Assistant Coach Anthony Wilkins Talks About Michael Devoe's Improvement
As the soon as the offseason began following the conclusion of Georgia Tech's 2018-19 season, sophomore shooting guard Michael Devoe and assistant coach Anthony Wilkins got to work. While he was just 10 points away from averaging double digit scoring in his first year as a Yellow Jacket, both Devoe and Wilkins knew that there was room for improvement heading into year 2.
They spent long hours together over the spring and summer down at the Zelnak Basketball Center, continuously working to improve each and every day. So far in the opening month of the college basketball season, all that hard work has paid immediate dividends for Devoe. Just 7 games into the season, he is 2nd in the ACC in scoring (21.4 PPG), 6th in the ACC in field goal percentage, and leads the nation in three point field goal percentage.
Between working to improve his footwork, explosiveness and his first step hesitation dribble, Coach Wilkins is proud of him and the fruits of his labor. "He's worked really really hard," Wilkins said of Devoe, also noting that the combination of the progressions in those three areas have resulted in him being able to "finish at the rim at a really high level." Both also noted that he is much better off the pick and roll in year 2 as well.
But according to Wilkins, we still have not seen what peak Michael Devoe looks like: "As well as he's playing, he still has so much room to get better." According to Devoe himself, the main area in which he wants to improve is his defense.
Not only has Devoe made meaningful strides on the court, but he has made them off the court as well. He placed a greater emphasis on taking care of his body leading up to his sophomore campaign, and "watched a lot of film" to help improve his game in any facet he can control.
He also doesn't foresee a slow down anytime soon. "This is how the season's gonna be," he said. "I feel more confident." Tech undoubtedly needs that high confidence level, especially while both point guard Jose Alvarado and forward Jordan Usher are out for the time being. Until then, Wilkins and Devoe are continuously going to strive to improve one day at a time.
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