Fred Van Vleet a Shocker Star

[another shocker]

6 fouls in four games. he does position himself well, no doubt.

no looping passes, please (unless it's for a full blooded press breaker slam dunk).

[another shocker]

You are right... Also, breaking the cards press will require everybody to step up and make plays.

yes- big men included. 'can't throw the ball to the sidelines over and over again, or the traps will set in.

[Kung Wu]

IDK.. If anybody already posted this, but I thought this is a very nice video interview with Fred... http://espn.go.com/video/clip?id=9116965

" ... in the back of our mind we know we still got GAMES to play in Atlanta."

FVV, 2013

[Ricardo del Rio]

As the season has progressed, VV's ability to take card of the ball steadily improved.

While I do not have the stats to support my belief, VV was very good in protecting the ball in the last 25% or so of the games.

Six turnovers against four quality teams in the Big Dance is pretty darn good in my mind.

[im4wsu]

As the season has progressed, VV's ability to take card of the ball steadily improved.

While I do not have the stats to support my belief, VV was very good in protecting the ball in the last 25% or so of the games.

Six turnovers against four quality teams in the Big Dance is pretty darn good in my mind.

Six would be terrific, but he actually had TWO!

[The Mad Hatter]

As the season has progressed, VV's ability to take card of the ball steadily improved.

While I do not have the stats to support my belief, VV was very good in protecting the ball in the last 25% or so of the games.

Six turnovers against four quality teams in the Big Dance is pretty darn good in my mind.

Actually, it is just 2 turnovers in the NCAAs and 6 fouls.

[shockerfan]

How to break the press? Have 3 ball handlers in as much as possible. I think we see a LOT of Armstead and FVV in the game together. Very important IMHO. Baker being a good ball handler helps also. I know we have seen that kind of lineup a lot the latter part of the season, but I think that is what will make us successful Saturday

[The Mad Hatter]

As the season has progressed, VV's ability to take card of the ball steadily improved.

While I do not have the stats to support my belief, VV was very good in protecting the ball in the last 25% or so of the games.

Six turnovers against four quality teams in the Big Dance is pretty darn good in my mind.

Your estimation about the last 25% of the season would be dead on. That amounts about the last 10 games we have played. In those games Fred has not had a single game with more than 1 turnover. He has had:

3 games with 1 turnover
7 games with 0 turnovers

[KC Shox]

I do notice that FVV he uses a straight arm, not to push off necessarily, but to gain some separation or to prevent the defender to get right on him when he tries to drive. He's been called for this by the refs on several occasions throughout the year for this. Will this improve, or something we'll just have to accept and deal with due to his lack of height and speed?

I have no doubt that his already high BBIQ will continue to improve as well as his defensive instincts and shooting percentage, but I do see a ceiling in terms of his ability to drive the lane and score like Malcom displays. What say you?

[The Mad Hatter]

I do notice that FVV he uses a straight arm, not to push off necessarily, but to gain some separation or to prevent the defender to get right on him when he tries to drive. He's been called for this by the refs on several occasions throughout the year for this. Will this improve, or something we'll just have to accept and deal with due to his lack of height and speed?

I have no doubt that his already high BBIQ will continue to improve as well as his defensive instincts and shooting percentage, but I do see a ceiling in terms of his ability to drive the lane and score like Malcom displays. What say you?

I don't really see any particular ceiling. As he gets older he will both continue to get stronger and won't need as much to keep a defender off and will get more savvy in how to use positioning to his advantage. I don't think he is lacking compared to Malcolm physically other than being younger. He has great control of the ball in traffic and can finish at awkward, falling away angles (see the OSU late game shot), and picks his spots really well already. On top of that, he passes so well off his penetration that defenses can't play him for his shot first, which makes getting the shot easier when he wants it.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Six would be terrific, but he actually had TWO!

You are so correcto. I need an auditor.

[Ricardo del Rio]

Your estimation about the last 25% of the season would be dead on. That amounts about the last 10 games we have played. In those games Fred has not had a single game with more than 1 turnover. He has had:

3 games with 1 turnover
7 games with 0 turnovers

Thanks.

The stats are just great. He really takes care of the ball.

[Rlh04d]

As the season has progressed, VV's ability to take card of the ball steadily improved.

While I do not have the stats to support my belief, VV was very good in protecting the ball in the last 25% or so of the games.

Six turnovers against four quality teams in the Big Dance is pretty darn good in my mind.

If I recall correctly, FVV had a very bad game in a win against Drake at the start of the conference season. He had 4 turnovers and only 3 points, in one of his worst games of the season.

After that, everything changed. His turnovers numbers were excellent for the rest of the season, and he's steadily improved in every statistical category since that game. Whatever else happened, the stats say everything clicked after that game. I don't think he's had a bad game since then.

[Kung Wu]

I do notice that FVV he uses a straight arm, not to push off necessarily, but to gain some separation or to prevent the defender to get right on him when he tries to drive. He's been called for this by the refs on several occasions throughout the year for this. Will this improve, or something we'll just have to accept and deal with due to his lack of height and speed?

I have no doubt that his already high BBIQ will continue to improve as well as his defensive instincts and shooting percentage, but I do see a ceiling in terms of his ability to drive the lane and score like Malcom displays. What say you?

He may not have Demetric's top end speed, but what he does have is the best ability to _change speed_ on a dime with total ball control. Better than any Shocker I have personally ever seen. And changing pace with good ball control is the absolute secret sauce to feinting opponents out of their shorts. We have a premier stud point guard on our hands.

[Aargh]

Against the B1G DPoY in 24 minutes:

12 points (4/8 FG, 1/3 3-pt.), 3/3 FT
3 boards, 2 assists, 1 TO, 2 steals

The TO was a charge call that could have gone the other way. Apparently the PG's in the B1G didn't do that well against Craft or Craft would not have been the DPoY in the B1G.