2010-2011 Virginia Tech Basketball Season Preview

     The Virginia Tech Hokies open their 102nd season of men’s basketball in just 4 days when the Hokies host the Campbell Camels inside Cassell Coliseum on Friday.  It’s one of the most highly anticipated seasons ever for Virginia Tech basketball and the team, the fans, and even the media have high expectations for this year’s team.  Last season the Hokies tied a school record with 25 wins, but missed on their goal of making the NCAA tournament for the third straight season.  Will this be the year the Hokies finally break through?

     Having finished 25-9 last season, the Hokies’ biggest downfall was they played the wrong teams.  Some of the problem was out of the Hokies’ control (cough…Penn State…cough), but the bottom line is Seth Greenberg took matters into his own hands this offseason.  Like the team’s motto this year, Tech’s out of conference schedule is “All In.”  The Hokies are betting the house on their ability to navigate a grueling schedule which includes matchups with two preseason top-10 teams, and will have to rely on it’s veteran leaders early and often.

Key games:

• November 16th, at #3 Kansas State
• December 1st, vs. #8 Purdue
• January 13th, at #9 UNC
• February 2nd, at NC State
• February 28th, vs. #1 Duke

Will PG Erick Green have a breakout year?

      When it comes to experience, the Hokies return a total of 327 career starts.  The next closest is Boston College with 264 and no other ACC team returns more than 200 starts.  We all know the type of performances we will get from Malcolm Delaney, Dorenzo Hudson, Terrell Bell, Jeff Allen and Victor Davila.  What the Hokies have lost, however, is the first man off the bench.  JT Thompson is lost for the season with a torn ACL, giving freshman Jarell Eddie a chance to step in.  Sophomores Erick Green and Manny Atkins will also look to make bigger contributions in 2010. 

How do the Hokies make it back to the Big Dance? Here are five key things to look for as the season progresses:

Establishing an effective rotation

Seth Greenberg’s teams have been notorious for somewhat sluggish starts.  Can the Hokies kick off the rust fast enough to take down #3 Kansas State in the “Octagon of Doom”?  The 2006-2007 team lost to Western Michigan in the 3rd game of the season despite returning all 5 starters.   The key is how quickly the bench players can find their role in the offense.  The Hokies can’t have a scoring drought every time Dorenzo Hudson needs a breather or Jeff Allen gets a foul.

Jeff Allen’s minutes

Jeff played the fewest minutes of his career last season and it wasn’t because he was injured or playing poorly.  Allen averaged 5.4 fouls per 40 minutes of play last season, up from 4.6 per 40 minutes over his first two seasons.  That doesn’t translate to a lot a complete games.  The Hokies need Jeff Allen on the court to be successful.  In 64 wins over the past 3 seasons, Allen averaged 4.5 fouls per 40 minutes.  In 36 losses, he averaged 5.4.

Who becomes the 6th man

The significance of losing JT Thompson is big.  Of players with 5 or less starts last season, JT average the second most minutes (20.1) and second most rebounds (4.6) in the ACC.  If Cadarian Raines can stay healthy, he would give the Hokies a solid spark off the bench and replace the defensive tenacity that Thompson brought to the table.  Jarell Eddie could see significant time at the 4 position but can he consistently play defense at a high level as a freshman?  If sophomore point guard Erick Green plays to his potential, a Green-Delaney-Hudson-Bell-Allen lineup could be very effective.

Reducing wear on Delaney

When Malcolm Delaney plays, he leaves it all on the court, often at the expense of his body.  Delaney is on pace to attempt the most free throws and thus become the most fouled Virginia Tech player ever.  The constant beating his body takes has had a noticeable effect on his jump shot, especially late in the season, and his shooting percentage has dropped dramatically.  The Hokies would greatly benefit from keeping Malcolm fresh longer during games and over the course of the season.  Take former Hokie great Zabian Dowdell (also 6-3, 190 lbs.) for example. Dowdell played 33.8 minutes per game during his senior season compared to 36.0 minutes his junior season, and his field goal percentage went from 41.7 to 46.2 percent, while taking more shots.

Carry that chip on your shoulder

In 7 seasons, the Hokies have won 132 games under coach Seth Greenberg.  In 104 (almost 80%) of those wins, the Hokies held their opponent to less than 70 points.  Tech must remain true to it’s identity as a hard-nosed defensive minded team.  The Hokies have 4 scrappy seniors that will aggravate some of the nation's top scorers on the defensive end.  If they can get the rest of the team to buy in to that mentality, the Hokies will be very successful in the 2010-2011 season.