Right I understand that is the plan. My question is what happens if the NCAA says this year doesn’t count as a year of eligibility like they did for football? Why wouldn’t we try to get Trey eligible at that point? He could keep working out like he was redshirting but he could also be used for insurance if Hauser or Huff or someone had a short term injury. We’d still have him for two years after this season just like we do if he sits out.
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Actually, I am not that concerned about the defense. With Clark, Morsell, and Stattmann, Coach Bennett has three perimeter players who played very good to decent defense last year. Hopefully, Woldetensae’s year of experience produces some improvements. I think we can expect them to take another step this year. (Espeically Stattmann. He started the 2nd & 3rd games of the year. He then missed four games with illness (mono?) which should have been his growth period prior to conference play. He then started eight more games, was replaced in the starting line up by Key, then missed two more games the last week of January with a concussion. Nonetheless, he averaged about 20 mpg in conference play, and was on the floor at critical times in big games. If he can stay healthy, I think there’s reason for optimism.) I imagine Huff’s time will be a bit dependent on matchups, but when he’s on the floor, he’s demonstrated he can effectively protect the rim. I also like Caffaro’s potential. As a first year player, his numbers were a bit between Salt’s and Huff’s, if I am not mistaken. That doesn’t mean he will develop as they did/have, but I believe that there’s no reason for angst. I think McKoy just needs more game time. The real question marks, IMO, are Hauser and Shedrick. I am unsure what to expect specifically, but based on last year’s blue white scrimmage, Shedrick appears to have enough athleticism to contribute on the defensive end. The real losses are Diakite’s rim protecting ability, and Key’s defensive versatility. Key may be the bigger loss. That said, I wouldn’t expect the perimeter defense to drop much, if at all, and the incredients are there for a solid interior defense. If nothing else, there are fouls to give there. Go 'Hoos!!!
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Interior defense is a question mark for me. Jay had freedoms with Mamadi and Braxton on the floor that will not be there this season. Can he stay out of foul trouble against an assertive offensive player? Same for Papi? McKoy has the makings of a tremendous defender/rebounder. But there will be teams having both McKoy/Hauser on the floor without a big will be a match up liability. Tony will adjust. And while I agree perimeter defense should be very solid, there are some questions that must be addressed on the interior.
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agree with this Mikey. But is what coaches do. Our interior D has been absurd for the past few years… best since Ralph era
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I agree that their defense and rebounding will be greatly missed. College basketball these days are all about trying to adjust to the loss of valuable players from year to year. They have valuable skills that won’t be replaced at the same level. Time for the young guys to step up. Huff greatly improved last year and the hope is he will continue on that track. Hauser won’t be as good defensively as those guys but the hope is that he will be adequate. Caffaro, McKoy & Shedrick will be asked to get on the floor and hopefully we will see defensive development since they will be the big guys up front in 2022. Last year’s team may have been TB’s best defensively and this years won’t be as good but I expect massive improvement offensively. Hauser and Tomas should be great outside shooters. I expect Casey to improve both driving to the basket and shooting outside. Clark will be more consistent shooting now that he doesn’t have to play 39 minutes a game. The FR should contribute on offense as the season progresses. There may be bumps on the way but I am really excited about this group.
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Jay just needs to not think he is Diakite when hard hedging waaaay out in the back court. His length is so great all he has to do is slide a bit and drop back. He really got so much better at that as the year went on (and his minutes started going up - correlation or cause?). I think we’ll have a great team defense, but I’m not sure that we have the lock down defender that we’ve had in the past like Braxton or Dre or Malcolm.
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This…we will ask a lot of Huff to be that rim protector… Jay is just not as mobile…and we have no one on the team that I think is ready to do what Diakite did for us last year… maybe Shedrick develops into that person but not for this upcoming season…and who will replace Keys rebounding…I am not seeing who that is this year…we will give more points on D this year…
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That will be Morsell…but will his offense keep him from getting minutes…I say no but others would argue that if his shooting doesn’t improve he will be a 10 min per game player…meant for @htraylor
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Casey right now has that potential, but he cannot be an offensive liability, and expect to stay on the court. I really hope that McKoy can be THAT guy. Regardless, it will be a very good defense - maybe not at last year’s level, but honestly that was one of the best ever. The constant will be how hard Virginia works on every defensive possession - every coach and commentator brings it up because every team is capable of playing good defense at times, CTB just isn’t satisfied unless the team plays that hard all the time.
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As mentioned the interior defense is what I worry about who is the enforcer on this years team? Salt Wilkins even Mamadi filled that role in the past but who steps up now. Papi showed to have that mentality but can he contribute enough mins? Jay is firey but haven’t seen him go to battle in the paint yet not like that.
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Well, there is one thing to keep in mind. Last year, Virginia returned just three solid defensive players (I am uncertain I would have called Huff solid at the end of 2019). Clark, Key, and Diakite were the foundation. Stattmann, Woldetensae, McKoy, Caffaro, and Morsell were largely unknown entitites. To my way of thinking, the interior defense was sound, but Coach Bennett practically fashioned the perimeter defense out of nothing. Fortunately, he had Clark returning. I suspect that the intricacies of Bennett’s interior defense take longer to master than those of the perimeter, so last year’s squad had that going for it. None the less, an elite defense emerged. This year, while it is the more difficult part of the defense which must be rebuilt, I think the staff has more with which to work than they did last year. There is considerably more experience returning. I think the bits and pieces of another elite defense are in place. I think the defense is in much better place this fall than it was last fall. It’s good to be a 'Hoo.
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There are certain things in sports you don’t need to worry about. Aaron Rodgers throwing interceptions. Or Patrice Bergeron being in correct position. Or a Bill Belichick team committing a bunch of penalties. A Tony Bennett defense is one of those things. A down year is like 5th in points allowed and 8th in adjusted defensive efficiency instead of first in both. The defense most likely won’t be at the level of last year or 14/15 but it doesn’t need to be.
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Key’s not a loss at all. Hauser slots into that role and his plus minus will be better … gotta have a guy who can finish bunnies.
You can play Morsell with Beekman but not with Kihei if Casey can’t shoot it.
I agree and disagree. Hauser is going to slide in and do very well I have no doubt. But Key’s impact on the team is underappreciated in my opinion. He struggled at times on offense, but he was a swiss army knife on the court. The hustle he showed chasing boards etc. That was huge, if I recall he led the team in boards.
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Agree. Keys work on the boards his two seasons at UVA is a testament to how hard he worked during games. I think Hauser will show the same work effort though if reports out of practices are accurate. With his offensive skills, it’s a definite upgrade.
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We don’t beat Texas Tech without Key.
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FACT!! He was my low key MVP in that game. So many little plays that didnt show up on the stat sheet, and a block that is not given enough credit
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All of that said, I am extremely high on Sam Hauser. Loved him at Marquette and think he’s going to be a best for the Hoos. It’s a very different role than anything Key was asked to do. Someone else will have to step up to make those hustle plays. Not sure who it will be.
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You saw Key go from low key lost in his 1st year to do all the things we needed up until the Finals. Agree on the block. That was a big time play
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