FILM ROOM: Elsa Vadfors knows how to use her size to her advantage

There may not be a tone of tape out there on Kentucky’s most recent addition, Elsa Vadfors, but there’s just enough to get an idea of what the 6-foot-5 product out of Sweden can bring to the table.

As we have done with each player that Kenny Brooks has reeled in this offseason, we dove into the KSR Film Room and broke down some of Vadfors’ film. You can check out the Film Room articles we did for each of Kentucky’s three transfers below.

• Josie Gilvin FILM ROOM
• Asia Boone FILM ROOM
• Tonie Morgan FILM ROOM

If you want to watch Vadfors’ film for yourself, she posted a two-minute highlight reel on her social media feed:

Higlights from this season
6’5 forward/center #15
Class of 2025 pic.twitter.com/FaP1e0QO0F

— Elsa Vadfors (@elsavadfors) July 10, 2024

Able to use her length to contest drives and shots down low

Being 6-foot-5, Vadfors is able to use her length and height in order to act as a wall on the defensive end of the floor.

She does a good job of sticking to her assignment defensively, whether her job is to maintain her zone or play man-to-man. When guards try to drive to the hoop and score, she’s always there to contest their shot. Oftentimes, she’s able to get a hand on the ball and block the shot. Other times, guards realize the mistake they’ve made and kick the ball out.

Plus, she does a good job of contesting shots without fouling — something that last year’s Kentucky team really struggled with at times.

Being active without the ball in her hands

A lot of times, you see players kind of just stand around if they aren’t the one with the ball in their hands, and that tends to lead to iso-ball and more than anything, stagnant offense. However, Vadfors is effective when it comes to always moving. You won’t find her standing around too often.

Perhaps more importantly, she’s quick in transition and gets down the floor in a hurry. Unlike a lot of bigs, she doesn’t trail the offense in transition. A lot of the time, she’s one of the first players down the floor. Then, she knows when to cut on offense in order to set herself up down low. Whether it be from the high post or out by the wing, Vadfors is good at recognizing when she should cut to the basket.

Having a soft touch around the rim

Maybe the easiest thing to pick up on when watching her film is that she has a soft touch around the basket. It isn’t often that she’s throwing up a shot and it misses badly. Her footwork is something to take note of too. While it isn’t elite by any means, she has some moves in her bag that allow her to get better looks at the basket.

Obviously, Vadfors is more of a “project” than anything, but with her God-given size and finesse in the paint, she could provide quality minutes early on in her collegiate career.

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