Has Boise St. arrived? – Travis Williams

September 1st, 2010 by traviswilliams

If you’ve a Virginia Tech fan from the BMV (before Michael Vick) era, you know what a grueling process it is for a program to go from a virtual unknown to prominence on the national level. Virginia Tech has traveled this path and many feel that their Labor Day opponent, Boise St., has accomplished a similar feat. But have the Broncos really reached the point of being considered a top program on a national level?

A quick glance at Boise St.’s record over the past five seasons (58-8) would lead you to answer that question with a yes, but by looking a little deeper into those numbers your opinion might begin to waiver.

In those five seasons Boise has played a ranked opponent nine times, winning four of those contests. They defeated #3 TCU, #7 Oklahoma, and Oregon twice, ranked #16 and #17 at the time, while losing to #13 Georgia, #20 Fresno St., #14 Hawaii, #19 Boston College, and #11 TCU.

Just to provide a frame of reference, during that same time period Virginia Tech played 21 ranked opponents, defeating 12 of them.

Also over the five year span the Broncos have played eight schools from BCS conferences, earning wins in four of those contests, again defeating Oklahoma, Oregon twice, and Oregon St. They lost match ups against Georgia, Oregon St., Washington, and Boston College.

Compare that with Virginia Tech, who played 54 games against BCS schools over the past five years and earned a total of 41 victories.

So who makes up the rest of Boise St.’s 58 wins? Typically non-BCS schools who the Broncos were highly favored over.

Between the 2008 and 2009 seasons Boise St. has been favored by double digits in all but four games. In 09 against Tulsa (-9.5) and Fresno St. (-7) and in 08 against San Jose St. (-7.5) and Nevada (-6.5). They won those four games by an average of just over 14 points.

Now just because the teams Boise played weren’t extremely success doesn’t mean the Broncos did not face some top level talent, so let’s look a little deeper on the individual level. During the 2009 season the Broncos played teams which included a total of 10 players taken in the 2010 NFL draft, six of which were on either TCU or Oregon. That’s not such a low number until you considered that during the Hokies’ 2009 campaign they faced off against a total of 29 future draft picks.

Now does this mean Boise St. is not a program which has made great strides in the world of college football? Absolutely not. They deserve all the credit in the world for what they have accomplished, but proclaiming they have arrived as a top program on the national level by knocking out a small handful of heavyweights, while spending the majority of their time beating up on featherweights seems a little premature. They have yet to complete the journey to joining the nations top programs, but with that said September 6th will provide Chris Peterson’s Broncos with a grand stage on which to produce their best counter argument.

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No redshirt for Wilson and the defense shakes things up a bit

August 31st, 2010 by traviswilliams

Monday afternoon Virginia Tech head coach Frank Beamer made it official; David Wilson will be on the field for the Hokies in 2010.

Most people already assumed this to be true, based on Wilson’s stellar performances in the preseason scrimmages and the public acknowledgment of his desire to play this season, but Beamer locked it in Monday. According to Beamer’s blog, Beamerball.com, he feels that Wilson brings another element to the backfield and that it’s important for the team to put it’s best players on the field.

Along with getting touches at tailback, Wilson will join wide receiver Dyrrel Roberts as a kick returner. Roberts was the ACC’s second leading returner in 2009, averaging 31.9 yards per return.

The Hokies also addressed their need for depth at whip linebacker position Monday. They have been hampered with injuries at this position with Zach Luckett and Alonzo Tweedy rehabbing from injuries, while Lorenzo Williams is out for the season due to foot surgery. Starting rover Davon Morgan will backup starter Jeron Gouveia-Winslow at whip, with r – freshman free safety Antone Exum taking over Morgan’s spot when he does so.


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Top Concerns For Virginia Tech Heading into Boise State Opener – Justin Cocchiola of Bleacher Report

August 29th, 2010 by Justin Cocchiola

Virginia Tech is set to take in Boise State at FedEx Field in just over a week.  Saturday, the coaching staff held their final open scrimmage and the first team unit looked impressive.

