Vashil Fernandez leads the nation in blocked shots per game

[vu84v2]

Given his incredible improvement during his time at Valparaiso, as well as having been a great overall example for the university, I thought this deserved its own thread.

As of today, Vashil Fernandez leads the nation in blocked shots per game.

                                                                      Games Blocks BPG
1   Vashil Fernandez   Valparaiso   Sr.   6-10   C   34   111   3.26
2   Tai Odiase   Ill.-Chicago           So.   6-9   C   30   97   3.23
3   Chris Boucher   Oregon   Jr.   6-10   F   36   109   3.03

Note that this includes all games - regular season, conference tournament and postseason play. Unless Boucher has some incredible number of blocked shots in their NCAA game(s), the only way Vashil can lose this is to average less than 3 BPG in the remaining games.

[Kyle321n]

He's also tops in the country in Block % (number of shots block per possession). Last season he was 6th.

1	Vashil Fernandez	Valparaiso	14.30%
2	Will Kelly	Navy	13.04%
3	Tacko Fall	UCF	12.77%
4	Chris Boucher	Oregon	12.35%

[talksalot]

http://www.leftydriesell.com/

Vashil Fernandez, from CollegeInsider.com

NATIONAL DEFENSIVE PLAYER OF THE YEAR


WOWSERS!!!

[valpotx]

Congrats again to Vashil!

[VU2014]

It really blows my mind how much Vashil was able to develop his game in his time at Valpo. Him and coaching staff really deserve a lot of credit. I remember his first season he looked like 7 foot bambi on the court. It just goes to show hard work ethic, positive attitude and a 7-foot-5 wingspan can do haha. Vashil will definitely be missed on the court and on campus. A really good guy.

[VULB#62]

That's great for Vashil  and great for the MBB program.  With two Masters degrees he's pretty well set long-term career-wise, BUT, he mentioned somewhere that he'd like to try professional BB in the short-term.  I assume there might be opportunities in Europe.  Anyone have any ideas about his chances?

[nkvu]

Congratulations to Vashil.

Far and away the most successful "project" in Valpo history.

Best wishes for continued success in the future.

[historyman]

That's great for Vashil  and great for the MBB program.  With two Masters degrees he's pretty well set long-term career-wise, BUT, he mentioned somewhere that he'd like to try professional BB in the short-term.  I assume there might be opportunities in Europe.  Anyone have any ideas about his chances?

I'm sure as long as Vashil can block shots he has a future in a pro league somewhere.

[valpotx]

Vashil can easily play in some top leagues in Europe.  Even if he doesn't develop much more of an offensive game, teams will sign him.  If Dasagna Diop can have an 8-9 year NBA career, Vashil can play in a top European league.

[wh]

As everyone knows, playing basketball in Europe is full of twists and turns - navigating through language barriers and cultural differences, numerous employers and residence changes, never-ending contract negotiations, and ultimately kicked to the curb to begin your "real" life with little or nothing to show for your investment of time.  For players with dime-a-dozen Bachelor's Degrees (especially something related to sports management) it's not a bad temporary gig.  It might even open some doors for future permanent employment in the sports industry.  That said, Vashil is a guy with double Master Degrees in International Business and International Finance from a Tier-1 university and who speaks 2 or 3 languages.  He is a member of a protected class.  With the right head hunter, he should easily be able to land an attractive entry level position with a 6-figure salary in one of several major metropolitan areas (foreign or domestic). He can live in one spot, put down roots, buy a home, grow in his field, etc., etc. And - 5 years from now he'll be that much closer to reaching his long-term career goals (more responsibility, more money) than he would be had he played basketball over that time. That's the career path I would recommend if I were counseling him. 

[valpo tundra]

Vashil would like to maybe try his options in China before embarking on such responsibilities.  He is truly a fantastic guy.

[agibson]

he mentioned somewhere that he'd like to try professional BB in the short-term.  I assume there might be opportunities in Europe.  Anyone have any ideas about his chances?

I wasn't sure what route he'd prefer, but post-season he was linked in the paper with interest in a pro basketball career and specifically in the Portsmouth Invitational. PIT might be a stretch? I think they release their rosters tomorrow.

