Virginia fans have gotten used to the sight of senior point guard London Perrantes strutting down the court — holding up three fingers — returning to the defense after hitting a clutch shot.
It’s likely the Cavaliers will see many more threes in Perrantes’ final season. The Los Angeles, Calif. native stands alone as Virginia’s single scholarship senior, and is shaping up to be Virginia’s main man. The 2016-17 season is Perrantes’ season.
“Certainly, we’ll look to him to be one of our guys,” coach Tony Bennett said. “He has the green light … to be aggressive. And we want that.”
Perrantes has proven to be the perfect fit for Bennett’s program. The pinnacle of his career came last season — when he played an average of 33.2 minutes per game, averaging 11 points per game.
Perrantes got to toss up three fingers plenty last season as well — as a junior, he led the ACC with a 48.8 shooting percentage behind the arc.
“My role has increased,” Perrantes said. “I need to score more, and definitely get more people involved as well.”
While Perrantes’ role has increased up to his final season, he has been a staple for the Cavaliers through much of their success over the last three years. In his career, Virginia has finished second in the ACC once, and first twice in the regular season. The Cavaliers have reached the NCAA Tournament all three years, earning first seed honors twice and second seed once. In 2014, Perrantes’ first season playing, he helped Virginia win the ACC Tournament — its first since 1976.
However, Perrantes’ effect on Virginia reaches far beyond his shooting skills and the success he has experienced with the team. Perrantes has the ability to lead on the court. He acts as an anchor for the other four players on the court, keeping the game in check. He makes things happen.
“If I had to describe London in one word, it would definitely be cool,” junior forward Isaiah Wilkins said. “He’s got that west coast flavor — a composed guy. Definitely a great leader for us.“
Whatever you want to call Perrantes — “Cali Cool,” for his effortless performance on the court, or “Cali Swag,” for his ability to pull off seemingly impossible threes — the senior has heard them all.
From the beginning, Perrantes’ cool and calm ability gelled perfectly with Bennett’s meticulous pack-line defense and slowed-down offense.
“London is a player that when he got here, he had tremendous feel,” Bennett said. “And it was instantaneous when he was on the floor,”
Perrantes has always been known for his ability to set up plays. He has consistently recorded assists, earning 3.8 and 4.6 assists per game in his first and second seasons, respectively. He recorded an average of 4.4 assists per game last season.
However, Perrantes wasn’t always the big shooter that the Cavaliers have grown accustomed to.
In his first season, he averaged just 5.5 points per game, and in his second season, he improved to an average of just 6.4 points per game. If he continues with that trajectory, though, Perrantes could be on pace to have his best season yet.
Cavalier fans wouldn’t mind seeing many more celebrations after Perrantes hits three pointers. And the team wants that for him too.
“Every year he has just progressed his game,” Bennett said. “[He] never sacrificed how he plays. That’s the one thing everyone wants him to be is more aggressive and shoot a lot more, especially this year.”
Returning from an average of 11 points per game last season, Perrantes will be Virginia’s main man. The Cavaliers lost its highest-scoring members from last season — their next-highest returning scorer is Wilkins, who recorded an average of 4.6 points per game last season.
Despite bringing in a strong 2016 recruiting class, Perrantes is the reason that Virginia is once again considered a strong ACC contender this season.
“He doesn’t seem to lose often who he is as a player and how he his as a player,” Bennett said. “That’s one of his best qualities without a doubt.”
The Cavaliers hope that Perrantes’ even-keeled attitude will return this season, along with plenty of threes. And when asked about his last three years with Virginia at ACC Media Day, Perrantes answered in the most Cali cool way possible.
“It’s been a great time,” Perrantes said.
Perrantes gets his first chance to make a mark this season Friday against UNC-Greensboro.
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