What a season it was. This post will cover my thoughts on the program and roster moving forward, so I won't get into this past season much. I'll touch base on a few big picture topics and questions, and then address each of the returning players as I see them.
Can Capel do it again is a fair question. There is no question that he did an unbelievable job this past season and deserved the ACC COY. This season was obviously the outlier thus far and I think the question is fair because this season wasn't a result of a core that developed together in the program and finally broke through. Jamarius was that guy, but it was a product of several significant transfers coming together and gelling in perfect fashion. Not only was it a collection of basically the perfect transfers, but also the perfect personalities. They deserve credit for it of course, but they also finally lucked out a bit I think. Let me emphasize, a bit. On the other side of things, the bad luck continued with John, Will, and Dior. That is three of the top eight, even with all the added talent.
The one thing I am most intrigued with is style. Is this staff bought into this new analytical outside shooting approach, or was it just the circumstances of this year? I think that is crucial. This was the first sign of this style, kind of out of nowhere. So let's see if it becomes them and they recruit to fill those roles. Personally, I love it and totally believe in the approach. The days of the grinding center are gone. Basically at all levels really.
Was this why John transferred? Hard to say but it may be a part of it. Did he wonder if he would beat out Federiko? I don't know. He was having a baby but Cleveland is really close to start with. Capel and this staff really stuck their necks out and fought for John. There was a sense of loyalty there. Really difficult to see what happened there. Maybe the staff deep down felt like it was crowded inside and this new approach wouldn't be the best fit for him. I think John's landing spot will be telling. I could see a Cleveland State type of landing and that could make sense. John produced a lot in his time here, but we all know there wasn't much around him and there was some of that "someone has to score the points" to it. There are no hard feelings with Chet or anything as far as I know, so no harm and maybe it works out best for both parties.
So with this staff, we will see. Just like anything else, there is a balance. It can be somewhere between he got lucky and is still a terrible coach, and extend him 15 years and name the court after him. Progress isn't always linear and on a set schedule. Maybe he has figured out something here and this is just the beginning. Or they could regress a bit next year and not be able to get it back. Each one of these seasons is its own animal now and you are basically starting over. WIth that being said, he did raise the reputation and open a lot of eyes. That should pay off with recruiting.
Federiko - Should be returning and has a good chance to start if he continues to develop. It is no lock though, as he better grind because the twins are chasing him. For the style that they played, Federiko is perfect. Very good defender against length and interior centers, and runs the floor very well. I don't think he will ever be a post up guy or strong in the paint. He is purely an athletic run and tap big. Meaning dump-offs, putbacks, beat defense down the floor, etc. There is a ceiling there but he is a perfectly fine college center.
The Graham Show - These two will always be a shared story to me. When I first saw them in person for the first exhibition, I was intrigued. Still am, very much so. You don't find a lot of kids with that length with the touch they have. They are both also fast and can run the floor. They are also pretty good laterally and can really move. Guillermo is probably a bit ahead at this time, but they both have a chance. I know everyone wants them to gain weight and there is no question that they need to, but it's not that simple. I'm sure they will each gain 10-15 pounds over the course of their time here, but I don't think it will be easy. Genetics are genetics and they are just young. I really don't think the lack of strength will hurt them that much. Sure they will get backed down here and there, but that is the one spot you like to allow in today's game. So what they get backed down and give up a two? They will make up for it in other ways. Even when they get jammed with separation, they are now recovering to alter shots with length. It is so fun to watch them and they have to be a coach's dream. So unselfish and never intimidated or deterred. These two don't know what they don't know, which is a great thing. The stage isn't too big because they aren't even aware of the stage. If that makes sense. Going to be fun to watch them develop. I think they just need to keep refining the outside shot and become stretch players from three and the midrange. Don't need much else from them. Also, they are not small forwards. I would rotate them around between the four and five to exploit defenses. If anything though, they could be closer to a three than Blake.
