Meanwhile, this season’s group is made up of five starters, and in addition to an injection of reinforcements featuring the transfer of Ben Vanderplath, Bennett has enjoyed an exponential growth thanks to his long time together internationally. showed that it had grown to
“It’s been a great experience,” Virginia guard Kihei Clark said Wednesday at ACC Media Day. I think we’re just ahead of a lot of teams that can’t do that.” Practice like that. “
The coronavirus pandemic has hampered that schedule, but schools are allowed to travel abroad for exhibition games every four years.
Prior to this summer, the Cavaliers’ last overseas trip was to Spain in 2016. This provided an invaluable bonding opportunity for members of the team that won the school’s first and only national championship in 2019.
Clarke was a freshman that season and recalls the core players who propelled the Cavaliers to a national title, including Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome and DeAndre Hunter, thrived shortly after returning from Spain. Provides additional instructions on pack line defense.
The connectivity during the regular rotation produced one of the most memorable sequences in program history when Clarke chased a loose ball and passed it to Mamady Diarkite in the regional final of the NCAA Tournament.
Virginia then won 80-75 Advance to the Final Four in Minneapolis.
“Kihei and I are together forever. It’s good and it’s been great,” Bennett said. “Our depth last year wasn’t great and we probably weren’t shooting the ball at the level we needed, so we tried to improve in those areas, but I think experience is gold in college basketball…that.”
The chance to pursue another national championship contributed to Clark’s decision to come back for a fifth year. We also had a conversation.
Gardner moved from East Carolina to Virginia before the 2021-22 season began, and his midrange jumper, soft touch around the rim, and rebounding on both ends immediately benefited the Cavaliers, but the pack line It took quite a while for his comfort level to blossom.
Since then, Gardner’s command over Bennett’s signature defensive alignment has allowed new teammates, especially those in the frontcourt, to take on Gardner’s insight into one-on-one guards, rotations to the help side, and positioning in the paint area. You have reached the level of expertise you are looking for.
“I think we’ve slowed down defense this year, and I think we’ve gotten used to it, figured out where we should be, and encouraged the younger players through their first year.” I’m excited about this team because they’re ahead of the game and ahead of the game.”
In addition to Gardner and Clark, Virginia’s other starters are also seniors. Guard Armaan Franklin, who moved from Indiana last year, is a senior. Forward center Kadin Shedrick is a redshirt junior. Point guard Reese Beekman is a junior.
Prospective frontcourt top reserve Vander Plath arrived as a graduate student from Ohio University, and redshirt senior Argentinian center Francisco Cafaro made occasional starts last season.
The only freshman expected to receive significant playing time is 6-foot-4 guard Isaac McNeely, who was named West Virginia’s Gatorade Player of the Year twice. McKneely is no stranger to the puck line, having played defense on similar principles in high school.
“Personally, this is probably the oldest team I’ve had,” Bennett said. “I think about why even Virginia and Washington State where I used to be an assistant and head coach and other places had mature teams, teams where senior players grew through playing experience. Again, it was always official.”
