@chavlicek15 better be frying some Gator on the Pre-Game podcast.
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Buchanan will certainly get his chance against Handlogten but it also wouldnât surprise me to see Tony want to make them prove Micah can guard Groves. Not only do I think he would struggle covering a shooter/passer like Groves but the added benefit is it takes his 7â1 size away from the basket.
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Yeah I like this idea. Of course we will need to matchup with what they have, but I think itâs important that we also create mismatches for them as wellâŚ. Instead of just trying to counter another teams mismatch.
Idk if what Iâm saying makes sense lol.
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Wanted to mention something about BB - I was impressed (1) that he didnât foul much (or have silly fouls for his first collegiate start ever) and (2) his hands. He saved one errant pass and managed to get into position under the bucket but was stuffed, but most other bigs in UVa history would have fumbled the ball OOB. Also, BB will learn quickly that a pump fake or two down low at this level is a requirement not an option.
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I donât mean this to be THAT critical of Shedrick. But I do feel like Blake is sort of the anti-Shedrick in the ways that Bennett cares about(off the court stuff excluded). Seems to be less naturally athletic than Kadin was, but seems like he has more of that junk yard dog mentality on boards and loose balls. Also will probably be better than Kadin with fouls and being in the right spot defensively, even though youâre likely missing out on some blocked shots Kadin wouldâve had(not by that much though).
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The biggest issue with doubling Handlogten is his height advantage. At 7â1â he should be able to see over the double, especially when it doesnât involve Blake.
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I also dont think we should double Handlogten cause heâs not really a scary low post threat. force them to beat us throw Handlogten in the post, not 3pt shooting and their stud guards
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As promised, here is my full game preview. Tried going more in depth with this one, let me know what you all think!
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Forgot that Micah Handlogten was on our shortlist for transfer centers. We had made his Top 8 but pretty sure Jordan Minor committed before he even began taking visits (although pretty sure he only ended up only visiting Florida?)
Anyway, heâs good. Think he has potential as a future NBA player. More refined than Jay Huff was at this stage but can be turnover prone. Although will make up for it with some extra boards on the offensive end.
Well done!
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I think you did a great job! Thank you!
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My case for doubling would be:
- Both Handlogten and Samuel had negative Assist:TO ratios last season, and havenât racked up assists in general; thatâs not super unusual for a big, but it does say to me that they havenât shown a high level passing ability.
- We need turnover generation, and the double is one of our best ways to do it. It has risks, but often the weakside defender is Reece in free safety mode, and I think that risk-reward calculation works in our favor.
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One game isnât enough to tell me much, and that is especially true when I donât have an idea of how good the opponent is/was. That said, I am always optimistic.
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As far as a hostile crowd goes tomorrow evening, Tech is playin the game after us. You can bet they will be pulling for Florida.
Hopefully baby brother will be put to bed early.
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Also probably worth mentioning that we will be by far the best team Handlogten has played. JMU was the best team Marshall faced last year. Nearly their entire schedule was sub-100 in KenPom. So while I really like Micah as a player and wish we were more of a factor in his recruitment, this will be a new test for him.
Also, there was a lot of talk about all of our new piece but Florida had just as much if not more roster turnover. Only 3 of the 10 players who played in game 1 for them were in Gainsville last year. Theyâre also not very deep. For all of those reasons, I think a classic UVA defensive effort could overwhelm them. Letâs see if thatâs in this teamâs bag.
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Watched a few minutes of the replay last night. Samuel is a credible P6 big, but basically JAG. I know folks are high on Handlogten, but it didnât pop in the few minutes I watched. Condon, the Aussie kid, seemed the most skilled but not that worrisome.
Kugel is him. The other guards are good, too.
Famous last words, but I know we are worried about our post defense in general, but if youâre a worrier (guilty), Iâd focus elsewhere.
Bonus thought : they wonât love a half court battle. Doesnât mean they wonât win it, but they wonât love it
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Oh Iâm way more worried about their guards
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Iâll be there with 3 others. Honestly not really concerned how Tech bball fans travel. Bet there will be more Liberty fans
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Real shame they couldnât get a more fun night cap game. Couldnât draw up a less intriguing matchup than Virginia Tech and South Carolina. The cocks are one of the worst P5 teams in the country and Tech is meh. Doubt Iâll stick around
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Who do you like guarding Kugel, @haney? My dumb guy answer is Reece because heâs the best defender. My galaxy brain answer is not-Reece, because Reece as an off-ball defender causes chaos for opponents. I think my dumb guy answer is probably more right than the galaxy brain, but it is a thought I had.