ACC: How Will Virginia Replace Justin Anderson’s Scoring?

ByAndrew Snyder|

Mar 19, 2015; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malcolm Brogdon (15) and Virginia Cavaliers forward Anthony Gill (13) speak to the media during practice before the second round of the 2015 NCAA Tournament at Time Warner Cable Arena. Mandatory Credit: Jeremy Brevard-USA TODAY Sports

They are there, lurking in the shadows. You may have to look hard to find them, but they’re there. The majestic three- or four-year college basketball player. The modern era of college hoops has embraced the “one-and-done” culture, but every season, there are several upperclassmen that prove that sometimes it pays to stay in school.

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Virginia knows that better than anyone. Next season the reigning ACC regular-season champs will most likely have three juniors and one senior in their starting five. That fifth spot could have gone to another senior, but his NBA dreams got in the way.

Justin Anderson will not be returning to Charlottesville next season. The junior, wing enjoyed a breakout junior season that saw him average 17.5 points per 40 minutes on 45.2 percent shooting from three-point range.

His emergence as a true “three and D” guy on the perimeter elevated his draft stock securely into the first round, meaning his days of being a Virginia Cavalier have come to an end.

It was a wise decision by Anderson, he is taking advantage of his rising stock and should get handsomely rewarded for that choice. Virginia on the other hand will have some large shoes to fill thanks to his exit.

Anderson was a leader defensively, a dynamic scorer, and a player that wasn’t afraid to let his emotions take over on the court. Virginia may not be able to replace his passion, but they can replace his scoring.

After losing his partner on the wing, Justin Anderson, to the NBA Draft Malcolm Brogdon will continue to assume the role of primary scorer for the Wahoos, just without Anderson as a security blanket.

That is a role that Brogdon has loosely held onto during his college career, but never quite firmly grasped, despite being Virginia’s leading scorer during his sophomore and junior years. He’s always had another player with him on the perimeter that defenders tended to be more focused on.

Last year, he had Anderson to carry some of the load, while the year before he had Joe Harris. Can Brogdon become a player that scores 20 points per game and becomes the focal point of his team’s entire offense? Or was his success largely due to the fact that he had a more talented player playing alongside him?

During his junior season Brogdon scored 17.2 points per 40 miutes for the Cavaliers, while grabbing 4.9 rebounds and collecting 2.9 assists per 40 minutes as well. Despite Anderson’s emergence, Brogdon still led Virginia in scoring at 14 points per game. He also asserted himself as one of the best wing defenders in all of college basketball.

Those numbers came with a usage rate of 25.9 percent, which figures to increase after Virginia lost Anderson to the draft and fourth leading scorer Darion Atkins to graduation.

The increase in shot volume caused his three-point shooting percentage to drop from his sophomore year to his junior year (37 percent to 34.4 percent), but overall he was a more efficient scorer raising his total field goal percentage from 41.3 percent to 42.2 percent.

Anderson’s most valuable skill was his sizzling three-point stroke, Brogdon regaining his would go a long way in helping replace Anderson’s impact.

Despite the concerns that come with another increase in usage rate, Brogdon can be the best offensive player on an elite team, he has proven that, but he cannot do it alone. Virginia will likely run their offense through Brogdon, as well as another veteran in junior, Anthony Gill.

Gill excelled both offensively and defensively in 2014-2015, scoring 11.6 points and notching 6.5 rebounds per game on 58.2 percent shooting. His sometimes ugly style of play resulted in second chance points and an assortment of “how the heck did he make that?” facial expressions from opposing fans.

They’ll get some help from London Perrantes, Marial Shayok, Evan Nolte, Mike Tobey, and their four man freshmen class, but Gill and Brogdon will have to step up to ensure Virginia does not take a step back next season.

A 30-4 record is tough to measure up to, but Virginia did not achieve all of their goals last season. Believe it or not, next year’s squad would only have to make it to the Sweet Sixteen to eclipse what last year’s group accomplished. A third-round NCAA tournament exit has left Cavalier fans hungry for a Final Four trip that they seemed destined for before Anderson’s injury.

Less than seven months until non-conference play starts. As Tom Petty once sang, “the waiting is the hardest part.” Let the way too early prognostications begin!

Next: NBA Mock Draft

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