon averaged 6.7 points in 22.4 minutes per game as a freshman in the 2011-12 season when he backed up both guard spots for a team that would earn its first NCAA Tournament berth since 2007. During the offseason, the lean 6-foot-5 guard worked on improving his quickness to prepare himself to play the point guard position. He also refined his jump shooting mechanics, working each day to add consistency so that he could stretch the defense and create space for his talented teammates to drive the lane.
“I think we do have a chance to be the best offensive team probably the program has seen since I’ve been here in my three years because we have so many options at this point in terms of scoring,” Brogdon said.
Injuries to Brogdon and Evans prior to last season opened the door for Jones to contribute as soon as he was eligible. After serving a one-game suspension for an undisclosed violation of team rules, Jones returned, carving out a role in Bennett’s guard rotation. He averaged 13.5 minutes per game, made nine starts and came away with a wealth of knowledge from playing behind the well-rounded Evans.
“On the defensive end, I learned things like who to guard and who not to guard, who not to press up on, how to read screens,” Jones said. “On the offensive end, I learned you have to play with two different speeds.”
Jones and Brogdon will face competition from a pair of newcomers and top-rated recruits. Perrantes, a 6-foot-2 guard from Los Angeles, Calif., who prides himself on his “do-it-all” polish, is the all-time leader in points and assists at Crespi Carmelite High School. Hall, a lanky, 6-foot-5 graduate of Cape Henry Collegiate in Virginia Beach, was a nominee for the prestigious 2013 McDonald’s All-American game. Each was ranked a top 100 overall recruit in the Class of 2013 by at least one scouting service.
Although Perrantes and Hall have been thrust into a competition with one another to earn minutes on the floor, the pair has remained extremely close off the court. They went on the same official recruiting visit at the University and were together for an all-star game in Memphis before becoming roommates this year. They have also bonded over the shared challenge of learning the intricacies of Bennett’s famed pack-line defense and adjusting to the college game in general.
Both players know their ability to pick up the team’s defensive schemes will be critical to their chances of earning minutes in Bennett’s rotation.
“It’s definitely a process,” Perrantes said of learning the pack-line defense. “Now it’s starting to click for me and Devon, so I mean as long as we keep getting better at it I think we’ll get some playing time … We know this is what we’ve got to do to play.”
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