Analysis: Offense comes easy for UNLV recruit Edoardo Del Cadia

By Mike Grimala (contact)

Saturday, May 2, 2020 | 2 a.m.

UNLV was seriously lacking in frontcourt skill last year. Backup center Vitaliy Shibel could make a wide-open 3-pointer if defenses forgot to cover him, but aside from that the Rebels didn’t have big men who could dribble, pass, shoot or otherwise get involved in the offense in an impactful way.

Because of that, coach T.J. Otzelberger had to temper his offensive scheme to work with what he had.

That shouldn’t be an issue going forward. Otzelberger is bringing in his own recruits now, and based on his first full recruiting class we are getting a pretty clear idea of what he wants in his big men. Incoming freshman Jhaylon Martinez is raw, but his passing and vision make him a very skilled project. And juco prospect Edoardo Del Cadia is even more polished.

Del Cadia, a native of Italy, played last year at the College of Central Florida and posted some intriguing numbers. In 27 games at the juco level, the 6-foot-7 forward averaged 13.2 points and 9.1 rebounds while shooting 48.3 percent from the field.

The stats don’t tell the whole story. The most impressive aspect of Del Cadia’s game is his overall skill level; he can dribble, pass, shoot and do all the other things that Otzelberger had to scheme away from last year.

He’s a confident ball-handler and a creative passer, capable of initiating a fast break via either route. His ability to put the ball on the floor and keep it moving on time in the halfcourt offense must have Otzelberger raring to get to work on the clipboard:

With all due respect to last year’s contributors, the first play in that clip is something Shibel or Mbacke Diong will never be able to do. Del Cadia brings the ball up court at full speed to break the press, dribbles behind his back (rather casually), crosses over, spins, drives and finds a cutter for a layup — without committing a charge. That’s skill.

That kind of stuff should earn Del Cadia playing time early with the Rebels. It will also help that he’s used to playing in a spread offense, as Central Florida employed him as the big man in a 5-out attack. That means Del Cadia has experience in space and on the perimeter, executing handoffs, making reads and moving the rock.

He’s got a good feel for passing the ball, whether it’s quick look-aheads to get his team into transition or clever halfcourt dimes:

And of course, there’s the first question asked of any potential small-ball big man: Can he shoot?

Del Cadia can. That’s what the numbers suggest, anyway. He took more than two 3-pointers per game at Central Florida and connected at 37.7 percent (23-of-61); he also displayed a rock-solid stroke from the free-throw line, where he nailed 81.8 percent (108-of-132).

In the game I watched, Del Cadia made two of his four jump shots (1-of-3 from 3-point range):

The skills are nice, but Del Cadia is not all finesse. He is a willing screener — more than willing, even, as he seemed to enjoy laying the wood on unsuspecting defenders in the game I watched:

If there’s a question about Del Cadia’s offensive game, it’s his ability to finish around the basket. He’s not an explosive leaper, and at 6-foot-7 that can make it difficult to convert among the trees at times.

There were instances when he rushed his shot and put up some wild attempts around the rim, but his quick release is also what allowed him to slip in layups against would-be shot blockers:

Del Cadia did shoot 52.0 percent on 2-pointers last year, so perhaps his inconsistent finishing was due to a small sample size.

For all his offensive polish, Del Cadia isn’t as advanced on the defensive end. As a small-ball big man, he will be tasked with switching onto small players and defending the rim. It’s one of the most valuable talents a player can have, and based on the game I watched there is still some room for improvement.

Del Cadia has quick enough feet to come off his primary assignment and help wall off the paint against penetration, but he’s not a shot-blocking threat. He only averaged 0.6 blocks per game in junior college, often preferring to plant his feet and rely on verticality to try and alter shots:

The good news is that he plays hard on defense. He pulled down 11 rebounds in the game I watched and was relentless in chasing loose balls.

He also turned in this gem of a defensive play with his team trailing by two points in the final minute:

First he stonewalls the drive, then jumps out and knocks the ball away, leading to a game-tying transition layup. We know how much Otzelberger values hustle, and that play is a great example of how maniacal effort can change a game.

With that being said, Del Cadia is going to earn his scholarship on the other end of the floor. As long as he’s passable on defense, it will be his offensive skill that allows him to make an impact for UNLV.

With Diong’s stagnation on offense and Martinez’s rawness, there will be an opportunity for Del Cadia to shoot and pass his way into the starting lineup in 2020-21. If the rest of the roster shakes out in a way that allows Otzelberger to surround Del Cadia with four other shooters, that proposition will be hard for the coach to resist.

Mike Grimala can be reached at 702-948-7844 or [email protected]. Follow Mike on Twitter at twitter.com/mikegrimala.