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With a large second year class, it could be easy to get lost in the mix this year at Virginia. Somehow, I don't think that will happen with Milton, GA native Evan Nolte.
Nolte played in 35 games last season, getting the starting nod in eight of them. As fellow teammates Darion Atkins and Mike Tobey fell victim to injury and 'water fountains', Evan stepped up in a big way. He averaged a solid 5.7 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 1 assist per game, even despite a drop in his contributions late in the season. As the season progressed, the extra wear and tear down low appeared to affect his effectiveness.
Now that Atkins is healthy, transfer Gill is in the mix, Tobey has matured even more through his summer play, and Third Team All-ACC Akil Mitchell is back for one more year, it appears as though Nolte can fall back into the role he excelled in through the first half of ACC play last season.
Depth is a recurring theme for the 2013-2014 Virginia team, and Nolte is a huge part of that as he provides versatility. His defense needs to improve from last year, having given up a lot of silly, youthful fouls throughout the season. If the Wahoos want to have a deep run in the NCAA Tournament (or hell, the ACC Tourney), they will need solid defense and sharpshooting contributions from Evan.
Beyond his on-court success, Nolte is a great character outside of his basketball life. Definitely give him a follow on Twitter, and his Vine posts might be some of the best out there.
The Stats:
Position: Forward
Height: 6-8
Weight: 227
Biggest Skill: 'The Nolte Face'
Best Performance Last Season: @Virginia Tech (18 points, 5 three pointers, 4 steals)
Twitter: @EvanNolte
Best Tweet: Following the Norfolk State game in which he fouled out...
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Can't even pick up my phone without getting a foul called on me <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23sheeesh&src=hash">#sheeesh</a></p>— Evan Nolte (@EvanNolte) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanNolte/statuses/314228596300447744">March 20, 2013</a></blockquote>
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Best Vine:
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet"><p>Happy birthday to AG!! <a href="https://t.co/0tjnQjwCYX">https://t.co/0tjnQjwCYX</a></p>— Evan Nolte (@EvanNolte) <a href="https://twitter.com/EvanNolte/statuses/391022250033676289">October 18, 2013</a></blockquote>
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