ACC Tipoff: Kadin Shedrick Ready to Succeed Huff and Hauser in the UVA Front Court

After battling injuries in his first two seasons at UVA, Shedrick is set to play a big role in the upcoming Virginia basketball season

Author:
Matt Newton
Publish date:
Oct 12, 2021 3:01 PM EDT

The UVA men's basketball team lost a significant amount of its scoring from a season ago. The front court of Sam Hauser and Jay Huff was responsible for over 40% of Virginia's scoring last year. With the departures of those key big men up front, the torch has been passed to players like transfer Jayden Gardner and redshirt sophomore Kadin Shedrick.

Shedrick, who has battled significant injury setbacks in his first two seasons at UVA, knows that carrying the torch passed on from Hauser and Huff will be a tall task.

"It's definitely going to be a challenge, but I don't expect myself to be able to perform as well as they did in their senior year where I'm at right now," Shedrick said at the ACC Tipoff event in Charlotte on Tuesday.

"I think that Jay and Sam brought incredible scoring, and I hope that I can at least halfway fill the shoes that they did."

Shedrick, listed at 6'11" and 231 pounds, noted that he brings a distinct skillset to the forward positions that varies from what UVA had with Huff and Hauser.

"In terms of replacing Jay and Sam, I think that I bring different things to the table," Shedrick said. "I think that I can be more active in ball screens such as that."

While Shedrick does not bring the same perimeter shooting prowess as his graduated counterparts, there are several promising traits in his game, including a combination of strength and size that will allow him to be a force in rebounding, setting screens, and playing defense.

"I just hope I'm able to grow this year and at some point say that I did a good job filling their shoes."

Stay tuned to Cavaliers Now for more coverage from the ACC Tipoff.