Coach Mack Talks about V.J. King

[shadow force]

Mack says King has gotten tougher and stronger over the summer.

“I think he’s playing a little bit more with a chip on his shoulder than he has in the past — he needs to,” says Mack. “We have to get V.J. to the point where he feels like he’s one of the best players on the floor, and I don’t think that’s something he can say in his first couple years.

“He’s still not perfect,” Mack continues, “but nobody puts in more work than V.J. I’d like to think he can be … as versatile of a defender on the team as there is. And he needs to shoot a higher percentage from the floor. That all starts from taking better shots.”

Plus confidence.

“Confidence is everything for everybody — it’s everything,” says Mack. “Confidence is earned, and if you need a coach to boost your confidence, then you don’t really have any. Guys like V.J., he should be a more confident version of himself this season.



Of course we won't know for sure until the season starts, but I hope V.J. really improves this next season. He definitely needed more strength, to work on his handling skills, and to take better shots.
Hopefully Mack and staff can get V.J. to perform to his potential.

 

[Wall2Boogie]

I really like Mack. It’s hard not to. I think he was a good hire and a step in the right direction with the mess that was left to him. You guys got a good coach

 

[Cue Card]

Must admit the new coach is growing on me. It is refreshing.

 

[ShortCreek]

All the guys look considerably bigger and stronger. Love that. Tired of seeing our guys get pushed around.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

Ball should be in his hands a lot more this year maybe he'll be able to turn the corner.

 

[Ipartiedwithhopgood]

I'll also add King showed signs of being a shut down defender late in the year, I recall the UVA game at home he put a stop to one of their top players all night.

Some guys just need time to develop. I hope he doesn't force this year and just relaxes - plays his game.

 

[Senore2006]

Yeah, he was all up in Man Bun's hair, lol. Man, I also hope VJ can finally realize that enormous potential. He's a petty excellent 3 shooter and he has a twitch factor off the charts. He can look so fast and quick, he should be really tough to defend. With other scorers drawing attention, things should be well laid out for VJ. We could well be a pretty diverse offense.

 

[shadow force]

I think VJ can be a go to guy but, as mentioned before, he HAS to work on his handles. He was second only to Adel on how not to dribble a basketball.

He has shown he can be a lock down defender, along with Sutton, but he needs to improve shot selection, passing, and finishing strong at the rim as well.

 

[Louis III]

I think its as simple as letting the offense come to him and not forcing shots. He has a solid J and has the tools to be a 12-14 PPG guy and guard the other teams best wing player. Hoping Mack can motivate him to reach his potential.