In his freshman season, Sean Pedulla had to do a lot of waiting. He patiently waited for the moment to come when head coach Mike Young motioned for him to sub in. Pedulla could then take off his t-shirt from the Virginia Tech bench and let the #3 on the back of his jersey shone in bright maroon and orange as he took the floor for the Hokies.
Averaging just a tick under 13 minutes per game at 12.9, Pedulla was a role player for the 2021-22 Virginia Tech squad that went on to win the ACC Tournament Championship. His role expanded as the year went on. Pedulla played over 10 minutes in 10 out of the first 18 games last year. In the latter 18 games of the season, Pedulla was a double digit minutes earner in all but one game (ironically, the ACC Title game vs Duke).
Even with the backup point guard role, Pedulla made the most of his opportunity in lots of ways. He showed flashes of high octane scoring performances on numerous occasions. Pedulla poured in 20 points vs Florida State on the road in Tallahassee including six triples. In Tech’s final bout of the season, Pedulla scored 19 points, over half of which came from the charity stripe where he went a perfect 10/10. The flashes were always there, but could he establish game to game consistency?
Well, eight games into his sophomore campaign and Sean Pedulla is the offensive star of this 7-1 Virginia Tech team.
With the departure of the Hokies' 2021-22 starting PG Storm Murphy, Pedulla was slotted in as the de facto lead guard from the get go. In game one, Pedulla played 28 minutes vs Delaware State, which exceeded his previous career high of 23 minutes. The Edmond, Oklahoma product put in a solid 18 points and drilled five threes. From then on, it was clear Sean Pedulla’s breakout had begun.
In the Hokies next two home games, Pedulla went on to set new career highs in minutes played and points scored. He notched the 32 & 36 minute mark and scored 20 & 22 points respectively against Lehigh then William & Mary. For the season, Pedulla is at 34 minutes per game and a team leading 17 points per game. He’s also dishing out four assists a night and shooting 51/36/73 efficiency splits on a much higher load than the year prior.
So has Chef Sean’s rise more about more opportunity or a true step forward in his game?
I’d venture to say a steady combination of both but more of the latter than the former. Sure, his nine extra shots and 21 additional minutes lend themselves to higher production, but Pedulla looks more comfortable as a basketball player in all facets of the game.
It starts with Pedulla’s ability to attack the opposing defense at the point of attack. At a stocky 6’1, Pedulla doesn’t look like a menace going downhill, but he absolutely is.
Pedulla often dusts his man off the dribble and generates pressure on the rim. He uses pure craft and guile to maneuver his way around help defenders and create high value shots from all areas of the floor. Pedulla is shooting 64.5% at the rim this season, a strong figure for a guard.
Pedulla is also more than capable of putting the ball in the hoop as a mid-range assassin. While he likes to fire from long range plenty, Pedulla has used more drives and dribble moves to stop mid-range areas of the court and pull-up for jumpers.
The shots are falling for Pedulla at a high rate as he’s converting on 55.9% of his shots in the mid-range. A lot of the reason for his clean looks seem to stem from a tiger handle with the ball. Pedulla clearly has improved as a ball handler and is more versed with his crossover and step-back dribble combos than he was a year ago.
Then of course there’s Pedulla’s prowess as a three-point marksman. In 2021, Pedulla was a scorching 44.7% shooter from long range. That number has dipped to 36.6% in 2022 but the obvious reason why comes from his higher volume of attempts. He now shoots 5.1 threes a game compared to the 2.1 from last season. A lot of his threes this year are more difficult as well.
In his freshman season, Pedulla shot more catch and shoot threes. Now as the squad's lead ball handler, Pedulla has more looks to fire away off the dribble. While Pedulla has had nights of hot shooting, he has only hit 18% in the Hokies last four games. Still, Pedulla is a talented shooter with a smooth stroke who won’t let a few bad nights from behind the arc deter his confidence.
Therein lies the real difference in Pedulla’s game from his freshman to sophomore season. If Pedulla’s shot wasn’t falling last year, then he wasn’t much of a positive when he was on the floor. However, his game is so well-rounded now that even on off shooting nights from three, he’s still making an impact. The main way he’s doing so is with his clear growth as a playmaker.
Again, last season was one where Pedulla’s on-ball role was limited. Naturally, he only averaged one assist a game for the season. But, with the ball in his hands more and the keys to the Hokies offense, Pedulla is growing exponentially as a passer. He’s now able to make great live dribble reads, kicking out to open shooters off his own drives with perfect timing and accuracy on his dishes.
The numbers reflect this as Pedulla is now at 4.0 assists per game and boasts an impressive 21.6 assist percentage. He runs Mike Young’s offense to a tee and is doing a remarkable job of blending when to pass and when to score.
Here’s a full look at Pedulla’s fantastic advanced numbers through eight games.
- 23.9% usage rate
- 59.5% true shooting
- 21.6% assist percentage
- 64.5% rim FG
- 55.9% mid FG
- 36.6% 3P
- 9.1 3’s per 100 possessions
Sean Pedulla wasted absolutely no time whatsoever breaking out in his sophomore season. He’s been the Hokies offensive centerpiece and the guy that makes the whole ship go on that end. Pedulla is now a three-level scoring threat that defenses have to constantly adjust to as games go on. He is Tech’s top initiator and is shining as the star of the show this season.
