Kadin Shedrick, Virginia
The archetype for Kadin Shedrick is obvious: he’s a run-and-jump center who has the footwork to guard ball screens away from the basket, while also deterring would-be finishers at the in the restricted area.
Finally healthy, Shedrick turned into an elite rim protector in the 2021-22 season: 11.2 percent block rate, a Top 20 number nationally. Shedrick will — at times — overextend while looking to contest a shot, which will leave the rim open for late drop-off passes and offensive put-backs.
However, the aggression is welcomed: Shedrick wants to block shots.
With his size and timing, Shedrick turned into a force as a back-line rim protector — erasing shots in the paint as a help defender.
Shedrick has good mobility and improved coordination. At 6-foot-11, 231 pounds, he’s able to hedge on ball screens and recover — a staple of Virginia’s pack-line defense.
Even when the process isn’t perfectly clean, Shedrick still has the athleticism to recover and delete potential layups.
Over on offense, it’s simple for Shedrick: hit the offensive glass, screen hard and dive to the rim. Shedrick shot 76.0 percent at the rim this season — with a team-high 47 dunks.