Back for Basketball Season

Hello Hokie fans (and other random people who visit my blog)... I'm back! Frankly, I got a little tired of blogging and needed a break, but I'm rested and ready to go now that college basketball season is upon us once again. There's a lot to be excited about regarding Virginia Tech basketball, not only for this season but for several seasons to come. Let's start today with this season's team:

Virginia Tech will open their men's basketball season tomorrow night with a home game against the Campbell Fighting Camels. Yes, apparently there is such a thing as a camel that likes to scrap. The returning VT squad includes all 5 starters from last season. Malcolm Delaney will run the point, Dorenzo Hudson will play on the wing and Terrell Bell will start at the other wing spot, Jeff Allen and Victor Davila will anchor the post positions. It's a familiar lineup that head coach Seth Greenberg used in almost every game last season. I use the words "wing" and "post" when describing where players will position themselves in Seth Greenberg's offensive system because that's what makes the most sense. A shooting guard and a small forward do the exact same thing except on different sides of the court. The same is true of the power forward and center positions, so there's no reason to differentiate between the two. So with 5 starters back who know Greenberg's schemes extremely well and have had another offseason to improve both in the weight room and on the court, there's a lot to be excited about and expected from this group of 4 seniors and a junior.

Malcolm Delaney, the ACC's leading scorer a season ago, tested the waters of the NBA draft and found them to be too cold. NBA scouts informed Delaney that he should come back to school for his senior season and work on his point guard skills. Namely learning when to distribute the ball to teammates and learning how to defend the faster point guards in the ACC. I would agree with them, but would add one more thing... Delaney needs to stop looking for the foul on every single contested shot. He tries to sell a foul even when he isn't touched, and in many situations it causes him to lose form and blow the shot. I think this was a major contributor to his poor shooting percentages last season... he was way too concerned about getting fouled and not concerned enough about making the shot. Delaney is a fantastic player, and I think that if he works hard on certain areas of his game, he can turn himself into a viable NBA player, so I tend to be a little tougher on him in my reviews. One thing is certain though... he is the unquestioned leader of this team and he will definitely be missed next season.

Dorenzo Hudson returns as the ACC's most improved scorer. 'Zo added over 10 points per game from his sophomore to his junior season. The difference seemed to come from an increase in the number of shots he took and also from an increase in confidence. As a sophomore, Hudson chose to defer more to his teammates and was reluctant to shoot the ball. With encouragement from teammates, he began to realize his own talent as a junior... that the things he showed in practice could translate to a real game. Make no mistake, Hudson's jump shot is a scary thing. He doesn't exactly have the smooth stroke, even arc, and rolling release of Reggie Miller, but ugly or not the shots are falling and doing so consistently. In fact, if I see Hudson receive the ball as he curls around a screen near the top of the key, I get this warm feeling that everything in this world is going to be alright. 'Zo can hit that shot blindfolded. I see no reason why he would regress this season now that he has the confidence in himself.

Terrell Bell is a thorn in the opposition's side. He does everything. He plays tenacious defense and shows a knack for blocking shots anywhere on the court. He rebounds in traffic and negates second-chance points for the other team. He shoots the 3-ball as well as anyone on the team. He runs the floor and can finish in transition. He finds open teammates. Every good team needs a player like Bell, and I love that he's embraced his role. He's not a high-volume shooter. He's not a vocal leader. He just does a bit of everything at an above-average level. If he can continue to improve on his 3-point shooting, he becomes one of the most valuable players in the ACC. Bell will help out in the post this season as well. With JT Thompson out for the season with an ACL injury and Allan Chaney out for the season with a viral inflammation in his heart, Terrell Bell will be counted on to expand his base of skills one more time to include post defense.

Jeff Allen is primed for a big season. He knows that he needs to limit the number of reaching and screening fouls that he tends to pick up because his team needs him in the game. But will that knowledge translate to action? Jeff has been a bit of an enigma during his time at Virginia Tech. He's a fantastic rebounder and post scorer. As a defender, he's the best player on the team at coming up with blocks and steals. He has fantastic athletic ability, but his limitation has always been in his head. Will this be the season that Allen learns to stay out of foul trouble and give himself the minutes to amass even more impressive stats? I sure hope so.

