To start or not to start? That is the Kyle Guy question.

With Virginia men’s basketball season rapidly approaching tipoff and the team forging a new look with six newcomers, one of the most popular questions out there surrounds Guy. Will Guy start as a true freshman? He arrived in Charlottesville with impressive credentials, including recognition as a McDonald’s All-American and Mr. Basketball for Indiana, but playing a perimeter position crowded by upperclassmen.

To start, Guy would need to unseat one of the older candidates in London Perrantes, Devon Hall, Marial Shayok, and Darius Thompson plus beat out fellow freshmen Ty Jerome and De’Andre Hunter. Opinions vary wildly on the topic. Would Tony Bennett start a freshman? Does a freshman have to master the Pack-Line Defense or merely prove adequate at first? If a player brings a specific offensive skill to the table, does it lend more defensive patience? How do the choices work best together?

All fair questions. Ultimately the answer to the Guy question may not matter. Minutes played is as important as starting in many ways. Plus, UVA carved out a significant ‘sixth man’ role in recent seasons. Malcolm Brogdon started only once for Bennett’s first NCAA Tournament team at Virginia. Anthony Gill and Justin Anderson combined for only 11 starts in the 2013-2014 ACC double championship season. Mike Tobey picked up only 11 starts in the repeat regular season champ season and only 7 a year ago, while the team piled up 59 wins in those two years.

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