Tyrod Taylor completed 16-of-17 passes for 319 yards and three scores, and his performance had head coach Frank Beamer gushing about his senior quarterback.  “I’ve said it all along. I feel the same way with him out there as I did with Michael Vick,” said Beamer.  “The next play could be a big play. Any play has a chance of going a long way, and Tyrod gives you that same element.”

High praise from Beamer, and it’s definitely good for Hokie fans to hear that heading into the season.  However, the same success from Saturday’s scrimmage has led to a few concerns.  Add injuries to the mix, and it’s evident the Hokies have a few questions they need answered in the next eight days.

The offensive line should be pretty solid for the Hokies this year, but there is one glaring hole that needs to be filled before September 6th.  Nick Becton was named the starting left tackle for the Hokies heading into summer practice, but he’s been hampered by a nagging turf toe injury.

The injury has caused him to miss a significant amount of time, and he only got a few reps in Saturday’s scrimmage.  The injury has given redshirt-junior Andrew Lanier time to get settled into the position, and the coaching staff is expecting Lanier to start against Boise State.

This could be the Hokies biggest worry heading in to their matchup with the Broncos, because the left tackle position blocks Taylor’s blind side.  It’s an incredibly important position, and one that can affect the outcome of the game.

The coaching staff does expect Becton to play, so if Lanier is struggling the Hokies will have options.  However, it’s obvious Becton will not be at full-strength.

Lanier will need to have a great week of practice and the coaching staff will have him ready to go by Labor Day.  It’s up to Lanier to execute on the field, and he may be the biggest wild card for the Hokies heading in to the opener.

Beamer Ball is also of concern, but it’s only because the Hokies first team unit has done a tremendous job of blocking punts in summer practice.  The Hokies have blocked a number of punts this offseason, which is good and bad.  It means one unit is doing their job and the other is not.  Saturday was no exception.

The first team punt coverage unit blocked a punt in the scrimmage on starting punter Brian Saunders.  Redshirt-sophomore Marcus Davis blocked the punt and senior Zach Luckett picked it up and took it in for six.

Blocking punts is always good when their against another team.  They were up against the second unit, and you would like to see the second team unit play better as a group.

If anything, blocking punts should be a good sign for the Hokies, but you do want to see better protection, and when the blocked punt comes against the starting punter there’s always room for concern.

The good news, Luckett, who’s a special teams standout, looks like he’s recovering nicely from his season-ending injury last year and he can really give the Hokies a boost in their Beamer Ball mentality.

Worrying about which 1,000 yard rusher is going to receive the brunt of the work is always a great problem to have.  However, managing the situation can cause a distraction.

Running back’s coach Billy Hite has been on record saying which ever back is hot is going to receive the majority of the carries.  It makes plenty of sense, but it’s also hard for a running back to his stride when he’s coming off the field every three plays or so.

Hite has said that there will be formations with both Darren Evans and Ryan Williams in the backfield at the same time, which will be great fun for opposing defensive coordinators to plan for.

Having a great running game will be key to the Hokies success this year, and trying to manage the amount of carries each player is receiving should get easier as the season wares on.

Plus, it’s a long season.  Guys are going to get injured and not be at full-strength, and having two capable backs should limit the ware on each player.

But that leads in to another concern for Virginia Tech.  The coaching staff feels they have three capable backs, and their not sure what to do with their speedy sophomore rusher.

David Wilson has the potential to be the next great back at Virginia Tech, and many think that he will be.  The sophomore didn’t redshirt last season, and saw limited action.

Wilson had 334 yards rushing on 59 attempts.  That’s a 5.7 yards per carry average, and he added four scores.  Wilson also contributed on special teams, averaging 19 yard per return on kickoffs.

The coaching staff wants to redshirt Wilson for one reason.  They don’t want him to lose a year of eligibility if he’s only going to see limited action.  Wilson probably should have been redshirted last season, but he wasn’t.  This is making it even harder on the coaching staff to place the tag on him in 2010.

Wilson is known for his freak athletic ability and his lightning fast speed.  He’s also a member of the Virginia Tech Track and Field team, which is why his 4.29 40-time is tied for the highest on the team.

