Practice Pop-In | 10/4/08

I took a break from my tailgating and Cornhole domination to watch the Hokies practice on Saturday.  Here were my observations:

Quote of the Day: After Terrell Bell missed a dunk on a fast break (which the Hokies were really emphasizing in this workout), Seth Greenberg said, “What do we say?  If you can’t dunk, DON’T dunk.” 

Best I can tell, the first unit is:

  • PG - Malcolm Delaney
  • SG - Dorenzo Hudson
  • SF - A.D. Vassallo
  • F - Lewis Witcher
  • F - Jeff Allen

The second unit is:

  • PG - Hank Thorns
  • SG - Terrell Bell
  • SF - J.T. Thompson (he was working with the guards/wings, not the low post players)
  • F - Victor Davila
  • C - Cheick Diakite

Other observations:

  • Intensity was through the roof in this practice.  Up tempo, crisp.  The guys were playing hard.  Greenberg set the tone, really pushing everyone.
  • I was happy to see the Hokies working on driving the lane from the perimeter and kicking it out for a three.  This play is the main part of duke’s offense and allows shooters to get the ball in rhythm moving towards the basket, as opposed to shooting flat-footed, off the dribble, or on a perimeter pass.
  • Everyone looks to be in great shape.  Seth said on his blog that the team was doing intense conditioning and it shows.  Only Hank Thorns and Terrell Bell have put on weight (and they needed it) between last year’s and this year’s official roster page, while Jeff Allen and J.T. Thompson (they are playing him on the perimeter, hence the lost weight) have lost a bunch of pounds.
  • Terrell Bell looked very good shooting the three from the corner.  Liked to spot up there.
  • A.D. can hit any shot from anywhere.  On the run, pulling up, falling away.  He will be tough to stop.  Struggled a bit from behind the arc and his rotation didn’t look great but it was just one practice.
  • Jeff Allen has lost weight and he looks like he is going to be even better this year.  Not afraid to shoot from the perimeter (you could say that’s a good thing and a bad thing), and can use pump fakes out there to set up driving to the rack.
  • Gene Swindle gets up and down the court very well for a 6′11″ kid.  His speed/mobility impressed me.  But in the half court, he doesn’t have the intensity yet.  He wasn’t challenging shots inside.  Gene needs to disrupt other teams and change their thinking, making them afraid to go in the lane.  He’s not there yet.
  • Victor Davila doesn’t move quite as well as Swindle but he is aggressive.  He will go hard at the rim or the boards.  Didn’t see enough of him to make a full judgment but I’m not sure about Victor yet and how much he will help VT this season.
  • Ben Boggs (2009 verbal) and Jarell Eddie (2010 verbal) were in attendence and scrimmaged with the team after the practice was over.
  • Several recruits were on hand, including Jordan Latham from Baltimore, MD.  Jordan is a 6′8″ low post player that is a 4-star recruit and #44 overall in the Class of 2010 according to Rivals.com.  Scout.com also ranks him as a 4-star and the #8 Center in the Class of 2010. 
  • Update: Chris Braswell, a former georgetown commit and 4-star forward in the Class of 2009, committed to unc-charlotte.  He was supposed to visit VT this past weekend but I did not see him there.  I believe he had already made up his mind and may have cancelled the trip.

Click ‘Read more’ for a look at the new three point line. Keep in mind the women’s line has not moved so it will still be on the court.


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Posted by:
Niemo
Niemo
October 5th, 2008
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