Virginia Basketball: Impact of incoming transfer forward Ben Vander Plas
By Shea Irish
What else Ben Vander Plas provides Virginia Basketball
Vander Plas perimeter shooting isn’t the only key contribution he’ll bring to the ACC school next season. He is a multi-dimensional player that can impact the game in a number of other ways. First off, he is very capable of putting the ball on the floor and getting to the rim. His solid frame then allows him to finish through contact, often leading to and-one opportunities.
He uses his shooting ability to his advantage at times by possessing a deadly shot fake that gets defenders off balance, creating open lanes to the rim. The three-level scoring talent he possesses should immediately improve the Cavaliers’ offense, which scored just 62.4 PPG last season, ranking 14th out of 15 ACC teams. That number was the second-lowest for the program in the last decade.
The most underrated aspect of Vander Plas’ game is his passing ability. With the excellent decision-making he demonstrated in his Ohio career, along with the handle he has at 6’8″, he’s the perfect player to have the offense run through from the high post.
He was the only frontcourt player in the MAC last season to average over 3.0 assists per game. He had 14 games with 4+ assists and even had a ten assist game in his triple-double performance vs Central Michigan.
In order to play on a Tony Bennett-coached team, you also have to defend at a high level. Vander Plas has shown he can do that, leading the Bobcats in steals each of the last two seasons. He can switch on screens and guard multiple positions throughout a possession.
According to Fox Sports, he finished last year 2nd in the MAC in SPG, 3rd in steals per personal foul, 4th in steal percentage, and also placed in the top ten for total blocks and block percentage. Despite logging extensive minutes in 122 career games, he has fouled out of just five contests; proving he can defend without fouling.
Overall, Vander Plas is a perfect fit for the Cavaliers program. He is an all-around player that is a proven winner, plus he already has the connections and familiarity with Tony Bennett. When it is all said and done, Virginia may have just landed one of the best transfers in the entire portal.
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Virginia returns its top six players in 2022-23, including 3rd-Team All-ACC performer Jayden Gardner and 5th-year senior PG Kihei Clark. With the addition of Ben Vander Plas and three ESPN top 100 recruits, there should be optimism in Charlottesville for the Cavaliers to return to the NCAA Tournament and possibly even contend for an ACC Championship in 2022-23.