There’s no doubt Wilson can contribute to this team right away, but will he get enough action over the course of the season to make it worth his time?  That’s the question facing the coaching staff right now, and if they’re worried about Williams and Evans getting enough carries, it’s going to be difficult to add Wilson to the mix.

However, Wilson has performed at a high level in all of the summer scrimmages adding to the most controversial question facing the coaching staff this offseason.

There is also concern of how the Hokies will perform on defense this year.  “Our expectations aren’t going to change just because we’ve got seven new starters.”  That’s what Bud Foster had to say about one of the youngest defensive units he’s had to coach up in over a decade.

There will be seven new starters on the Hokies defense, and probably eight if you add in the fact that Barquell Rivers likely won’t see the field in the opener.

The Hokies have had success with young defense’s in the past, and the defense should have a good season in 2010.  But the question isn’t how the defense will perform for the upcoming season.  The big question is how the defense will perform in the season opener.

Huge expectations, an even bigger matchup and the game is on a national holiday on Monday night.  This matchup is likely to log a pretty big rating, and all of the media hype surrounding the game can be overwhelming for young  players.

That shouldn’t be a huge problem.  Most of the guys who will start on defense have seen a lot of game action in the past.  The spotlight shouldn’t affect them, but how these guys play as a unit could.

The first team defense didn’t allow the second team offense to score a single point in Saturday’s scrimmage, which is a good sign.  Boise State’s offense is going to be a different monster, but you can’t ask for more than shutout from a unit in any situation.

The Hokies’ defense has experience, just not a lot of starting experience.  How they play as a unit will be key, but if there’s one coach in college football who will have them prepared in time for the opener it’s Bud Foster.

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Why Virginia Tech Will Beat Boise State on Labor Day – Justin Cocchiola of Bleacher Report

August 25th, 2010 by Justin Cocchiola

Virginia Tech and Boise State will meet at FedEx Field in the nation’s capital on September 6th in prime time, and the perennial underdog third-ranked Broncos are finally the favorite.

However, Virginia Tech will have something to say about that.

Whenever anyone talks about this game, you always hear that Boise State is returning 23 of 24 starters and that the Hokies are going to have an inexperienced defense.

As long as Bud Foster is the defensive coordinator at Virginia Tech, the defense has nothing to worry about.

Yes, they don’t have a lot of experience playing together, but it’s not like the Hokies are running true freshmen out onto the field and asking them to stop the Broncos offense.

Every probable starter on the Hokies defense has in-game experience. They’ve all played in big games, even though they weren’t the guys on the field when the game began.

The Hokies had similar questions on defense coming into last season, and everyone points to how the defense was dominated by Alabama in the fourth quarter of last year’s opener. Alabama dominated time of possession, a game in and of itself, which led the Hokies defense to give up big plays in that fourth quarter.

If you watched the game, you realize that wasn’t so much the defense’s fault. The Tech offense couldn’t sustain a drive, and the defense never got off the field.

Yes, seven starters from last year’s team are gone, but Foster has led a top-20 defense for six straight years.

If you’re wondering the last time the Hokies lost the majority of their defensive starters, it was 2000, when Foster returned only three defensive starters from the previous year. The Hokies went 11-1.

Special teams is another reason Virginia Tech should beat Boise State.  At many programs the best players will come off the field when the special teams unit takes the field; that’s not always the case in Blacksburg.

Guys want to play on special teams because “Beamer Ball” is one of the greatest traditions in Hokies football.

Cris Hill is competing for the starting cornerback spot for the Hokies, and in last Saturday’s scrimmage he blocked two punts. Here’s what Hill told Hokie Sports Insider Jimmy Robertson after the scrimmage:

“This is a good way for me to use my speed and use my quickness,” Hill said. “I really enjoy blocking kicks. It’s part of the tradition here, so I’m doing whatever I can to help out.”

“Coach Beamer says this is the greatest [punt block] team of athletes ever assembled, so we take that mindset every day when we go out there. We’re trying to get more blocked kicks this year.”

