NCAA Basketball: Top 1st-year head coaching performances so far in 2019-20
By Erik Mauro
1. Mike Young – Virginia Tech
What a season in Blacksburg. After Buzz Williams left to take the job at his alma mater Texas A&M, Nickeil Alexander-Walker left for the NBA and Kerry Blackshear left as a graduate transfer to play his last season elsewhere. Justin Robinson graduated, and just like that the top three contributors from a Sweet 16 participant are gone.
What does Mike Young – who shockingly left Wofford after 17 years – have left? Just Landers Nolley, a former top 100 recruit who redshirted last season. THis year he is averaging 18 PPG and shooting nearly 40 percent from downtown.
The more remarkable thing is that no player is averaging more than 10 PPG, the closest is Naheim Alleyne with 9.6. Teams that lose pretty much all of their production aren’t supposed to miss a beat like this, but sure enough the Hokies haven’t skipped a beat.
Virginia Tech has wins over Michigan State and North Carolina. Granted, this North Carolina team isn’t like year’s past, but it’s still North Carolina. The Hokies have also notched a win over Syracuse and have a prove-it game against Florida State coming up this week in Blacksburg. Games against Duke, Louisville, and defending National Champion Virginia also remain.
They have a resume building win, and playing in the ACC, the strength of schedule will help them moving forward. If the Hokies can put together a few more wins, they may very well find themselves playing March basketball once again.
Next. Bracktology 2020. dark
Next year’s recruiting class features two players in 247’s top 100. Joe Bamisile and Darius Maddox. Both are shooting guards so they can add some scoring right away. This Hokies team has seen some success, but the future may be a little cloudy, because if Nolley keeps his performance up he will be a first-round pick in the NBA draft.