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Virginia Tech Basketball: Kerry Blackshear Jr. recovering from foot surgery

By Carmine Carcieri

Mar 2, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. (24) looks to pass while being defended by Pittsburgh Panthers forward Michael Young (2) in the first half at Cassell Coliseum. Virginia Tech defeated Pittsburgh 65-61. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 2, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. (24) looks to pass while being defended by Pittsburgh Panthers forward Michael Young (2) in the first half at Cassell Coliseum. Virginia Tech defeated Pittsburgh 65-61. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Virginia Tech basketball forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. has no timetable to return.

Head coach Buzz Williams has an opportunity to lead Virginia Tech back to the Big Dance for the first time since 2007. 

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But first, the Hokies may have to overcome the loss of a key sophomore big man.

Forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. is missing the start of fall practice as he continues to recover from off-season foot surgery. According to Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch, Blackshear had surgery five days after the 2015-16 season ended and he still remains in a walking boot to ease the recovery.

There remains no timetable on Blackshear’s return, which may mean that his rehab could stretch into the regular season.

The 6’10”, 240 pound Orlando, FL native averaged 6.2 points and 4.5 rebounds in just 19.2 minutes per game during his freshman campaign. He shot 55 percent from the floor, but struggled beyond the three point arc (24 percent) and from the free throw strike (56 percent).

Blackshear was a four-star recruit out of Maynard Evans High School back in 2015, as he chose the Hokies over a plethora of other high major offers.

As evident by his stats and his recruiting pedigree, Blackshear has the potential to be one of the top players in Virginia Tech’s front court over the next three seasons. He was the team’s seventh leading scorer in 2015-16 despite dealing with a foot issue (which eventually required surgery) for the majority of the season.

Blackshear’s length, athleticism and mobility cannot be matched by any other player on Virginia Tech’s roster up front. He runs the floor with ease, can finish on the break and around the rim and possesses a hard-nosed mentality and motor.

Without the sophomore’s services, Williams’ squad will have to roll with freshman Khadim Sy, junior Nick Fullard and 7’0″ Johnny Hamilton at center for the time being. If the injury does leak into the regular season, the Hokies could opt to play a lot of small ball with Ty Outlaw (four-position) and Chris Clarke (five-position) moving down a position.

The Hokies also have Zach LeDay, the team’s leading scorer last year, at forward.

Virginia Tech finished 7th in the ACC standings last season with a 20-15 overall record and a 10-8 record in conference play. The Hokies return five of their top six scorers, so even without Blackshear’s services for potentially only part of the non-conference slate, the team should be able to hold down the fort.

The best case scenario is for Blackshear to return shortly before the season while being eased into the lineup for the first couple of games.

The worst case is that Blackshear’s injury impacts his play for a majority of the season and impacts the Hokies’ impeccable depth.

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Overall, this shouldn’t be a major concern at this point. Even without the big man, the Hokies have enough talent, experience and bodies to have success early in the season. The Hokies don’t rely on a single player (more of a team system/scheme), so as long as they return Blackshear for ACC play, they should be in a fine position to return to March’s grand event.

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