Earlier than the Virginia Cavaliers tip at 7:00 PM towards the Virginia Tech Hokies, I answered plenty of questions from Wahoo fanbase. To get a solution to your query, observe me (MustafaHosny Oh God, Amen(chopping grass)@worker) on Twitter. I apologize to those that requested questions that I could not reply this time. I needed to minimize it to keep away from it being longer than regular.
In the event you might add one former UVA defensive participant and one offensive participant and add them to this workforce, who would the gamers be and why?
Effectively, that is attention-grabbing. For the aim of answering the query, I’ll take the soccer method as a result of the pattern of Twitter asking this query is much less advanced than basketball as a result of the basketball gamers play each ends of the ground. However, for this train, we’ll faux that the defending participant and attacking participant you’ve got added right here can solely play on that finish of the ground.
Beginning on the protection, I feel Akil Mitchell is a reasonably simple reply right here. A strong participant with the scale to guard the larger positions within the place, the velocity and agility to blast ball screens on the perimeter, the footwork and intelligence to protect high quality forwards, Mitchell is strictly the participant this UVA protection wants proper now, particularly with Kadin Shedrick struggling. Virginia’s wrestle over the boards and towards groups that may unfold them out and assault the large boys can be resolved virtually instantly by Mitchell’s presence whereas his expertise with the Bennett System can be big for this squad.
Offensively, I will preserve it easy (silly) and go together with Malcolm Brogdon. The capturing for this workforce has improved sufficient that I do not really feel the necessity to add Kyle Man or Joe Harris, and with Reece and Kihei the addition of London Perrantes or Ty Jerome feels superfluous. Plus, the concept of throwing Premiers Jay Huff or Sam Houser into this backcourt may be very attention-grabbing, however Brogdon’s possession and his capturing and chopping skill will assist tremendously with this offense. He can seize the bucket at a second’s discover, and whereas Armaan Franklin has been excellent this yr, including Brogdon to the fold will take the strain off everybody else and make Wahoo backcourt guarding an enormous headache for opponents.
What are the NBA comps for each UVA participant?
This may increasingly take some time, so I will attempt to preserve it quick and candy. Creating NBA fixtures is inherently troublesome as a result of it assumes that the participant is reaching his ceiling or perhaps a chance that isn’t really achievable for that participant. So, when making these comparisons, I evaluate these individuals to the varieties of gamers that play within the NBA and what the best possible model of every UVA participant is. With that mentioned, this is a fast rundown of each participant who performs greater than 10% of minutes this season:
Caden Shedrick – Nick Claxton
Armand Franklin – Damion Lee
Ryan Dunn – DeAndre Hunter
Isaac McNeely – Donte Divincenzo (with higher capturing)
Reese Beckman – Daron Fox
Ben Vander Plaas – Joe Engels
Jaden Gardner – Adam Scofield
Francisco Cafaro – (present iteration of) Deandre Jordan
Kehei Clark – Jose Alvarado
@ me on Twitter should you agree, disagree, or need extra clarification.
I observed throughout UNC’s first half that it is perhaps time to take a look at the offensive scheme usually. Do you assume that is needed? And if that’s the case, how would you alter it? Are the problems with plot, matches, blurring, or the entire above?
So, there’s a macro and micro technique to reply this query. Broadly, sure, it will be superb if UVA might diversify and modernize a few of their offensive lineups to maneuver away from the identical three units they have been operating for the previous 5 years. The aspect forged assault with the continuity ball display screen, the three-man assault (which I will get to in a second), and the UVA excessive ball unfold display screen look are comparatively minor offenses. This is not essentially a foul factor and signifies that the main focus of coaching might be nearer to 60% Protection, 40% Offense than a 50-50 break up.
However, in at present’s basketball, having extra schemes, appears, and combos in your offensive repertoire is helpful and needed. Certain, the ‘Hoos’ have just a few strong video games of their again pockets for late sport/hour eventualities. However extending the workforce’s direct offensive rules to particular teams of gamers (and the workforce) will little doubt be useful in the long term. Opponents have an in-depth information of what UVA is engaged on now (siders, ball screens, three males/center triangle) and so the offense most likely depends an excessive amount of on execution moderately than planning to look good. That is the place droughts are available in. The inherent steady nature of the edges and even the mix of the triangle contributes to the indecisiveness and stagnation of all Bennett groups.
Nevertheless, it is arduous to do 16 video games in a season and what Virginia manages to do can work very effectively! I favored what I noticed from the small ball formations, particularly within the three-man assault, as a result of the assault focused people and never the opposite means round. Discovering what works for the gamers is normally a greater technique to plan an offensive sport than making an attempt to get gamers to adapt to the scheme. There are additionally plenty of gifted gamers on this record who’ve loads of expertise executing effectively in Bennett’s offense.
Lengthy story quick, it will be nice if the UVA step by step included extra numerous and sophisticated offensive combos into its scheme (eg discovering methods to cater to expert seniors). Definitely what Virginia is operating now could possibly be very efficient if the workers and the scheme have been formed collectively moderately than forcing one to cater to the wants of the opposite. The small ball expertise was an amazing instance of this, as Vander Blass and Franklin specifically thrived on the three-man offense whereas taking part in with out actual massive gamers on the bottom.
