ACC Basketball: Analyzing each team’s returning impact players for 2023-24

Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech is another team that despite losing some of the best players that suited up for them in the past season still has high hopes for their returners. With Grant Basile and Justyn Mutts parting from the team the frontcourt will likely look weaker than it did this past year. The two averaged 29.7 of the team’s 74.1 points per game last season while being the team’s two leading rebounders.

But luckily for the Hokies, they are returning their two most important backcourt players in the talented scorer Sean Pedulla as well as the two-way assets that Hunter Cattoor brings to the team. To round out the wing positions, it’s likely that Rodney Rice will be the other starter for the Hokies if he’s able to stay healthy. The team is also returning both MJ Collins and Lynn Kidd. Collins will look to add some much-needed depth to Mike Young’s roster, while Lynn Kidd will fight to solidify himself as the team’s centerpiece down low.

Last season, Kidd averaged 5 points and 3.4 rebounds in just 12 minutes played per game for the Hokies. The big man put up these numbers on an efficient 66% from the field. With the loss of much of the offense produced inside the paint, Kidd will be thrust into a much larger role in the upcoming season. His efficiency ensures his ability to play this key role offensively for Virginia Tech, but if he’ll be able to step up on the defensive end is still left up in the air.

Rodney Rice will also be tested in a much larger role this season as well. Due to injuries Rice only appeared in Young’s lineup in 8 games this past season. Rice averaged 20 minutes per through his eight matchups, and he showed why he was getting the opportunities he was. He scored 7.4 points and pulled in 3.3 rebounds per game in his 8 games played, and although efficiency wasn’t up to where the team would like it to be, Rice showed that he can be a high-volume true shooter with some development. Barring any more big injuries it could be expected for Rice’s name to be among the discussion for ACC Most Improved Player.

The return of both Sean Pedulla and Hunter Cattoor will allow Mike Young to experiment with the other 3 positions in the lineup as he pleases due to the expected consistency from the two guards. Pedulla jumped up by over 9 points to average 15 points as the Hokies starting Point guard this past season, and his role is only expected to grow from this point. Pedulla’s ability to both score and facilitate showed that it pairs nicely alongside Cattoor who showed his all-around ability throughout the past year.