If you’re a Virginia men’s basketball fan, you’ve got to feel pretty good about the two centers on the Cavaliers’ roster — Kadin Shedrick and Francisco Caffaro — heading into Monday’s season opener against North Carolina Central (9 p.m., ACC Regional Sports Networks) and beyond.
Last season, both Shedrick and Caffaro provided plenty of successful contributions in the paint on both ends of the floor, and the pair will look to build off of that in 2022-23.
Shedrick, a 6-foot-11, 231-pound redshirt junior from Holly Springs, N.C., started 19 games for the Cavaliers (21-14, 12-8 ACC) in 2021-22, averaging 6.9 points and 5.1 rebounds per game. He shot 64 percent from the field, and was also an elite rim protector with a massive wingspan on the other end, finishing third in the ACC in blocked shots with an average of 1.9 swats per contest.
After sitting out his freshman year in 2019-20, Shedrick played in just 11 games the following season due to injury and illness.
He finally got his chance to contribute last season, as he saw himself in the starting lineup on opening night. There were a few bumps in the road here and there, but Shedrick eventually hit his stride as the season rolled along, and seemed to just get better and better.
After posting his first career double-double early last season against Coppin State, with 10 points and 10 rebounds, Shedrick kept it rolling. He followed that up with two more double-doubles, while providing numerous rejections on the defensive end in the process.
He’s poised to keep improving, as referenced by a recent interview at Cavalier Media Day.
“I have worked hard on court awareness, like working with the guards on moving screens, moving my feet, not initially over-committing,” Shedrick told AFP’s Scott German on Wednesday. “I have worked hard every day, trying to get better defensively. I want to contribute defensively on the glass and offensively.
“Defensively, I realize you have to work just as hard, if not harder, than on offense. You have to put in the time, work on the basics, that’s what I’ve tried to work on during the offseason.”
Shedrick showed off what he’s been working on when the team traveled to Italy for a few games against international competition in August.
“He stretched the floor a little bit more. He seems to have a mid-range a little bit more,” said UVA coach Tony Bennett.
In his three games overseas this summer, Shedrick put up 14.7 points, 8.7 rebounds and 1.0 blocks per contest, including a double-double (19 points, 12 rebounds to go with a pair of rejections) against KK Mega Basket, a solid team from Serbia that had a few potential future NBA draft picks.
“He added some good strength this offseason and that’s what we really challenged him with,” said Bennett. “And he worked hard on his game, and yeah, if he has a rhythm shot, we want him to take it in the mid-post if they drop off or in the mid-range. We saw some of that in Italy. So he’s done that in scrimmages.
“He’s long and active, and we want him to just attack the areas that he can impact the game and add those other supplemental things: knocking down a shot, making a play, catching a lob, run the floor, and to hopefully be an anchor to our defense and getting all over the glass on both ends. He’s now in his third year, he’s more comfortable and I think that has to help.”
Caffaro, at a menacing 7-1 and 254 pounds, is a redshirt senior from Santa Fe, Argentina, who played in all 35 games and started 16 of them last season, averaging 4.3 points and 4.6 rebounds per contest, and shooting 52 percent from the floor.
Like Shedrick, Caffaro, who’s affectionately known by his teammates as “Papi,” redshirted his freshman season in 2018-19, the year the Cavaliers took home the national championship. He played a total of 37 games across the next two seasons in mostly limited action, but gained valuable experience along the way.
Caffaro began the 2021-22 season coming off the bench, but was earning more and more valuable minutes with each game. His breakout moment came against Virginia Tech on Jan. 12, when he set career highs in points (16) and minutes played (31) in leading the Wahoos to victory over the Hokies.
He briefly took over the starting role, notching his first career double-double at Notre Dame a few weeks later with 11 points and a career-best 12 boards.
Now heading into his final year, Papi is ready to rock and roll.
“Yeah, senior year. I’m excited. Last year of college, been here for a while, but I’m excited to play,” said Caffaro. “The offseason has been pretty long, so it’s fun to be out there and play. So we’re excited for that, and I’m excited for the young guys too, just a great recruiting class. They all show that they can be really good, and they can help us in a lot of ways, so everything’s looking exciting. So hopefully, we can put all the pieces together and do good things.”
In a crunch, should there be a point in the season when either Shedrick or Caffaro isn’t able to go, Ohio grad transfer Ben Vander Plas (6-8, 236), who said he played a little bit at the center spot toward the latter part of his Bobcats career, has the ability to battle in the paint with the big boys.
Also, first-year big man Isaac Traudt, who checks in at 6-10, 229, set his high school’s scoring record and is a proven rebounder, and certainly has the size and skill if called upon.
The future of the five-spot for UVA looks to be in good hands as well, with 2023 four-star commitment Blake Buchanan waiting in the wings, and Bennett is already hot on the trail of a few big men in the Class of 2024 as well.
For the upcoming season, the Cavaliers are looking for continued success from their frontcourt, and Shedrick and Caffaro have proven time and again that they’re capable of delivering.
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