That’s a scary thought for opposing teams. The Hokies have always had great punt blocking units, so for Beamer to say this could be the best tells you what he thinks of his special teams this year.

Getting over the hump of opening the season at a neutral site the last two seasons and going 0-2 has to be serving as motivation for Tech.

Last year, the Hokies lost to the eventual national champion Crimson Tide, and the year before they lost to East Carolina in Charlotte.

The Hokies came into both of those games with huge questions on offense. This year, that’s not the case. The Hokies have more question marks on their defense than anywhere else.

However, the Hokies offense has been their worst defense the last couple of years. Early last year, the Tech offense looked lost at times, and it had no real identity. In 2008, there was a quarterback controversy, and question marks as to who was going to carry the load on the ground.

Those questions are no more. The Hokies have an identity on offense, which will do nothing but help their defense.

The defense doesn’t have to play great for the Hokies to have a chance at winning anymore. The Hokies finally have a team that the fans and coaching staff are confident will score points on offense.

The third neutral site opener in three years for Virginia Tech will be the charm. Boise State won’t be able to consistently stop the offense, and they won’t be able to score enough points against the defense.

Time of possession will be key in this one, and the Hokies have a pretty good rushing attack to give them the edge in that category. If defense wins championships, the Hokies would have multiple national titles by now. However, it’s best for a defense to be supported by a good offense, and the Hokies finally have that on their side.

Tyrod Taylor is 23-5 as a starter at Virginia Tech. He’s thrown for over 4,000 yards in his Tech career and rushed for 1,500 yards.

Taylor is coming off his best season as a starter. He passed for 2,300 yards and 13 touchdowns last season, with only five picks. Taylor was very efficient last year, ranking near the top in passer efficiency in the nation.

Taylor’s passing numbers won’t blow you off the field, but this will be the best unit he has ever played with, by far. Last year, he still had young wide receivers trying to learn the offense, but he did have Ryan Williams to rely on. This year, those wide receivers should be set to break out.

Dyrell Roberts, Jarrett Boykins, and Danny Coale are his top three returning wide receivers, and Williams and Darren Evans will only add to the success of the pass.

Taylor is now past the point of being the game manager. He’s not the best athlete on the Tech offense, which is saying a lot, but he is the leader. Taylor has a chance to make history at Virginia Tech, and he’s got a very good supporting cast around him, so I expect Taylor’s numbers to be very impressive in 2010, starting against Boise State on Labor Day.

However, there’s nothing I’ve looked forward to more in the upcoming 2010 season than Virginia Tech’s running game.

Williams and Evans have the chance to be the best tandem in school history and potentially one of the best one-two punches college football has ever seen.

This will be the first year the two backs are sharing the backfield. Both have rushed for well over 1,000 yards in seasons where they received the bulk of the carries.

Williams will be the starter, and Evans will spell him when they’re not on the field at the same time. How defenses plan on stopping this ground attack is the key to the Hokies’ success. The problem for opposing defenses is choosing how to defend the Hokies offense—a welcome change in Blacksburg.

If you stack the box with eight defenders, the Hokies have a very capable aerial attack that could hurt you. I wouldn’t want to have to draw up a defensive game plan for Virginia Tech.

Will both of the backs rush for 1,000 yards? That remains to be seen, but probably not. What’s most important is the threat the two of them provide together.

The ground game is the No. 1 reason the Hokies will beat Boise State. Yes, the Broncos have experience on defense, but they don’t have the personnel to consistently stop Virginia Tech’s rushing attack.

Williams and Evans will led the Hokies to victory on September 6th and set the tone for the rest of their 2010 campaign.

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Boise State Game Seems to Put Hokies in Supporting Roles – Glenn VanLandingham of Virginia Tech Fan

August 25th, 2010 by glennv

There’s only a few more grueling days left for football starved fans this summer. Virginia Tech fans seems to have been looking forward to another big opening game for an eternity. This year’s opening Virginia Tech vs Boise St game at FedEx field in Landover, MD has been the central point of the off-season, as much as anything else.

