Virginia Tech Basketball: 3 biggest takeaways from Hokies win over Radford

Keve Aluma is ready to shine

Keve Aluma was the star of Game 1 for the Hokies with 19 points, three rebounds, two assists, and two blocks. He followed Mike Young to Virginia Tech when he took the job this past season and it’s paid dividends as Aluma went 7-of-10 from the field and 3-of-5 from 3-point land in his debut game for Virginia Tech.

If he can show consistency as a stretch-forward and post presence for this Hokies rotation, it should pay off in a big way for them this season. Aluma did well to stay within himself and teammates did a good job of finding him in his spots for buckets.

His addition has energized a frontcourt in dire need of a presence. He had just three rebounds in this one, but that will be another area where he’ll be depended upon to lighten the load. The Hokies were outrebounded 33-30 in the game despite the results.

Justyn Mutts, Cordel Pemsl, and David N’Guessan are all forwards that showed they’re ready to contribute in the Hokies’ frontcourt as well. As they show they can battle on the boards and be a presence in the paint, look for things to sort themselves out minutes wise.