Blake Hinson - What a year. I knew he was sitting on a nice season but not to that extent. That was a long time for him to be out of the mix and you could feel how much it meant to him. Obviously, we know what he brings and is a huge weapon. I think he needs to work on his conditioning and lose about 10 pounds because I don't think he uses the weight and size to his advantage. When it comes to shooting the ball from anywhere, he can do it and is as gifted as there is. The problem is, there are so many areas to work on. He has to improve the handle and work on stopping with drives. He also has to get a little better rebounding. It will never be a strength for him, but he has to at least compete there more. In my opinion, he is not a small forward. He will never have the foot speed there, and it would take a Sam Young type of work level to get his handle to that point. Right now, he is just so far from a small forward. He thrives at the four because he is such a matchup problem with how much space he can create. That goes away a bit when perimeter wings are on him. So if they all return, I think your front court is basically set with these four players. There are plenty of minutes for all four.
Santos - There are flashes and I can see what a coach would like when they watch him. But it just hasn't been consistent yet, at all. Too many breakdowns and lapses. Too many missed shots. There is something to him with the way that he sees the floor and the kid is athletic. I just wonder if it could ever materialize here. The best option may be for him to transfer down a level and if he finds the right fit, I think he could play a lot and find a nice home. I would be surprised if he returns but we will see.
Jeffress- I think sitting out a year could be the best thing for him. Reset the expectations and get closer to a normal age. He was able to lift a bit and then practice as well as the season developed. So I know that he was frustrated, but I think it could end up being beneficial for him. Great kid and teammate and he was so happy all year despite his personal status. If there are shooters around him, I could see him emerging as a legit option to start at small forward as a defensive minded point wing. The key with him there is what is around him. Maybe stepping away for a year to relax and relieve some of the pressure will do wonders. He may be a new potential starter here, but we all know he has been in the program for years now.
Dior - I think some may be surprised with how small Dior is. Extremely thin. Practicing and being in the program for a year will also help him tremendously. He may start out off the ball at first to let him settle in. He is more of a scoring guard off the bounce than a true point guard. I think developing into a point guard would be a process over time with Capel. Early on right away, I think the play may be to let him work off the ball next to Lowe.
This is a good incoming class. I am a huge fan of Jaland Lowe. I think the kid is special and different. Playing a freshman point guard may not be ideal, but these kids have to break in at some point. I would hand him the keys day one. He plays with pace and instincts. Very mature for a kid his age. Carrington is also really good. Reminds me of the small forward wing types that Villanova used to get in their prime days. Barnes also has a ton of talent but he may have the longest learning and adjustment curve.
Can Capel do it again is a fair question. There is no question that he did an unbelievable job this past season and deserved the ACC COY. This season was obviously the outlier thus far and I think the question is fair because this season wasn't a result of a core that developed together in the program and finally broke through. Jamarius was that guy, but it was a product of several significant transfers coming together and gelling in perfect fashion. Not only was it a collection of basically the perfect transfers, but also the perfect personalities. They deserve credit for it of course, but they also finally lucked out a bit I think. Let me emphasize, a bit. On the other side of things, the bad luck continued with John, Will, and Dior. That is three of the top eight, even with all the added talent.
The one thing I am most intrigued with is style. Is this staff bought into this new analytical outside shooting approach, or was it just the circumstances of this year? I think that is crucial. This was the first sign of this style, kind of out of nowhere. So let's see if it becomes them and they recruit to fill those roles. Personally, I love it and totally believe in the approach. The days of the grinding center are gone. Basically at all levels really.
Was this why John transferred? Hard to say but it may be a part of it. Did he wonder if he would beat out Federiko? I don't know. He was having a baby but Cleveland is really close to start with. Capel and this staff really stuck their necks out and fought for John. There was a sense of loyalty there. Really difficult to see what happened there. Maybe the staff deep down felt like it was crowded inside and this new approach wouldn't be the best fit for him. I think John's landing spot will be telling. I could see a Cleveland State type of landing and that could make sense. John produced a lot in his time here, but we all know there wasn't much around him and there was some of that "someone has to score the points" to it. There are no hard feelings with Chet or anything as far as I know, so no harm and maybe it works out best for both parties.
So with this staff, we will see. Just like anything else, there is a balance. It can be somewhere between he got lucky and is still a terrible coach, and extend him 15 years and name the court after him. Progress isn't always linear and on a set schedule. Maybe he has figured out something here and this is just the beginning. Or they could regress a bit next year and not be able to get it back. Each one of these seasons is its own animal now and you are basically starting over. WIth that being said, he did raise the reputation and open a lot of eyes. That should pay off with recruiting.
