Gonna go ahead and start this topic…
Too sick to talk about it
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Alright, I’m going to vent so I get it out the way and can just move on to NIT and whatever comes next:
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You can’t win modern basketball games without shooting the three capably. It’s ridiculous that we haven’t had a guard we can rely on to shoot the three in three years. How do we mess up our roster construction to that extent? The sport is full of guards who can shoot - we couldn’t find one who could play passable defense?
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Kihei will be one of my all-time favorite Hoos, but sorry, you aren’t going to build an elite team around a 5’9 guard who isn’t an elite shooter. And even if he is a pest on defense, it’s going to create too many exploitable mismatches that he isn’t making up for on the offensive end consistently enough. He’s amazing, but he has been asked to do way too much for way too long. We will be a better team when we have size and length across the guard positions again.
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Most programs that win titles have down years, but I feel like they don’t normally have a multi-year slide like we have. And yes - I am aware we won the ACC regular season last year and that makes me feel great, but the ACC was trash last year too, so I’m not going to pretend it was on par with what did in the years prior. And how do we win a title and then end up with a roster three years later that has us playing a walk-on meaningful minutes in tournament games? I thought it’d be more likely that we would have stumbled into a 5 star that wanted to come here than end up in that situation.
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If none of the three Ms pan out, we are going to end up with our streak of terrible high school recruiting extending from 2017 through 2021. Hopefully one or two of the Ms do, but it’s looking pretty precarious right now. Five full high school recruiting classes and we could walk away with just Reece and Shedrick - two dudes. And maybe Caffaro I guess. It’s been talked about ad nauseam, but jeez.
Anyway, got that out of the way. Feel free to tell me the reasons I’m wrong. Moving on to NIT dreams. Maybe the Ms will get a chance to play…
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Can’t sleep so I’m gonna make this dumb post where I put down what I want Tony to say to each player at their end of year meeting. Obviously these could change a little depend on how the NIT goes but it won’t change that much I don’t think.
Kihei: We had a good run. But it’s time to move on
Kody: Thank you for your time.
Gardner: you’re a good player and you helped us a lot this year. We’d love to have you back but we want to refine your game. We want you to shoot more 3s — you have the touch to do it. And obviously we hope your defense continues to improve. I think there’s a good chance you’ll start next year.
Franklin: You’re a talented player but we really need you to be a good shooter. We’d love to have you back but I can’t promise that you’ll start. If we find someone in the transfer market you might have to fight for time.
Kadin: you’ve got the potential to be a really special player. Work your ass off this summer and come back pissed off and ready to go. Work on catching the ball and finishing at the rim. You’re a good defender already but with more experience you will be great.
Reece: you’re a good player and a special defender. You will have the keys to the offense next year and we expect you to thrive. Try to add a little to your offensive bag this summer. Practice some floaters. Shoot til there’s wrinkles in your wrist.
Caffaro: Mikan drill and catching the ball. Do it all summer.
Poindexter: you got some run this year and you can earn some next year too if you continue to show improvement
Taine: I realize you didn’t get much playing time this year but you’ll go into next year with experience and hopefully work your way into the rotation. Trust the process and you will find success here at UVA.
Igor: You have the skillset to be a truly elite offensive player. You’ll go into next year with experience and hopefully work your way into the rotation. Trust the process and you will find success here at UVA.
McCorkle: We need you to be an elite shooter in order to get into the rotation. If you’re up for the challenge we’d love for you to come back.
Mckneely, Bond, Traudt, Dunn: Get ready gents. If you’re ready next year, you’ll play.
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I randomly watch highlights of the Purdue game in our title run. Lord how far are we from that team?!?!? Watchin that game I was like wow this team looks like a jv team compared to that. Yes I know their is 3 nba players on that team but how haven’t we got Atleast one player comparable to anyone of those guys. I know I’m being negative but it’s frustrating that any descent player we have gotten all have been from transfer for the exception of Reece. I’m ready for some new faces around the team that’s for sure.
Actually 6 guys on that team have played in the NBA
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This year’s team has lost 4 games by 15 or more points.
By my count only one other CTB team has lost at least 3 by that margin. And that was CTB’s first year.
Last year’s team had two such blowouts (FSU and Zags). The previous year just the Purdue debacle. Before that there was a stretch with zero such losses or just one.
Not used to seeing these types of losses.
It’s truly remarkable we won 19 games and really says a lot about the quality of the ACC
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We need to upgrade for Franklin or else I fear that we are a very similar team next season. No offense to him and I hope he stays, but that 3 point shot isn’t magically going to start falling next season
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I just hope next year’s offseason and in season strategies are more aligned. Either be aggressive in the portal and try to win now or make the decision to play the young guys and deal with their mistakes. But we can’t have a repeat disconnect with an offseason limiting of the roster for the young guys and then in season not playing them again!
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What about CTB suggests that we will move on from Franklin playing over thirty minutes? He has seniority and he understands the defense. And that overrides everything. He’s playing a ton next year and there’s no way around it. Hope everyone enjoyed the bubble experience for the second time in three years. Because it’s coming around again next year with this current roster construction
I think you’re right but I can still hope lol. If we bring in zero transfers and Kihei leaves then I could honestly see us being worse next season. Basically would be relying on 7 guys (Taine, Igor, Carson, plus 4 true freshman) who haven’t played at all to elevate the program. And yes, I think the returners who played can get better but would take Gardner or Franklin developing a legit 3 point shot to make a big difference and I doubt either does
I think we make the tourney next year simply because of continuity that will allow us to avoid losing games like JMU and Navy, but overall I don’t think we will be discernably better unless Tony adjusts to play more pieces that fit. I’m talking more rotations and lineup combinations that get shooters on the floor together, but instead, I think we’ll see the same shortened rotation. Here is genuinely how I see the lineups playing out next year:
Reece: 35 minutes/game
McKneely (or transfer): 20 minutes/game
Armaan: 30-35 minutes/game
Gardner: 35 minutes/game
Shedrick: 25 minutes/game
Caffaro: 15 minutes/game
Poindexter: 10-15 minutes/game
Traudt: 10-15 minutes/game
Murray, Milicic (if neither transfers), Bond, Dunn: garbage time
I know these minutes probably don’t add up but you get the picture
Why you trying to depress me with that Jerome???
Can we at least have hope that Gardner and Franklin combine for less than 40 min a game next year??? Pretty please??? 
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They’re gonna be substantially closer to 40 a minute each than 40 combined
LOL as I typed it out I got really depressed. I’m willing to admit that a lot of my optimism/pessimism is heavily swayed by recent results so ask me again what I believe the rotation will be after we rattle off a few NIT wins and it might be different
Probably about as much chance of that happening as your pre-season hope of Clark playing 5-10 minutes.
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For hope I’ll post this:
Reece: 32 minutes/game
McKneely : 25 minutes/game
Armaan: 8 minutes/game
Gardner: 20 minutes/game
Shedrick: 27 minutes/game
Caffaro: 0 minutes/game
Poindexter: 4 minutes/game
Traudt: 25 minutes/game
Murray: 24 minutes a game
Milicic : 24 minutes a game
Bond: 11 minutes a game
Dunn, McCorkle - as needed
You really should start prepping now for how disappointed you’re gonna be
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There’s hope, Dave, and then there’s reality. Not that I don’t like your rotations, I just see no world where Armaan plays so few minutes and Caffaro doesn’t play at all. I’m tempering expectations considerably to avoid getting hurt lol