Virginia has landed Ben Vander Plas, a 6’8”, 232-pound grad transfer power forward late of Ohio, who committed to Virginia on Saturday
Now, the question is how Vander Plas, who averaged 14.3 points and 6.8 rebounds per game this past season, fits into the Virginia rotation.
He has deft shooting touch for a big guy – 45.7 percent from the floor, 33.8 percent from three, on volume shooting from the perimeter (5.7 attempts per game in 2021-2022).
The comparison that comes to mind for me is Brady Manek, who helped North Carolina get to the 2022 national title game after four years at Oklahoma, where he was a 45.4 percent shooter from the field and 37.4 percent from three.
Manek at UNC: 49.3 percent from the floor, 40.3 percent from three, a career-best 15.1 points per game.
Thing is, fit. Virginia already has 6’6” power forward Jayden Gardner (15.3 ppg, 6.4 rebounds/g, 50.1% FG) returning at the four spot.
Do you play Gardner and Vander Plas together at four and five, and have Kadin Shedrick (6.9 ppg, 5.1 rebounds/g, 1.9 blocks/g, 64.1% FG) and Francisco Caffaro (4.3 ppg, 4.6 rebounds/g, 52.4% FG) compete for backup minutes?
I have to assume so, unless the next chess move is one of the two among Shedrick and Caffaro transferring out, which is entirely possible.
Next question, then: can Gardner and Vander Plas defend enough down low playing 30 minutes a game side-by-side?
All I can say to that is this: Ben Vander Plas is too good to transfer if he wasn’t sure he was going to get minutes.
If Virginia just landed its Brady Manek, which I think is the case here, we’re talking preseason top 10, in the running for favorite to win the ACC, get a Final Four berth, the rest.
Just have to figure out the defense stuff.
Story by Chris Graham
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Chris Graham
