Viktor Lakhin

[red_n_black_attack]

I like to go back to Rocky IV with Ivan Drago. With Drago saying "I must break you". That is how Vic is playing right now.

Let's hope he doesn't get broken like Rocky did to Drago. Even against Houston and Memphis, Vik is almost dominating the post against really good competition. If he keeps up this type of play, and comes back next year, I can see next easily being his last year before NBA draft.

[Rufus]

The DDJ thread got hijacked by the nickname Viktor Lahkin should or shouldn't have. So why don't some one who has an ear to the team ask what the players call him. It's the team that usually hangs the tag on a teammate, I would have never guessed MAW would have "Shoey" hung on him. Most of the time it's usually a derivative of their actual name. So who out there knows what his teammates call him. L

[Lobot]

Now seems like a good time to point out that Viktor has his undergrad degree as of today. Congrats Vik.

[swilsonsp4]

I'm not completely sure why, beyond injuries and loss of confidence (especially having to endure booing and heckling by fans who previously joyfully cheered him on), but 2023-24 was a lousy year for Viktor Lakhin. I wish him well in his final year at Clemson. Here's a passage from a Tigers' website on his potential impact there as the starting center:

Viktor Lakhin, from Cincinnati

Expected role: Starting center.

Another rock-solid addition to Clemson's mix. Lakhin struggled a bit with Cincinnati's two-big lineups, but the pairing next to a comfortable perimeter option like Schieffelin should be a lot less clunky than next to a dunker-spot big man like Aziz Bandaogo. If Lakhin can continue to extend his range and improve his decision-making, he can be an easy double-digit performer for this Clemson club. He wasn't cheap, but he wasn't quite as expensive as some of the other portal bigs because of the timing. Clemson's bang for its buck will be worthwhile.

[Lobot]

He's engaged to a Clemson student as well which might explain a lot of things.