Football fans including Hokies have been able to bide the off-season in the blogs, pre-season magazines, and of course all the top 25 rankings that are out. Virginia Tech finds itself with its highest pre-season ranking in the coaches poll in its history (#6), and of course plenty of preseason hype about its opening game.
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Early, Early Picks for ACC Basketball–2010-11

May 13th, 2010 by Brandon Rink

Here’s a simulcast with my daily ACC blog at On The B. Rink…

Last couple weeks, we looked at the early entrants and the grads–but how about the ACC players coming back and how the ACC dominoes fall next season?

The News & Observer puts together an early projected starting lineup yearly with early entrants/graduation/new recruits factored in and here’s my early picks based off how the ACC is looking at this point.

1. Duke Blue Devils

2009-10: 13-3, first
G Kyrie Irving, fr.
G Seth Curry, soph. (20.2 ppg @ Liberty)
G Nolan Smith, sr. (17.4 ppg)
F Kyle Singler, sr. (17.7 ppg)
F Mason Plumlee, soph. (3.7 ppg)
Bench: G Andre Dawkins, F Miles Plumlee, F Ryan Kelly, F Josh Hairston

Outlook: Loooooooooooooooaded. They will be a unanimous choice for the ACC and one of the top teams in the country.

2. Florida State Seminoles

2009-10: 10-6, third
G Derwin Kitchen, sr. (8.1 ppg)
G Deividas Dulkys, jr. (8.7 ppg)
G Michael Snaer, soph. (8.8 ppg)
F Chris Singleton, jr. (10.2 ppg)
F Xavier Gibson, jr. (5.5 ppg)
Bench: G Luke Loucks, F Terrance Shannon, PG Ian Miller, F Okaro White, F Jon Kreft

Outlook: No Alabi, no problem? That’s what I’m saying–the cupboard isn’t bare at FSU and if there’s a year that Hamilton’s Noles make a run–it has to be this season.

3. Virginia Tech Hokies

2009-10: 10-6, fourth
G Malcolm Delaney, sr. (20.2 ppg)
G Dorenzo Hudson, sr. (12.0 ppg)
F Terrell Bell, sr. (6.1 ppg)
F Victor Davila, jr. (5.3 ppg)
F Jeff Allen, sr. (15.2 ppg)
Bench: F J.T. Thompson, G Erick Green, F Jarell Eddie, F Allan Chaney, F Cadarian Raines, F Manny Atkins, G Ben Boggs

Outlook: The time is now in Blacksburg as they return everybody. Greenberg needs to advance past simply making the ever-elusive NCAA Tourney, but win some games in said tourney.

4. North Carolina Tar Heels

2009-10: 5-11, 10th
G Larry Drew II, jr. (8.5 ppg)
G Reggie Bullock, fr.
F Harrison Barnes, fr.
F John Henson, soph. (5.7 ppg)
F Tyler Zeller, jr. (9.3 ppg)
Bench: F Will Graves, G Dexter Strickland, PG Kendall Marshall, G Leslie McDonald

Outlook: The Tar Heels are an interesting squad to watch this season because they had such a fall from grace last season. Heels are still young and Williams will have quite a coaching job to do to get UNC back to the top.

5. Maryland Terrapins

2009-10: 13-3, second
G Adrian Bowie, sr. (4.8 ppg)
G Sean Mosley, jr. (10.1 ppg)
G Cliff Tucker, sr. (5.7 ppg)
F Dino Gregory, sr. (4.2 ppg)
F Jordan Williams, soph. (9.6 ppg)
Bench: F James Padgett, G Terrell Stoglin, F Mychal Parker, PG Pe’Shon Howard

Outlook: Terps lose three of their biggest starters from last season with Vasquez, Hayes, and Milbourne, but they have a talented group coming back. Sean Mosley has to step into the go-to-guy role and Jordan Williams has to expand his role in the paint for the Terps to stay here.

