Cavalier Corner

December 2016

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showed the kind of shooter and scorer he can be. And that's what the Wahoos might need him to do more of this season: Cre- ate for teammates as well as for himself. "If you're going to have one guy who is experienced when you have a lot of newcomers," head coach Tony Bennett said at ACC media day, "you'd better have a point guard and a player like London." During a career defined by his con- sistency and his ability to be a stabiliz- ing force, he's grown both on and off the floor. "London's greatest strength — he had it when he came in from day one — is his feel," Bennett explained. "His mind for the game is exceptional. I've made a mis- take a couple times with London saying you've got to be aggressive, we need you to shoot this many shots. It's taken out his greatest strength, his feel for the game. I always encourage him to improve, to be a little more assertive, and every year he has gotten more aggressive. "He's taken a few more shots and he understands the situation," Bennett added, "but if I try to make him someone he's not, I take him out of his game and his strengths." For his part, Perrantes concurs. "I know with our offense that I'll be able to get open shots and get other guys open shots," he said. "But my mindset in the offseason was more about just getting better. We still need to play the same way we have the last few years except for be- ing able to score some more. "I think that comes in the offense and me knowing when to take those shots and when not to." "He's smart enough to figure out where he has to look and be assertive, but he's also smart enough to say what does the team need, who needs to touch the ball, what do we need defensively," Bennett noted. "And I think if I try to make him a clone of what Malcolm Brogdon was last year — 'You've got to be this way' — I think it's a mistake. And I think his greatest attribute is his understanding of what needs to be done. … His feel is at the highest level. One of the best I've coached." Replacing Brogdon, as well as fellow departed fourth-years Anthony Gill, Mike Tobey and Evan Nolte, will be a long-term challenge for UVA this year. And at least from a leadership standpoint, it has to start with Perrantes. It already has. "I feel like the team dynamic is a little different without A.G. and Malcolm," Per- rantes said. "The team is a little differ- ent and the offseason has been different. We're just trying to stick to the same way that we've been so successful in the past. "Obviously, I've been putting a lot of "He's smart enough to figure out where he has to look and be assertive, but he's also smart enough to say what does the team need, who needs to touch the ball, what do we need defensively." HEAD COACH TONY BENNETT ON PERRANTES

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