The countdown is on for the beginning of the 2022-2023 school basketball season. Lower than per week stays till a brand new season of faculty hoops suggestions off. With that in thoughts, it is time to preview the roster for the 2022-2023 Virginia males’s basketball group. CavaliersNow might be going by the UVA roster player-by-player in preparation for the season, which begins on Monday, November seventh towards NC Central at John Paul Jones Area.

Right this moment, we analyze redshirt junior heart Kadin Shedrick. 

Click on on the hyperlinks beneath to learn our participant previews for the remainder of the UVA males’s basketball roster:

Armaan Franklin

Kihei Clark

Isaac Traudt

Ben Vander Plas

Taine Murray

Francisco Caffaro

Ryan Dunn

Isaac McKneely

Details about the “secret” preseason scrimmages school basketball groups take part in is normally extraordinarily restricted. Coaches don’t desire any of the scores or stats from the scrimmages to be publicized, although these particulars are pretty meaningless in an exhibition setting wherein each groups are experimenting with numerous lineups.

With that being mentioned, in each of Virginia’s preseason scrimmages towards Maryland and UConn over the previous couple of weeks, there have been a number of studies that indicated that Kadin Shedrick was the participant who stood out essentially the most in these exhibitions. 

These whispers from the exhibitions function the newest proof that this may very well be a breakout season for Shedrick. He has bulked up fairly a bit this offseason – he’s presently listed at 231 kilos, however is reportedly nearer to 240 – and fellow heart Francisco Caffaro (7’1″, 254 kilos) famous that it has been tougher for him to maneuver Shedrick round within the paint in follow. Getting larger and stronger ought to assist Shedrick higher defend towards among the extra distinguished facilities within the ACC. And we already know what Shedrick affords the Cavaliers as a rim protector, rating second within the ACC with 67 blocks final season. 

Greater than that, Shedrick has been extra aggressive on the offensive finish, exhibiting extra poise in his publish strikes and higher ending within the paint. Shedrick has additionally mentioned that he’s creating his bounce shot, getting extra constant within the midrange, and even beginning to try pictures from the perimeter. He apparently made a three-pointer throughout one of many exhibition video games in Italy, however there was no video proof of that (we nonetheless imagine it occurred, although). Even when Shedrick can grow to be midway dependable in hitting open pictures from medium vary, that might be sufficient to rework him as an offensive participant and provides Virginia extra spacing on offense. 

The 6’11” heart redshirted the 2019-2020 season after which performed in solely 11 video games in 2020-2021. Final 12 months was the primary time Shedrick obtained important minutes and the outcomes had been combined, however encouraging. He performed in all 35 video games, beginning in 19 of them, and averaging 6.9 factors, 5.1 rebounds, and 1.9 blocks per recreation. However there was a prolonged stretch within the second half of the season wherein Francisco Caffaro took over the beginning heart spot, almost definitely on account of Shedrick’s regarding behavior of choosing up early fouls. Regardless of the purpose, Shedrick dropping the beginning heart job (a minimum of quickly) was a disappointing growth contemplating that he brings much more upside on each ends of the ground than Caffaro. Shedrick is a extra versatile offensive participant and has the sting on Caffaro by way of athleticism, dunking, and shot-blocking capability. However Caffaro was giving the Cavaliers extra consistency than Shedrick, so Bennett and the UVA teaching employees gave him the nod at heart later within the season. 

Each Caffaro and Shedrick had plenty of points with fouling final 12 months and staying out of foul bother is on the prime of the record of issues for Shedrick to enhance on within the upcoming season. The opposite vital enhancements are to proceed to develop his publish recreation and get higher at holding his floor towards opposing bigs within the paint and on the boards. Matchups towards North Carolina’s Armando Bacot and Duke’s Dereck Vigorous II might be key exams for Shedrick this season. 

From what we have now seen from Shedrick this offseason, there is no such thing as a purpose why he cannot enhance considerably in all of those areas. He was the unquestioned MVP of the exhibition tour in Italy, scoring in double-figures in every of the three video games he performed. Shedrick had 13 factors and 7 rebounds towards Stella Azzurra and 12 factors, seven rebounds, and two steals towards Orange1 Basket. He saved his finest efficiency for the hardest competitors, as he recorded a 19-point, 12-rebound double-double and likewise added two blocks towards KK Mega Basket. 

Shedrick led all scorers within the Blue-White Scrimmage as nicely, tallying 15 factors on 5/9 capturing, together with a 5/7 mark from the free throw line. In our first time seeing him play at JPJ since final season, Shedrick attacked the basket with an aggressiveness we have now not seen in his profession to date. And from the (unconfirmed) studies from the closed-door preseason scrimmages, Shedrick was simply as spectacular when he went up towards some notable Energy 6 competitors in Maryland and UConn. 

A middle will seemingly by no means be the focus of Virginia’s offense underneath Tony Bennett, however he has proven a willingness to let his bigs get touches within the paint, giving them alternatives to point out what they will do within the publish. If Shedrick can proceed to do the little issues nicely – setting efficient screens and efficiently changing the layups and dunks arrange for him by UVA’s guards – after which add a couple of baskets right here and there together with his publish recreation and by pulling down the occasional jumper, he may very well be amongst Virginia’s main scorers this season. I additionally look ahead to Shedrick creating on the defensive finish and persevering with to rack up the blocked pictures. His 67 blocks in 2021-2022 had been the sixth-most in a single season in UVA males’s basketball historical past. 4 of the 5 names above Shedrick on that record are Ralph Sampson. Nobody will ever contact Sampson’s file of 157 blocks within the 1979-1980 season, however that definitely will not cease Shedrick from making an attempt. 

If he performs to his potential, Kadin Shedrick would be the breakout star for the Cavaliers this season and he may simply be the important thing to a profitable postseason run for Virginia basketball in 2022-2023. 

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