Tony Bennett on Virginia’s rout of Miami
CHARLOTTESVILLE – It didn’t take lengthy for VCU basketball switch Jamir Watkins to hit it off with certainly one of his new Florida State teammates.
Watkins and Georgetown switch Primo Spears arrived in Tallahassee, Fla., on the identical day – move-in day at FSU’s campus – and a Seminoles assistant coach took them purchasing.
“We went to Wal-mart and received some stuff for the crib, as a result of it was so recent and new,” Spears recalled this week. “We really each received the identical 75-inch TV.”
From there, the 2 went to the health club for a shoot-around. They’ve been tight associates ever since – and two key the reason why Florida State sits in fourth-place within the convention heading into Saturday’s showdown with Virginia (18-5, 9-3 ACC).
Watkins leads the Seminoles in scoring, rebounding and assists, averaging 13.7 factors, 5.8 rebounds and a pair of.8 assists per recreation. He’s tied for the staff lead in steals and ranks second on the roster in blocked photographs.
“He’s made impacts on all the pieces that we’re doing, offensively and defensively,” FSU coach Leonard Hamilton stated. “He’s a excessive IQ man.”
Watkins had a formidable rookie 12 months at VCU in 2020-21, averaging 7.2 factors per recreation, third on the staff. Sophomore 12 months was shaping as much as be a breakout season for the 6-foot-7, 210-pound New Jersey native. However he suffered a torn ACL in his proper knee and missed the 12 months.
He got here again in 2023-23 and averaged 9.5 factors, 5.4 rebounds, 1.5 assists, 1.2 steals and 0.7 blocks per recreation, all profession highs, whereas beginning 17 of the 35 contests he performed in.
Watkins stated he had no ideas of getting into the NCAA switch portal – till coach Mike Rhoades left the Rams for Penn State.
“At VCU it was an important expertise. I really feel like I discovered loads over there from the teaching workers and with the gamers that I performed with,” Watkins stated this week. “I went by some ups and downs, getting harm, having to take a seat out a complete season, so I discovered loads about myself off the court docket, too.
“It was actually the teaching change that made me take into consideration placing my title within the switch portal, seeing what was on the market for me.”
When Ryan Odom was employed, Watkins stated VCU required all of the gamers who have been in search of to enter the portal to satisfy with the Rams’ new coach. Watkins did and got here away impressed, however his curiosity in a doable switch had already been sparked.
“I simply wished to weigh my choices and see what I might get out of the switch portal,” stated Watkins, who nonetheless retains in contact with lots of his former VCU teammates in a FaceTime group chat.
He heard from various main applications and took visits to each Florida State and Arkansas, earlier than selecting to play for Leonard Hamilton, the Seminoles coach since 2002 and a former coach at Oklahoma State and Miami and within the NBA with the Washington Wizards.
“It’s been nice attending to play beneath him, realizing all the nice folks he’s coached,” Watkins stated. “The chance to have him coach me is a blessing. All of the data that he is aware of and going beneath his wing, I can be taught a lot.
“He’s a cool, calm and picked up coach. He’s gonna all the time hold it actual with you and he’s going to push you to be the very best you might be.”
FSU (13-9, 7-4) will definitely want Watkins to be at his greatest Saturday night time. The visiting Cavaliers are the ACC’s hottest staff, having gained seven straight, together with their final three street video games, to take over second place within the convention.
The sport matches up a high-scoring Florida State staff – the Seminoles are sixth within the convention, scoring 76.6 factors per recreation – towards the league’s high protection. Virginia holds opponents to 56.9 factors per recreation, the second greatest mark within the nation.
The Seminoles, in the meantime, have been removed from dominant at house, going 7-5 on the Tucker Middle, the place UVa beat them, 67-58, final season.
Watkins might face certainly one of his hardest particular person matchups of the season, doubtlessly matching up with Virginia’s 6-8 Ryan Dunn, an athletic wing and elite defender who leads the ACC in blocked photographs, the staff in rebounding and is second at Virginia in steals.
His new teammates, nonetheless, are assured in Watkins means at each ends of the ground.
“He’s simply very versatile,” Spears stated. “He can rating in any respect three ranges. Nice on-ball defender. He’s simply actual stable, actual versatile. Can do all of it, offensively and defensively.”
Win or lose Saturday night time, Spears stated he is aware of the place he and Watkins shall be Sunday. The 2 associates have a day-after-game ritual of going for 60-minute massages at a parlor in downtown Tallahassee.
Mike Barber (804) 649-6546
mbarber@timesdispatch.com
College of Virginia and Virginia Tech Sports activities Reporter
{{description}}
E mail notifications are solely despatched as soon as a day, and provided that there are new matching objects.
Tony Bennett on Virginia’s rout of Miami
Rise up-to-the-minute information despatched straight to your gadget.
