Cavalier Corner

December 2017

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16 CAVALIER CORNER BY BRAD FRANKLIN S HORTLY AFTER DEVON HALL committed to UVA, a kid named London Perrantes did, too. By the time Isaiah Wilkins arrived on Grounds, teammates were quick to point out the "mouse in the house" whenever the undersized forward tried to work inside. And Jack Salt, a native of New Zealand, chose the Cavaliers after only spending a couple of days in town and not knowing much about the program or about college basketball in the United States. Now, Hall, Wilkins and Salt are the stan- dard by which head coach Tony Bennett hopes his assortment of young players mea- sure themselves as they develop into the types of pillars he wants in his program. Bennett isn't one to make a spectacle. But in his two fourth-years (Hall, a redshirt, and Wilkins) as well as his lone redshirt third-year (Salt), the ninth-year head coach knew he had something different. On a team that will count on a host of second-years and rookies, Ben- nett decided to do something different when preseason practice began this fall. "They've been terrific," he said of the trio. "I usually don't make a big deal out of this, but this year I did. I named three cap- tains to start and usually we just let it hap- pen organically, the guys that go out there [pregame]. But this year I wanted it to be because Isaiah is a natural leader, Devon's a natural leader and so is Jack Salt. "These guys have put a lot of time and energy into this program. They've been through so many experiences and you see them — as the culture that was established a long time ago — taking the young guys [aside] and explaining things, holding guys accountable. I think we have three excel- lent voices in practices and I would assume obviously in the locker room. I think those three really want [it]." To Wilkins and Salt, the moment Bennett tabbed them as captains is one they won't soon forget. "I was surprised," the 6-10, 250-pound Salt admitted. "I knew Zay and Dev are the leaders so I was very surprised, but I was honored. Just to be with those two, that's big for me because those two are my lead- ers. I think of them that way but I was very honored." "It was definitely an honor," Wilkins added, "because [Coach Bennett] had never done that before really. It was always like we knew who the leaders were, but he had never made it official or anything like that. It was a very special moment for me and probably one I'll never forget." "I think I wanted to establish that be- cause I wanted to empower them," Bennett explained. "They're going to be important. There isn't as much experience this year besides those guys, to be honest. "And that's the part that is uncertain." Hall, a 6-5 guard from Virginia Beach, has been the consummate teammate dur- ing his career. He redshirted as a first-year despite being the higher rated of UVA's then-backcourt duo. He continued to work and earned his chance to be a team leader. And even now, his excitement over seeing SETTING THE STANDARD Amid A Youth Movement, Veteran Captains Devon Hall, Isaiah Wilkins And Jack Salt Help Pace UVA Hoops Through the first seven games of the 2017-18 season, redshirt fourth-year guard Devon Hall ranked second on the team in scoring (11.9 points-per-game average). PHOTO BY MATT RILEY/COURTESY UVA

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