Federiko - Should be returning and has a good chance to start if he continues to develop. It is no lock though, as he better grind because the twins are chasing him. For the style that they played, Federiko is perfect. Very good defender against length and interior centers, and runs the floor very well. I don't think he will ever be a post up guy or strong in the paint. He is purely an athletic run and tap big. Meaning dump-offs, putbacks, beat defense down the floor, etc. There is a ceiling there but he is a perfectly fine college center.
The Graham Show - These two will always be a shared story to me. When I first saw them in person for the first exhibition, I was intrigued. Still am, very much so. You don't find a lot of kids with that length with the touch they have. They are both also fast and can run the floor. They are also pretty good laterally and can really move. Guillermo is probably a bit ahead at this time, but they both have a chance. I know everyone wants them to gain weight and there is no question that they need to, but it's not that simple. I'm sure they will each gain 10-15 pounds over the course of their time here, but I don't think it will be easy. Genetics are genetics and they are just young. I really don't think the lack of strength will hurt them that much. Sure they will get backed down here and there, but that is the one spot you like to allow in today's game. So what they get backed down and give up a two? They will make up for it in other ways. Even when they get jammed with separation, they are now recovering to alter shots with length. It is so fun to watch them and they have to be a coach's dream. So unselfish and never intimidated or deterred. These two don't know what they don't know, which is a great thing. The stage isn't too big because they aren't even aware of the stage. If that makes sense. Going to be fun to watch them develop. I think they just need to keep refining the outside shot and become stretch players from three and the midrange. Don't need much else from them. Also, they are not small forwards. I would rotate them around between the four and five to exploit defenses. If anything though, they could be closer to a three than Blake.
Blake Hinson - What a year. I knew he was sitting on a nice season but not to that extent. That was a long time for him to be out of the mix and you could feel how much it meant to him. Obviously, we know what he brings and is a huge weapon. I think he needs to work on his conditioning and lose about 10 pounds because I don't think he uses the weight and size to his advantage. When it comes to shooting the ball from anywhere, he can do it and is as gifted as there is. The problem is, there are so many areas to work on. He has to improve the handle and work on stopping with drives. He also has to get a little better rebounding. It will never be a strength for him, but he has to at least compete there more. In my opinion, he is not a small forward. He will never have the foot speed there, and it would take a Sam Young type of work level to get his handle to that point. Right now, he is just so far from a small forward. He thrives at the four because he is such a matchup problem with how much space he can create. That goes away a bit when perimeter wings are on him. So if they all return, I think your front court is basically set with these four players. There are plenty of minutes for all four.
Santos - There are flashes and I can see what a coach would like when they watch him. But it just hasn't been consistent yet, at all. Too many breakdowns and lapses. Too many missed shots. There is something to him with the way that he sees the floor and the kid is athletic. I just wonder if it could ever materialize here. The best option may be for him to transfer down a level and if he finds the right fit, I think he could play a lot and find a nice home. I would be surprised if he returns but we will see.
Jeffress- I think sitting out a year could be the best thing for him. Reset the expectations and get closer to a normal age. He was able to lift a bit and then practice as well as the season developed. So I know that he was frustrated, but I think it could end up being beneficial for him. Great kid and teammate and he was so happy all year despite his personal status. If there are shooters around him, I could see him emerging as a legit option to start at small forward as a defensive minded point wing. The key with him there is what is around him. Maybe stepping away for a year to relax and relieve some of the pressure will do wonders. He may be a new potential starter here, but we all know he has been in the program for years now.
Dior - I think some may be surprised with how small Dior is. Extremely thin. Practicing and being in the program for a year will also help him tremendously. He may start out off the ball at first to let him settle in. He is more of a scoring guard off the bounce than a true point guard. I think developing into a point guard would be a process over time with Capel. Early on right away, I think the play may be to let him work off the ball next to Lowe.
This is a good incoming class. I am a huge fan of Jaland Lowe. I think the kid is special and different. Playing a freshman point guard may not be ideal, but these kids have to break in at some point. I would hand him the keys day one. He plays with pace and instincts. Very mature for a kid his age. Carrington is also really good. Reminds me of the small forward wing types that Villanova used to get in their prime days. Barnes also has a ton of talent but he may have the longest learning and adjustment curve.