6. Clemson Tigers

2009-10: 9-7, sixth
G Demontez Stitt, sr. (11.4 ppg)
G Tanner Smith, jr. (8.7 ppg)
F Milton Jennings, soph. (3.2 ppg)
F Devin Booker, soph. (4.5 ppg)
F Jerai Grant, sr. (7.2 ppg)
Bench: G Noel Johnson, G Andre Young, G Donte Hill, F Bryan Narcisse

Outlook: The Tigers are in transition between philosophies with a new coach in Brownell and lose star forward Trevor Booker, but this team still has the guns to compete in a wide-open(past Duke) ACC.

7. N.C. State Wolfpack

2009-10: 5-11, 11th
G Javier Gonzalez, sr. (9.5 ppg)
G Lorenzo Brown, fr.
F C.J. Leslie, fr.
F Richard Howell, soph. (4.9 ppg)
F Tracy Smith, sr. (16.5 ppg)
Bench: PG Ryan Harrow, G Scott Wood, G C.J. Williams, F DeShawn Painter, F Jordan Vandenberg

Outlook: Expectations should be high in Raleigh with a talented crew coming in and back. If Lowe can capture the magic of the ACC Tourney run to the semis, the Pack can go far, but I’m staying a bit skeptical on them.

8. Miami Hurricanes

2009-10: 4-12, 12th
G Durand Scott, soph. (10.3 ppg)
G Malcolm Grant, jr. (9.6 ppg)
G DeQuan Jones, jr. (5.7 ppg)
F Julian Gamble, jr. (3.5 ppg)
F Reggie Johnson, soph. (6.4 ppg)
Bench: G Rion Brown, G Garrius Adams, G Antoine Allen, F Donnavan Kirk

Outlook: Miami will be a trendy pick this season, but I’m on the fence with them. I  like Scott and Johnson, but Miami has a lot to prove right now.

9. Virginia Cavaliers

2009-10: 5-11, ninth
G Jontel Evans, soph. (2.4 ppg)
G Sammy Zeglinski, jr. (8.9 ppg)
G K.T. Harrell, fr.
F Mike Scott, sr. (12.0 ppg)
F James Johnson, fr.
Bench: PG Billy Baron, F Will Regan, F Assane Sene, G Joe Harris, G Mustapha Farrakhan, F Will Sherrill

Outlook: I had the ‘Hoos at ninth in my early, early picks last season and that’s where they finished–completely new team coming to play next season with Bennett cleaning house, but they have some talent.

10. Boston College Eagles

2009-10: 6-10, eighth
G Reggie Jackson, jr. (12.9 ppg)
G Dallas Elmore, jr. (3.9 ppg)
F Corey Raji, sr. (11.4 ppg)
F Joe Trapani, sr. (14.1 ppg)
F Josh Southern, sr. (4.4 ppg)
Bench: PG Biko Paris, F Courtney Dunn

Outlook: New system, several transfers, and a squad of mostly unproven, consistently, players at this level–hard to get behind the Eagles at this point.

11. Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets

2009-10: 7-9, seventh
G Moe Miller, sr. (3.9 ppg)
G Iman Shumpert, jr. (10.0 ppg)
G Glen Rice Jr., soph. (5.4 ppg)
F Kammeon Holsey, r-fr.
F Brad Sheehan, sr. (1.2 ppg)
Bench: G Brian Oliver, PG Mfon Udofia, F Daniel Miller

Outlook: The Jackets return all of their primary guards, but the problem falls with losing the three best players off last year’s team with Favors, Lawal, and Peacock in the paint. I will stay cautious on Georgia Tech because I’m not sure the Jackets’ guards can carry them.

12. Wake Forest Demon Deacons

2009-10: 9-7, fifth
G Tony Chennault, fr.
G C.J. Harris, soph. (9.9 ppg)
F Ari Stewart, soph. (7.3 ppg)
F Tony Woods, jr. (4.6 ppg)
F Carson Derosiers, fr.
Bench: F Travis McKie, F Melvin Tabb, G J.T. Terrell, F Ty Walker, G Gary Clark

Outlook: New coach Jeff Bzdelik has a project on his hands, but the cupboard isn’t totally bare. If he can get the Deacs back to the NCAA Tourney, Bzdelik did a great coaching job.

Who’s too high? Who’s underrated? Can anyone knock off Duke? Early NCAA Tourney bid predictions?

