NCAA Basketball: 2021 NIT Season Tip-Off preview and predictions

Virginia Tech Hokies

Record: 4-0

Mike Young’s Virginia Tech Hokies may have been picked 5th in the ACC, but they have been a sleeper pick by some to finish higher than that by season’s end. They are 5-0 albeit against inferior competition, the Hokies’ defense has been strong, limiting opponents to 48 points per game. On the offensive end of the floor, Keve Aluma and Justyn Mutts have led the frontcourt and Storm Murphy and Hunter Cattoor have solidified the Virginia Tech backcourt.

Mutts and Aluma have grabbed 11.2 boards per game while Murphy and Cattoor have done well with the ball in their hands, shooting 47% and facilitating for others dishing out 5.2 assists per game and turning it over just 2.4 times per contest.

The team’s wins have come against Maine, Radford, St. Francis (PA), Navy, and Merrimack so their numbers are likely to look inflated this early on, but they have been offensively balanced with four guys scoring in double-digits and four others chipping in at least five per game. While they don’t have the greatest raw rebounding numbers you can see they get the same kind of balance on the glass as well with six guys snatching at least three per game.

Virginia Tech resembles Young’s teams at Wofford, nothing flashy but a blue-collar work ethic keeps them in games, and their ability to knock down and defend the three makes them tough to put away.