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Freshman forward Evan Nolte represents Tony Bennett's 2nd signee from Georgia in two years. Nolte joins sophomore Malcolm Brogdon as Virginia players from the Peach State. Nolte was a 4-star prospect coming out of Milton High, leading his team to two state titles in three seasons. Nolte was also the AAAAA Georgia Player of the Year his senior season, averaging 17 points and 7 rebounds per game. Nolte comes from a basketball family, as both his older brother and his father played basketball at the collegiate level.
Nolte is a great shooter, shooting 42% from 3-point land in high school. For a 6'8'' forward, that's quite impressive. Evan is an inside out player, who can play both on the wing and down in the post. Evan's highlights show a player with great athleticism for his size, and Nolte can definitely run the floor like a guard. Nolte is also pretty impressive off the dribble, getting to the basket and scoring comfortably. Outside of Mike Scott, Virginia struggled finding players who could create their own shot, and Nolte seems to be able to do that. Nolte, like freshman center Mike Tobey, could probably use a little extra muscle added to his frame. At 207 lbs., Nolte will need to be a stronger player to fend for rebounds in the post.
Evan Nolte's role on the team will probably be a big one for a younger player, not unlike Joe Harris in his freshman season. In fact, Nolte could start the first game of the season against in-state foe George Mason. Regardless of whether he starts the game or not, expect Nolte to get a good share of minutes on the wings, competing for playing time with Justin Anderson and Paul Jesperson. Nolte is a great fit for Tony Bennett's system. His length and athleticism makes him a good fit for the pack-line, and his ability to stretch the defense with his long range shooting make him a valuable asset on offense.
Evan Nolte is on twitter @EvanNolte
Evan Nolte 2011-2012 (via passersremorse)