The Virginia men’s basketball team starts its season on Friday night at 7 p.m. when JMU visits the John Paul Jones Arena. Let’s look at 10 questions about the Hoos as they prepare for tip-off.

5. Who will make the biggest leap this season and which “newcomer” will make the biggest impact this season?

If you read Part I of these preseason questions and thought the ‘X factor’ question was open for debate, this question was made for you! Looking at Virginia’s roster, the candidates among the sophomore and junior class for ‘make a leap’ potential are everywhere. Junior Darion Atkins showed a lot of upside before an injury last season and remember this is the stage when Akil Mitchell took off last season. Then there are all those sophomores. I picked Justin Anderson as my ‘X factor’ for the season, but you could make an easy case for him here too. If you said Evan Nolte, Malcolm Brogdon, or Teven Jones … well, I don’t think many would say you were wrong necessarily.

I’m going with the other sophomore, though. Mike Tobey. Everyone could see the offensive potential last season because Tobey can score near the basket with both hands (as Maryland found out late at the JPJ last season). He also has some face-up ability and good touch at the line. There is already a lot to like. What Virginia fans may not know, however, is that Tobey really excelled – in a big way – in last year’s preseason scrimmages. But when he started a bit slow out of the gates – he seemed to be pressing on offense early on, something that isn’t surprising to see from true freshmen – and then came down with mono, he didn’t really establish himself as a dominant offensive producer. He was good, of course, but not a force. Plus, his defense and rebounding took a while to get up to speed.

But boy, the tools were all there. Fast forward after a season of experience, a good showing in the NIT, a summer with USA Basketball, and a strength regimen with Mike Curtis? Tobey could be a go-to guy on the blocks for good looks and easy buckets all year long. I suspect he’s added a move to complement his either-side baby hook too. The added strength and agility should really bump his defensive success too, particularly for the on-ball screen defense required by Tony Bennett. Tobey’s rebounding steadily improved all season long as a freshman and I think he’ll be much more consistent there this time around too. He may or may not start a lot of games on a team with a locked in post starter (Mitchell) and loads of depth, but Tobey definitely could make the leap to big-time performer this season as a sophomore.

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