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DECEMBER 2016 ◆ 17 BY BRAD FRANKLIN V IRGINIA'S 2015-16 SEA- SON clearly didn't end the way fans, players or coaches wanted it to. But there was no mistake that the Elite Eight loss to Syracuse was something of a sign of the potential things to come for point guard London Perrantes. Now, as the team's lone fourth-year, he's poised to lead the Cavaliers while they re- load and aim for a deeper run in March. A 6-2, 197-pounder from Los Angeles, Perrantes has started 100 games in his UVA career. A two-time All-ACC honorable men- tion selection, he led the league in three- point shooting percentage (48.8 percent) last year. In fact, in that 68-62 loss to the Orange in the NCAA Tournament, he hit six three -pointers and finished the year averag- ing a career-high 11.0 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. Though he may have had higher scor- ing games in his career, like the 26-point effort versus Miami in Coral Gables, Fla., as a second-year, his play in the Elite Eight 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: Create for teammates as well as for himself. "If you're going to have one guy who is experienced when you have a lot of new- comers," 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 consis- tency and his ability to be a stabilizing 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 mistake 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 en- courage 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 un- derstands 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 off- season was more about just getting better. We still need to play the same way we have the last few years except for being 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 un- derstanding 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 different 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 extra time in on my own and just trying to make sure I'm up to what I need to be in order to help the team win. Other than that, I feel like a lot is the same. We're getting after it the same way we would even if those guys were here." Being a vocal leader came easily to Per- rantes, despite being often described as "Cali cool." The more difficult challenge, he says, was modeling for his teammates what leadership looks like. "I think just bringing it every day, that's the biggest thing," he explained. "You have to be the guy who leads by example every single day. Malcolm and those guys, they're not here anymore. It's up to me. Being that guy means bringing it each and every day, bringing that en- ergy and that focus and get- ting everything I can from everybody on the team. "It's my job to get the best from all of the guys every day so we can get better. That's been the hardest part, the grind of bringing that every day, but it's also been a lot of fun watching everybody grow and watching myself grow as a leader, too. It's been fun." Whether UVA makes it back to the Elite Eight (and beyond) or not, Perrantes has al- ready had a college experience that humbles him. "I've got some young guys on this team that I want to make an impact on, whether that's on or off the court," he said. "I want to be a part of these guys' lives forever. No matter what happens, I'm getting my education and graduating in May so all of this truly is a dream come true for me and my family. "My four years, I've gained so many brothers because of the way we play and the nature of this program and the way we live," Perrantes added. "It's been an amaz- ing experience." ◆ "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 Perrantes led the ACC in three-point shooting (48.8 percent) in 2015-16, while averaging a career-high 11.0 points, 4.4 assists and 3.0 rebounds per game. PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA FEEL FOR THE GAME Fourth-Year Point Guard London Perrantes Will Set The Pace For UVA