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Virginia Tech vs Boise State Game Provides All the Off Season Motivation Hokies Need

April 15th, 2010 by glennv

The Virginia Tech football program like many of the other ACC squads is going through spring practice this month, the time of year when teams, coaches, players get to work out depth charts, size up freshman, and look forward to the coming season. Each spring practice seems to have its own feel and aura, which is driven by lots of factors. Often how the team ended its previous season, either good or bad can set the mood for spring practice, but more often than that its the hope and expectation for the coming year that are more defining.

For the 2010 Virginia Tech team, it is the expectations for the coming season that have set the tone for this month’s activities, and much of it has to do with its opening game.
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The Most Underrated Program in the ACC

March 8th, 2010 by Niemo

- Niemo is a Senior Writer for TechHoops.com, the authority on Virginia Tech basketball

So who is the most underrated program in ACC basketball?  Easy.  It is the school that currently has the top football program in the conference – Virginia Tech.  But Blacksburg isn’t just the home of good pigskin anymore, now roundball is taking off.

While everyone knows north carolina and duke have dominated the sport over the last 20 years, not many people would list Virginia Tech in the next group.  You would hear maryland, maybe clemson, maybe florida state, possibly even georgia tech.  But let’s start to look at facts.  Do you know who has the third most top four finishes in the last six seasons?  You’ve probably already guessed – it is Virginia Tech.  The Hokies have earned a first round bye in the ACC Tournament in four of their six seasons in the league.  duke and unc are tied with the most with five.  Behind the Hokies, no one has more than two.  maryland?  This year is the first time they’ve earned a bye in the last six years.  georgia tech?  Zero top four finishes in the last six years.  boston college and florida state have two each but everyone else has one or none (miami and georgia tech have zero).

Then if you look at winning percentages over the last six seasons, the Hokies are tied with wake and boston college with a 50% winning percentage in ACC regular season games (bc obviously has just five years in the league).  duke has the highest winning percentage over that span, just edging unc with a 73% record to unc’s 72%.  The terps are third with a 55% winning percentage, aided largely by this season (they were 50% heading into this year).

The Hokies have also won one ACC Tournament games each of the last three seasons, so they’ve even played 50% ball in the tourney.

Sure the Hokies have just one NCAA Tournament appearance in their previous five seasons, and that is a big marker in the ACC.  But they should pick up their second invitation to the Big Dance this year.  And with that achievement, maybe it is time the rest of the conference starts respecting the Hokies for something other than football.

SCHOOL WINS LOSSES PCT% BYES
boston college 40 40 50.0% 2
clemson 47 49 49.0% 1
duke 70 26 72.9% 5
florida state 47 49 49.0% 2
georgia tech 36 60 37.5% 1*
maryland 53 43 55.2% 1
miami 37 59 38.5% 0
north carolina 69 27 71.9% 5
nc state 37 59 38.5% 1
uva 36 60 37.5% 1
VIRGINIA TECH 48 48 50.0% 4
wake forest 48 48 50.0% 2

Note: georgia tech’s bye was as the 5th seed in the 2005 ACC Tournament, when the league still had just 11 teams.

- Niemo is a Senior Writer for TechHoops.com, the authority on Virginia Tech basketball

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Hokies Finally Get It Done

March 7th, 2010 by Niemo

-Niemo is a Senior Writer for TechHoops.com, the authority on Virginia Tech basketball.

For the last two years Virginia Tech had work left to be done heading into the ACC Tournament.   Two years ago they were 9-7 in conference, usually an automative for the Big Dance, but got shut out even after winning one game in the ACC Tournament.  Apparently 10-8 against ACC teams, and 19-13 overall, wasn’t good enough (including a last second loss in the semi-finals to #1 unc).  Head Coach Seth Greenberg broke out the ‘certifiably insane’ line, but that wasn’t enough.

Last year the Hokies jumped out to a 6-3 ACC record, and 16-7 overall, but limped home with a 2-6 record and another last second loss to unc.  This time there was no questioning the NCAA Selection Committee, Tech simply didn’t earn a bid.

