Can you imagine
Evolved/Alpha Reece
Franklin
Trey Murphy
Gardner
Kadin.
A completely different team. Murphy with the volume 40% 3pt shooting floor spacing and defensive versaility.
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Kihei would be playing
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This is why we need to recruit International 3 star players with high upside (athleticism, length, shot blocking, rebounding), every 2 years for that 4/5 position so that they wouldn’t be familiar with the idea of transferring and having to meet a whole new coach, and move to a new city/state in America. They would be more apt to stay and develop ie: Mamadi, and then we would always have a high floor, with a stout defense.
Then every other American we get would just be the cherry on top.
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Jeremy Sochan is an international who would have fit like a glove. And he’s been embracing playing the small ball 5 even as a 6’8 forward. 3pt shooting and athleticism
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But could he play UVA D in his first year?
I think athletes are able to cover a lot of ground/defensive mishaps with their defense. Like how Anderson played heavy his first year. And like how Murphy played right away. Hunter had his ankle injuries and what not and had Shayok and Thompson ahead of him as wings his first year. We haven’t had that many high level athletes.
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Rewatching the game - turning point for NC State was early - right when Statts entered their eyes lit up like - wait - get it to whoever he’s guarding. Brilliant coaching to put Kody on Smith. Just Brilliant.
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Lookie lookie they have the nerve to bring in the JV guy!! Sharks in the water.
Also Gardner is short , can’t jump and has short arms - can’t guard shooters - NC State shooting over chairs - Statts, Clark and Gardner
Perfect play at the end of clocks - the unstoppable Papi-Clark pick and roll … perfect… sheesh
Reece’s body language is like … I thought when I signed I’d be playing with ACC level talent …
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Reece and Sheds ball screen action is our best play
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My take when Kody was inserted:
Anyone who thinks “defense” is the simple answer for Tony’s lineup choices should watch Kody play defense, and then make that statement. It won’t accomplish anything, but they’ll laugh, and laughter is good for the soul.
Here’s the official answer for how Tony picks lineups: I don’t know, nobody knows, and Tony won’t ever say (to the extent he even knows). The good news is he’s an amazing coach at most other aspects, so happier days will be back soon.
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Also Gardner’s name is an oxymoron - he can’t Gard a soul
Only possible thing I can think of is that he knows the defense. Like knows where to be. I’m saying nothing about the actual quality of his defense because we all know he’s very slow footed. But watch Taine when he’s in or Igor and they are thinking the whole time and often out of place.
I’d still take them learning on the job and missing some assignments 100/100 over Stattmann ever subbing in for us again, but it’s just who Tony is and I’ve realized I better come to grips with that or I’ll just be constantly miserable watching our games this year.
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Probably won’t watch any more games live this year. Only watch the DVR version to appreciate Reece on both ends. Also will check the box score to see if the M’s got in to give additional incentive to watch.
Real question: Would any non-UVA college basketball fans watch our games on purpose this year?
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Agree. He’s in the right spots.
Also, I’m rewatching the end of the first half, and what are we doing? Switching Papi onto Hellems? Toni Tony Tone. What going on? Hard hedging Papi to give them an easy three? And the piece de resistance: Kadin watching it all, waiting to check in. And the cherry on the sundae: Papi gets fouled, so Tony can’t yank him! The cherry on the cherry: Papi misses both! The cherry cubed: no TO to get the right lineup in.
And what happens on the defensive possession that TONY WANTED ABOUT 9 NC STATE POINTS AGO!?!? Kadin gets a turnover because he is good at guarding on switches.
Last two comments on the NC State 1H run:
- shout out to the coach who called for the “Kody dribbles into traffic, gets the ball poked away, and have it roll through two NC State defenders’ hands to Gardner for 2 points” play. It worked!
- Hellems three at the end is a legit “what can you do” moment. But Hellems three against Papi is not. It’s a “why do we have Papi switching out there” moment.
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Only non-UVA fans watching us are fans of teams that we’ve owned over the years enjoying us finally having a down year
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Lol. We won ACC regular season last year, but yes I hate the uniforms too.
Sorry if I’ve missed this in another thread but Stattmann won’t be back for his COVID year will he? Any rumors out there about that?