I just need to see more from Victor Davila this season. He was not the offensive force that I expected in his second season with the team, and if his excellent post moves are not leading to buckets, then you aren't getting much from him. Davila does not rebound well for his position nor is he a shot-changer on defense. You wouldn't say he runs down the court so much as he lumbers. But there's a world of talent waiting with this guy... he does have the ups to be a good rebounder and shot-blocker. He does have some wicked post moves. I think he just needs to have that confidence click that 'Zo had last season. And with our limited depth in the post, we could really use it.

Those starters alone should be enough to get Virginia Tech to its first NCAA tournament since 2007, but just how far they get might depend on the guys coming off the bench.

Let's start with PG Erick Green, who had a pretty rough introduction to college basketball as a freshman. Green looked very impressive in limited time against weaker opponents early in the season, but as the season progressed you saw Green miss a lot of shots. A LOT of shots. He was pretty useful on defense and he ran the point pretty well, but the shooting is ultimately what kept him on the bench late in the ACC slate. Greenberg is expecting some seriously improved play from Green this season as he's bulked up a bit in the weight room and shown ability in practice. He could very well be the Hokies' most improved player this season.

F/C Cadarian Raines is a huge question mark heading into this season. As of right now, the answer to the question seems to be "No." Raines is still healing from a chronically injured foot and won't be ready to go for another 2 weeks or so. He is sort of the yang to Victor Davila's yin. Raines leaves a lot to be desired on the offensive end of the floor, but he's a beast on the glass and defensive presence that teams will need to respect. Not having Cadarian for the Kansas State game is a big disappointment as he really would have helped with our post depth, but he should be back in time for the 76 Classic tournament in Anaheim, CA during Thanksgiving weekend. Get well soon, Cadarian!

SG Ben Boggs is also back after showing spurts of goodness in his freshman year. Early on he was hitting 3-pointers like a mad man, but that pace eventually slowed down. If Boggs can become a reliable 3-point shooter off the bench, then I think he will see an increased role on this team. He's already a pretty good defender and can rebound for his position. He just needs to work on his ball-handling and 3-point shot.

F Manny Atkins is another guy whose future with the team is really up for grabs. He had some nice moments last season and helped contribute to a couple wins with some timely 3-point shooting. He also showed an ability to rebound in one or two games. The consistency just needs to be there for him to have an increased role on the team. I am also hoping he hit the weight room in the offseason as he looked a little bit slight at times compared to other forwards.

F Jarrell Eddie is an incoming freshman who I think is going to be a big contributor this season. Eddie has a wide range of skills, both inside and out. He can slash through the lane, he can create his own shot, he can hit open 3's, he can rebound the ball, and he can finish in transition. Greenberg seems cautiously optimistic about him and his ability to play both the wing and the post position this season. He was also surprised at Eddie's defensive abilities as a freshman. He can see his playing time skyrocket if he learns to defend post players effectively. Here is a sweet highlights video of Jarell from his high school days.

G Tyrone Garland is another incoming freshman with excellent scoring abilities. I just have a hard time believing he's going to see much time on the floor this season. Garland was more of a combo guard coming out of high school than a point guard, and PG is probably the only position that a player of his height can find some playing time in the ACC. He will need to work the hardest of anyone in order to have a permanent place on this team.

And of course, SG Paul Debnam will be back to pump up the bench and create a winning atmosphere for the rest of the team. I can't emphasize his importance enough... he needs to be the guy in practice who gets everyone to play hard when they're feeling lazy. He needs to be the one pumping up his teammates when they're having a bad game. He needs to be leading the guys on the bench so they don't check out of games. Paul Debnam creates team unity, and I love him for it.

The fans of Virginia Tech along with the national media have a lot of expectations for this year's team, and as Hokie fans we all know what that usually means... a let down. I am looking for this basketball team to brush aside the expectations and simply play to their full capabilities. If they go into each and every game, and play to their full capabilities, there is no reason why this team can't finish as high as they are expected to finish in ACC play, and there is no reason they can't make it to the NCAA tournament with a good seed. There's so much talent on this squad, and the intangibles to match it. Oh man, I'm getting goose bumps.

And this isn't helping me calm down.