[oklahomamick]

Have we ever had a basketball player lead the nation in any stat?  That really is big time and hope it comes with a big poster (maybe life size) poster of Vashil in the ARC with the 7'7 wing span stretching out

[talksalot]

This would be a good showcase for him...

https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/home-page.html

we will find out tomorrow (4/11)

[covufan]

Have we ever had a basketball player lead the nation in any stat?  That really is big time and hope it comes with a big poster (maybe life size) poster of Vashil in the ARC with the 7'7 wing span stretching out

Did Jim Steuve lead the nation in personal fouls per game?

Just kidding. Jim played hard every game.

[rogerwilco]

I think Tony Vilcinskas led the nation in PSPD (packs smoked per day) and CE (cheap elbows). 

[rogerwilco]

In all seriousness, I think Vashil's game is still developing.

I don't understand why certain guys can be so athletic on defense and not a dominant force on offense.

It reminds me of the Ohio State center Ken Johnson. A fantastic athletic big that was a shot-blocker guru and couldn't translate his game to offense. He had a cup of coffee in the NBA.

I will never know why some can excel through physical talent on one side of the ball and be a ghost on the other. 'Tis a mystery to me.

[nkvu]

In all seriousness, I think Vashil's game is still developing.

I don't understand why certain guys can be so athletic on defense and not a dominant force on offense.

It reminds me of the Ohio State center Ken Johnson. A fantastic athletic big that was a shot-blocker guru and couldn't translate his game to offense. He had a cup of coffee in the NBA.

I will never know why some can excel through physical talent on one side of the ball and be a ghost on the other. 'Tis a mystery to me.

My two cents (and that's probably all it's worth) is that traditionally foreign players (particularly bigs) grew up playing soccer and didn't turn to basketball until they got really big so didn't develop the kind of eye hand coordination that U S kids do growing up playing catch with a baseball or football. Defense is more instinctive particularly shot blocking - see the ball swat the ball. On offense you have to catch the ball with your hands then do something with the ball using your hands. Not a natural thing for someone growing up using their feet to do something with the ball. Takes a while to learn for these kids. Though as basketball has become more popular outside the U S I think this is changing. The Spanish kid we just picked up seems to be more comfortable handling the ball than Vashil or our other bigs from Africa.

[Valpo89]

One simple word: Coordination.
You don't need an abundance of coordination to block shots (timing is another thing). But height and long arms help.
You need coordination to catch a ball, dribble a ball, not travel, turn to the basket and shoot.
That was a lot of elements for Vashil to handle. Think about what he was best at offensively. Dunking the basketball. When he could do something quickly without having to think too much, he was at his best. How did you all feel when Vashil had his back to the basket and someone was thinking about passing him the ball? Nine times out of 10, I knew it was going to be an adventure.

[VULB#62]

More      Defense is more will than pure skill -- it's a mindset.  That mindset can overcome gross motor coordination deficiencies -- but it cannot hide the fine motor coordination needed for offense.  Speaking of soccer, it also can help a bit in that soccer players from an early age are trained to use both feet all the time.  They have to shoot and pass with either depending on the situation.  I'm thinking that in soccer-dominated countries (most of the world), that ambidexterous approach carries over to eye-hand dominated sports to an extent as well.  Watching Jaume Sorolla's clips, you can see him working around the basket with either hand pretty fluidly.  And his hands seem soft.  Vashil's were, and still are to a degree, rocks.  Both Vashil and Sorolla have huge wing spans, so arm length is not the variable in the touch department. Both Sorolla and Derrik have good eye-hand coordination and that will make for more offense from the post next year -- a good thing.  With wide wing spans they can't help but also be a defensive factor just by being on the floor.

[agibson]

Looks like no love from Portsmouth.

https://www.portsmouthinvitational.com/2016-player-list2.html

Top 64 seniors in the country might have been a stretch. Still, you wonder what these other centers look like.

[oklahomamick]

Fernandez Named Horizon League Scholar-Athlete of the Season 

[agibson]

Terrific! Well deserved.

Speaking of Vashil, there was a nice write-up on him in one of the Jamaica newspapers a couple of weeks back
http://www.jamaicaobserver.com/sport/basketball/Standing-tall_57893