Vassallo enters the year as one of the most prolific shooters that the collegiate game has to offer. Awfully productive last season, the senior will have the opportunity to bolster his numbers even more given the graduation of Deron Washington on a very young Hokie team.
The biggest asset that Vassallo brings to the table is easily his ability to shoot the ball from beyond the three point arc. Ranking 11th in DraftExpress percentage of team three pointers made and 22nd in DraftExpress overall three pointers made, he places himself statistically amongst the top 7 or 8 players returning to the collegiate game this season in those categories. His size, ability to get his shot off quickly, and high release point make his shot extremely difficult to block for even more athletic defenders.
Improving over the last year was Vassallos game off of the bounce, although it is still subpar for a shooting guard prospect. He has proven capable of putting the ball on the deck one or two times and knocking down a jumper from midrange, although he rarely opts to take the ball all the way to the rim. Ball handling still remains a concern on the offensive end, especially when combined with his below average first step. On the bright side though, A.D. has shown off some nifty court vision in terms of finding the open man when he isnt able to score himself. He turns the ball over too much considering how heavily he relies on his jump-shot, though, sporting a negative assist to turnover ratio.
The Puerto Rico native uses his height and burly build to do a decent job of rebounding the ball for a swingman, caroming boards to the tune of 4.6 per game. His size doesnt especially help him on the defensive end though, where he struggles to guard even small forwards at the collegiate level. Vassallos poor lateral quickness hurts him especially when trying to contain players with strong dribble drive arsenals.
There will certainly be interest amongst NBA personnel for Vassallo simply due to his ability to shoot the ball from deep and put points on the board. He will have the chance to increase his scoring output this year while getting plenty of exposure in the ACC. Vassallo should have the opportunity to strut his stuff at Portsmouth and then possibly the NBA Pre-Draft camp, and strong showings at either should give him the opportunity to at least receive a training camp invite.
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