That’s why this year means so much to Hokie fans.  Sure, they played a crappy out of conference schedule.  But they ripped through it with a 13-1 record, including beating bubble team seton hall without Malcolm Delaney.  Then the Hokies entered ACC season.  People said their schedule in this area was weak, and that was proven true.  Of the five teams VT played twice, they all finished in the bottom five of the league.  But the Hokies went 3-3 against the top seven teams in the conference, including a win over a georgia tech bubble team.

When the Hokies absolutely had to win, they did.  And they finished 23-7 and 10-6 in the best conference in the world.  If that isn’t a NCAA Tournament team, then you are certifiably insane.

-Niemo is a Senior Writer for TechHoops.com, the authority on Virginia Tech basketball

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Football School vs Basketball School for ACC Supremacy

February 20th, 2010 by Niemo

-Courtesy of TechHoops.com, the authority on Virginia Tech basketball

duke will be in first place in the ACC regardless of what happens Sunday night at Cameron Indoor when the Virginia Tech Hokies storm into town.  But the winner of this game will be the clear cut “top team”, and hottest team.  The Tri-Lambdas, uh, I mean blue devils, come in having won seven straight ACC games and five in a row overall since getting woodshedded at georgetown.  duke just waxed second place maryland last year, and a win over VT would show they are by far the best team in the league.  The Hokies are the ACC’s surprise team, sitting in second place at 8-3, winners of five straight ACC games, and eight of nine overall.  Tech was picked to finish anywhere from sixth to ninth in the preseason by the media but have vaulted to silver medal position with two weeks to go in the regular season.  Tech’s win over the ACC’s new second place team at the time, wake forest, showed the Hokies are for real.  Now the two go head to head for the only time this season.

The game is not only a contrast of styles, but also schools.  duke is private, Virginia Tech a state school.  duke is fairly small with 6k undergrads, Virginia Tech has 25,000 students.  duke has less attractive, nerdy students.  The Hokies have hot chicks and cool dudes that actually get invited to parties.  And then you get to the main difference – duke is a basketball school with three national titles and 14 Final Fours. Virginia Tech is known for football, having won three ACC titles in their six years in the league, and making 17 straight bowl appearances (including six major bowls).

A win in Cameron for the Hokies would be huge for their program.  Tech won there three years ago early in the year (including the infamous Deron Washington leap over Greg Paulus) and it supercharged the VT season.  The Hokies made the NCAA Tournament that year for the first time in 12 years.  This year, the Hokies also hope to make the Big Dance and a win at duke would all but clinch that berth and a Tech’s first return trip since 2007.  It would also assure VT returns to the polls for the first time since three years ago.

Then you have duke, who needs no introduction in the basketball world.  What would this win mean to them?  Not much.  But that’s the thing, it means everything to Coach K and therefore his players.  They don’t take nights off and play every game like the other team is wearing powder blue.  You know they will want to send a message to the league much like they did when they destroyed the terps last week.

The key for the Hokies is they must come out of the gates well.  They have trailed by double digits in four of their last five meetings with duke, all losses.  georgetown and nc state beat the devils by shooting lights out, the hoyas hitting 70% from the floor and the pack hitting 58%.  The Hokies, who have struggled from the floor early in games lately, need to get their transition game going early and find easy buckets.  Tech must also hit their open looks from 18-feet in.  But that is easier said than done against a duke defense that is #2 in ACC games in Scoring Defense.  They force you outside your comfort zone and make it tough to get into your offense.

On defense, the Hokies must rebound well.  duke is deadly from three-point range with Singler, Smith, and Scheyer all shooting over 39%.  But when they do miss, Tech needs to box out Zoubek and the Plumlees and get stops, not give up second chances.  With duke as the #1 Offensive Rebounding team in ACC play, that will be a challenge.

The Hokies have their work cut out for them, but for Hokie fans, it is nice to have a meaningful game this late in the season.  Tech basketball resembled blue devil football just seven years ago.  Those days are long gone and Tech continues to battle for basketball respect.  A win Sunday night would go a long way towards earning that.

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