Before the season tipped off, questions arose about the Hokies. During preseason workouts, J.T. Thompson tore his ACL, and his season ended before it started. Allan Chaney fainted in a workout, and was diagnosed with heart inflammation. His return is uncertain. The Hokies scheduled a tougher non conference schedule, and losses may hurt their NCAA Tournament chances again. But there is some good news.
Backcourt
The best news Hokies fans could have received was Malcolm Delaney deciding to stay in Blacksburg for one more season. He's widely regarded as one of the two best players in the ACC, mostly because of his scoring ability. Delaney became the first Hokie to lead the ACC in scoring. While Delaney had all of the headlines, Dorenzo Hudson had arguably the most impressive season. There were a lot of questions about who else would score aside from Delaney last season. Hudson averaged 15.2 points per game, including a team high 41 point effort. Off the bench, Ben Boggs should improve on last season's effort, and Erick Green will mature more with another year of experience.
Frontcourt
When he doesn't get into foul trouble, Jeff Allen is a double-double candidate every game. Allen is an aggressive player who can block shots and force turnovers, but is sometimes a little too aggressive. Terrell Bell is a do it all type player who can score when needed and can rebound well. Victor Davila is a body in the middle that isn't much of a scorer, but like the rest of the frontcourt, can rebound pretty well. Off the bench, Manny Atkins is a swingman who can play both the off guard and small forward spots. Freshman Jarell Eddie could see some decent playing time right away. Eddie was highly regarded coming out of North Carolina, and is a good shooter who will play a lot at small forward.
Schedule
The Hokies were snubbed from the NCAA Tournament two years in a row, and some of that had to due with a very weak non conference schedule. That changed this year. The Hokies travel to Kansas State and get Purdue and Penn State at home. The Hokies will also play in the 76 Classic over Thanksgiving weekend. In conference play, the Hokies get UNC at home, and go to Duke.
Prediction
The pieces are in place for Virginia Tech to make an NCAA Tournament run this year. There's a lot of depth on this team, especially in the backcourt. The Hokies should have no trouble scoring the ball with Delaney, Hudson, and Allen all viable scoring options. The only concern is the frontcourt depth. The rumor floating around is that help may be on the way after the football season, as a couple of football players may provide their services as role players off the bench. Either way, this team is talented and experienced enough to have a great season. Look for the Hokies to finish in the top three in the conference.
by Will Ojanen
Fantasy Player to Watch
Malcolm Delaney is a top 3 draft pick in fantasy leagues and will be a consistent fantasy scorer. One of the reasons Delaney is a dangerous fantasy player is because he gets to the free throw line and makes his free throws. As a result, even on off nights, Delaney will be successful scoring the basketball.
