(Photo by Harry How/Getty Images)
The loss of Brandenburg gives Virginia a very short front court rotation. In fact, Sene will be the only true center left on the roster.
While Sene showed great defensive potential, he also showed a strong propensity to foul.
Often.
Sene led the team in blocks but he was also fourth on the team in fouls.
Worse yet, if you divide the number of fouls he had by the minutes played Sene averaged over three fouls per half played.
It is hard to be a defensive force on the bench...just ask Brandenburg.
Therefore, Sene must learn patience his sophomore year. He must use his intimidating wingspan to challenge opponents and he must continue to develop on the offensive end to give Virginia some semblance of balance.
Most importantly, Virginia basketball must work on its communication.
Last season's failures mainly resulted from simple things like missed assignments and poor basketball decisions. Sene's foul total was often the result of cleaning up other people's mistakes. It was also the result of a young man still learning the game.
Working hard is admirable but playing hard while making bad plays is not exactly endearing to anyone.
Coach Bennett would be well to implement zone defenses early and often next season but that requires a team that can work effectively together.
If Virginia can work through the issues that have plagued them the past two seasons, then they have the talent to make a splash next season.
They might finally be able to answer the questions that have riddled the program for quite some time.
Unfortunately, Brandenburg won't be there to help solve it.
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