Virginia Tech basketball: 17-18 season preview for the Hokies

Virginia Tech has a dangerous small-ball offense, but will a lack of frontcourt depth prevent them from making back-to-back tournament appearances?

Virginia Tech survived the ACC gauntlet and made the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007. The Hokies lost in the first round to Wisconsin but proved that their rebuild is making great progress. Coach Buzz Williams has done an excellent job of injecting talent into the program which has resulted in a strong on-court performance.

Unfortunately, the Hokies lose their top two scorers from last season, power forward Zach LeDay and scoring guard Seth Allen. Allen played two seasons in Blacksburg after transferring from Maryland and averaged 13.3 ppg and 3.3 apg. LeDay transferred from South Florida and made an incredible leap from his sophomore to junior seasons. He only averaged 3.5 ppg at USF, but, in his first season at Virginia Tech, he averaged 15.5ppg.

Virginia Tech also took a hit this offseason when Ty Outlaw suffered a season-ending injury. Outlaw could play multiple positions and was an excellent shooter (49% from three on 57 makes) which made him an integral part of Williams’ rotation. All three players will be missed, but their roster still has enough talent to compete for a tournament bid.

The Hokies return four players who played at last 28 minutes per game and add two impact recruits in Nickeil Alexander-Walker and Wabissa Bede. Center Kerry Blackshear returns after missing last season with an injury which gives the Hokies a nice interior piece.

Buzz Williams has assembled one of the deepest backcourt and wing rotations in the entire country, but the frontcourt is a major concern. Blackshear is the only reliable post player on the roster and he has not played in game action in over a year. Chris Clarke is an excellent small-ball PF, but he too is recovering from injuries.

While having many talented guards makes Virginia Tech dynamic offensively, their thin frontcourt could hold them back. It will be interesting to see how far small-ball and perimeter oriented play can take them.

This article will analyze Virginia Tech’s starters, reserves, and non-conference schedule. It will conclude with a team overview where I rank the Hokies both nationally and in their conference.