As we sit here depressed knowing it should be us and not the Cuse in the final four, I thought it would be fun to speculate on what TB told each of his returning players about his next year expectations. (I actually have no idea if TB conducts such exit interviews, but I still thought it would be fun to speculate). Below are my thoughts.
LP - This is LP's team now. He is not only the sole senior, but he is sole returnee from the 13-14 season that turned around the UVa program and he is the face of the program. TB will tell LP that it his job to do what it takes to win. If that means scoring 20 points or dishing out 10 assists or yelling at a teammate or helping an upperclassman deal with a freshman passing him by, then that is what LP must do. In other words, LP is the on-court captain of the ship, maybe even more than MB was last year, and it his job to put the team in the best position to win. In the off-season, it must be LP who works harder than everyone else and who sets the tone for off-season work outs.
DH- Hall must take it up a notch if he is going to play major minutes. It is now about ownership. Hall needs to work on his ball handling so he can help LP with the press, and he must become a reliable 3 point shooter. Most of all Hall must be a steady force making right decisions and avoiding mistakes.
MS - All good teams need 2 and 1/2 scorers. AN is one and LP could be 2, but UVA would be at its best if MS is 2 and LP can be the half. MS has big time scoring potential and next year he needs to show it. MS needs to work all summer on his handle and on his shot. He must get mentally ready to assert himself game after game. He does not need to score 18 a game, but we need him to score between 10-14 points consistently. That means MS needs to report next year in the best shape of his life, and the mindset to handle the stress of being required to bring it game after game.
DT- Thomson needs to do a lot of what he did at the end of the season such as hitting wide open 3s and playing well in the open court. Most of all, he needs to become the defensive stopper. If a player is getting hot we need DT to step up and shut him down.
IW - This is a make or break year for IW. He really needs to step up or he will be passed by. IW needs to work hard on making his jumper consistent and on his rebounding. Most of all, IW needs to show up each game and avoid the mental lapses. IW must work hard this summer to become quicker and stronger. His defense may be the key to his playing time.
JR - Next year provides a good opportunity for JR. With so many new faces, and 3 of our best scorers graduating, JR can provide us with some offensive punch. JR needs to work hard to become quicker and to become a solid defender, and if he can become a solid defender, he may work himself into playing time due to his offensive skills.
JS - There is little chance JS will play much next year, but he needs to keep working hard to become quicker and more instinctive.
I have not done exit interviews for AN, MD or the freshman because I have never seen them play.
Thoughts. Comments
LP - This is LP's team now. He is not only the sole senior, but he is sole returnee from the 13-14 season that turned around the UVa program and he is the face of the program. TB will tell LP that it his job to do what it takes to win. If that means scoring 20 points or dishing out 10 assists or yelling at a teammate or helping an upperclassman deal with a freshman passing him by, then that is what LP must do. In other words, LP is the on-court captain of the ship, maybe even more than MB was last year, and it his job to put the team in the best position to win. In the off-season, it must be LP who works harder than everyone else and who sets the tone for off-season work outs.
DH- Hall must take it up a notch if he is going to play major minutes. It is now about ownership. Hall needs to work on his ball handling so he can help LP with the press, and he must become a reliable 3 point shooter. Most of all Hall must be a steady force making right decisions and avoiding mistakes.
MS - All good teams need 2 and 1/2 scorers. AN is one and LP could be 2, but UVA would be at its best if MS is 2 and LP can be the half. MS has big time scoring potential and next year he needs to show it. MS needs to work all summer on his handle and on his shot. He must get mentally ready to assert himself game after game. He does not need to score 18 a game, but we need him to score between 10-14 points consistently. That means MS needs to report next year in the best shape of his life, and the mindset to handle the stress of being required to bring it game after game.
DT- Thomson needs to do a lot of what he did at the end of the season such as hitting wide open 3s and playing well in the open court. Most of all, he needs to become the defensive stopper. If a player is getting hot we need DT to step up and shut him down.
IW - This is a make or break year for IW. He really needs to step up or he will be passed by. IW needs to work hard on making his jumper consistent and on his rebounding. Most of all, IW needs to show up each game and avoid the mental lapses. IW must work hard this summer to become quicker and stronger. His defense may be the key to his playing time.
JR - Next year provides a good opportunity for JR. With so many new faces, and 3 of our best scorers graduating, JR can provide us with some offensive punch. JR needs to work hard to become quicker and to become a solid defender, and if he can become a solid defender, he may work himself into playing time due to his offensive skills.
JS - There is little chance JS will play much next year, but he needs to keep working hard to become quicker and more instinctive.
I have not done exit interviews for AN, MD or the freshman because I have never seen them play.
Thoughts. Comments
