10. Virginia Tech Hokies
Record: 11-1 (0-0 ACC)
Last Week: No. 10
Virginia Tech has not mad a huge splash yet this season but they continue to steadily rise up the rankings. They have, though, played one of the easiest schedules in their nation and their lone loss (at Penn State) is not exactly a great one either. I will be honest here: I don’t feel all that great about Va Tech at No. 10 in these rankings based on their resume but I think that they have the potential to earn this spot more in ACC play thanks to one of the most potent offenses in the nation.
In the modern age of basketball, it is nearly impossible to succeed without effectively taking advantage of the 3-point shot and that is something that the Hokies do extremely well. In my opinion, Virginia Tech might just be the best shooting team in the nation and that is not only due to their accuracy but their volume of 3PA as well. To this point in the year, the Hokies are attempting 43.8% of their total shot attempts from beyond the arc (64th nationally) and they are burying 44.4% of those shots (3rd nationally).
The question remains, though, how will this team hold up defensively against better competition? The Hokies might rank at 27th in the nation adjusted defensive efficiency but their main two strengths, high defensive turnover percentage (25.1%, 5th nationally) and low free throw attempt rate (19.8 FTA/FGA, 1st nationally), might not carry over into conference play. This is due to the fact that stronger teams will take care of the ball better and will also draw fouls at a higher rate.