When Travis Watson got back to Charlottesville, Va., this year, suddenly all of the college basketball spotlights hit him. His role as a second option on offense was over. He was now the big man on campus.
After Roger Mason Jr. left early for the NBA, Watson has earned respect for his ACC rebounding crown last season as well as his tough defending in the post. This year Watson's role as team captain and preseason All-American candidate will be very different than his previous three seasons.
On the court last year Virginia ripped through its first 16 games with a 14-2 record before plummeting off the face of the earth and losing 10 of their next 13 contests. Watson, who averaged 13.6 points per game last year, is ready to prove his worth this season as an on-court leader and key player in close games.
"We're going to try and make a new statement this year," Watson said. "We're not going to let what happened last season happen a second time around."
Last year, Watson lacked a true center inside so he had to take the role of guarding taller players all season. With the addition of 6-foot-10 transfer Nick Vader Laan from Berkeley, Watson will be able to play his true position at power forward. His beasty 9.6 rebounds per game last season could decrease this year with the help of Vader Laan, but he will be able to roam the lane more freely on offense. Head coach Pete Gillen is excited that his star player will have more help in the frontcourt this year.
"I think he's one of the top guys in the ACC," Gillen said. "He can play the power forward more this year which will help him. I think he's improved his game and we just hope we can keep him healthy."
This summer Watson worked on honing his skills in the post and stepping outside the lane. Last season he converted seven of 14 three-point attempts, a place where he could rarely venture because the lack of size on the Cavalier team kept him in the paint. The preseason Wooden candidate said he has tried to expand his game this summer.
"I really worked on everything," Watson said. "I worked on shooting and facing up to the basket. I'm a post player so I worked on a lot of my post moves."
Watson possesses the skill of outplaying taller and larger players inside with a combination of quickness and deft rebounding sense. He adapted to this different style through watching shorter power forwards when he was younger. The Brookneal, Va., native notes a few people who have influenced his distinct style of play.
"When I was younger I loved Dennis Rodman," Watson said. "I loved [Charles] Barkley and David Robinson too. Barkley is a man-child and Rodman goes after every ball. Some games he'll have a double-double but you know he's going to have 10 rebounds."
Watson plays with the same ferocity as his childhood basketball heroes, many times overpowering players for a single rebound. Despite his solid defensive play last year, most of Virginia's problems were coming up with a key stop. Watson thought his team was not focusing enough on their own end of the court, something that will need to change this season.
"I don't think we were bad [defensively] last year, but I just don't think the intensity was there," Watson said. "There are five players out there, and if one guy doesn't have the intensity to really strap up on his guy, that puts too much pressure on the other four, and sometimes that was the case."
Gillen realizes that Watson will be his key player on the offensive end this season. The power forward's scoring average should increase this season, with the departures of Mason Jr. and Chris Williams. Watson already knows in the preseason that he will have to carry the team when needed to in a tough stretch during the game.
"I have the green light to shoot whenever I want to," Watson said. "I could definitely step outside if I needed to."
After a disappointing NIT loss to South Carolina ended the Wahoos season a year ago, Watson is out to make one last run in his senior campaign.
"Last year, I don't know what happened," Watson said. "This year, we're going to put out a lot of effort, go after everybody, especially on the defensive side of the floor."
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