What does the longer term maintain for Gardner for the remainder of the season? Does his lack of variety imply his function will proceed to decrease?
I do not learn about his shrinking function, however I feel he’ll keep the identical. I believe that the times of Bennett when Gardner and Shedrick confidently trotted the ground collectively for 25 minutes or extra per sport collectively are lengthy gone, except we see massive enhancements from each of them in the course of the again half of the common season.
Once more, I do not imply to tear Gardner down. He is an excellent school basketball participant who is aware of what he is good at, has a great defensive status, and may present the required entrance courtroom scoring in many various methods. Sadly, he isn’t competent sufficient to be the go-to man for the Virginia workforce, and his talent set limits his affect as a complement participant. Just like the function he is performed for many of this season, I feel he’ll function closely in plenty of video games as UVA depends on him offensively. However, apart from that, his minutes will rely upon how he performs the remainder of the sector and defensive video games.
Can we begin to see Kadin play an expanded outward function much like Cafaro from right here on out? Or do you assume these two earlier video games have been exceptions?
Comparable query right here however barely totally different reply. Inconsistency for Kadin has been a head-scratcher this yr. Then again, analyzes point out that Shedrick is a ridiculously environment friendly and efficient massive man. His defensive numbers as a shot blocker and deflector each on the backend and on the perimeter are ludicrous whereas he has been extraordinarily efficient offense as a wonderful catcher and a great free thrower. Heck, his assault charge is twenty first nationally on KenPom.
Kadin Shedrick: 10% block charge, 3.5% steal charge, 82.5 FT%, 24 dunks, 84 2P% on the edge, 75% actual capturing
Solely 8 high gamers since 07-08 have completed with 8% block, 3% steals, 75 ft% (Eve Abogidi, Paul Reid, KJ McDaniels, Thibul, Khadim Latin)
– Brian Geisinger (@bgeis_bird) January 9, 2023
Sadly he additionally commits 5.1 fouls each 40 minutes whereas usually being very aggressive defensively leading to fouls and buckets within the ass when Shedrick over-assists. On offense, he can are likely to sneak into the background and is not a lot of a risk apart from rolling to the basket off the ball screens. He is nonetheless an efficient offensive participant who adjustments the foundations of the defensive sport, however the inconsistency was fairly irritating contemplating how expert he’s.
With all that mentioned, I count on him to get well and show himself once more earlier than this season is over. He is an excellent participant with an excellent teaching workers guiding him in order that it would not occur.
If Twitter UVA appears to assume Ryan Dunn is the following DeAndre Hunter, why not get just a few extra minutes? What does Twitter know that our HoF coach would not?!
Yeah, so Ryan Dunn’s speech is certainly attention-grabbing. Do not get me flawed, I usually agree with the followers that he most likely deserves extra of a run within the video games and solidifying him as a constant member of the rotation could be actually useful. With that being mentioned, understanding why Dan by no means obtained this man so far or did not get these alternatives comes down to 2 various factors.
For starters, Tony Bennett is a profitable coach now. He’s not involved in taking part in gamers to develop them. He could not care much less. Bennett performs the blokes who’re almost definitely to win matches, not for the gamers to develop as people. If it occurs alongside the way in which, nice. If not, do not waste at the very least minutes making an attempt to make it occur. Bennett-ball could be fairly irritating and sure contributed to some gamers leaving this system once they did.
However, she additionally received the UVA Nationwide Championship, and the individuals who left this system normally did not slot in within the first place and wanted to go elsewhere anyway. So the steadiness there may be tough, though JPJ’s 2019 banner hanging ought to sway most opinions.
In Dunn’s case, the following apparent query is why Bennett would not really feel the junior winger contributes sufficient to the win. This can be a barely trickier query to reply, however not no matter UVA Twitter, imagine it or not. No, there are nonetheless limits to Dan’s match. For starters, it would not ship that a lot of an offensive manufacturing. He could make an occasional outdoors shot and take a defender out of the dribble every now and then, however each are far aside. Dan has loopy offensive potential. He actually does and we have seen that on show – just lately along with his 9 factors vs Florida — however he nonetheless must take one other step or so to show himself within the rotation.
Secondly, I feel his notion of him as a lock-wing defender is definitely a bit distorted. Perhaps I am a part of the issue in overdoing it, however he is not defensive all the way in which. Dunn is a flexible defender with top, wing span, tempo, instincts, energy and footwork that give him the potential to be an incredible wing stopper.
However, it is nonetheless about three p.c off in all of those areas (apart from regular dimension, after all) which suggests it is most likely a half step away. Since he is quick for his dimension however not as quick as perimeter guards, he can combat again towards the blokes within the backcourt (it is unfair to have him guard somebody like Marcus Sasser, however he struggled towards the Houston guard). In the meantime, whereas he is sturdy and comparatively tall for his mobility and footwork, he is nonetheless not sturdy sufficient for many frontfield gamers within the ACC, so he could be undone.
Thus, with Dunn only a tad missing in plenty of areas and never mechanically a large defensive benefit particularly when contemplating his offensive sport is proscribed, it’s comprehensible that his minutes haven’t been constant to this point. He nonetheless has unimaginable potential at each ends and will begin to hit the bottom operating this season if he can flip these nice flashes into constant productions.