NCAA Basketball: Ranking of top 25 team backcourts for 2023-24 season

24. Virginia Tech Hokies

A big part of the Hokies’ struggles last season involved injuries in the backcourt, with guys like Rodney Rice and Hunter Cattoor missing games. In the offseason, starting guard Darius Maddox transferred to George Mason. The good news is that Rice is ready to replace him, having three double-digit scoring games out of eight, and will be a breakout candidate to watch.

Both starters are back as well. Cattoor is one of the best pure shooters in NCAA Basketball, making 42% of his three-point attempts on over six a game, producing 10.8 ppg overall. Sean Pedulla was second on the team in scoring at 15.0 ppg, along with 3.8 apg in nearly 36 mpg. He shot 34% from three-point range and went for 20+ points six times.

The question for Virginia Tech is whether or not there’s enough depth behind them. For the record, I view Old Dominion transfer Mekhi Long as more of a “frontcourt” player for this piece. MJ Collins actually started 16 games as a freshman, averaging 4.1 ppg. Look for him to be the 6th Man on the roster and first guard off the bench.

If freshmen Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaydon Young can have an impact out the gate, then Virginia Tech won’t be overly reliant on the starting guards. And with both Justyn Mutts and Grant Basile also gone in the frontcourt, Cattoor and Pedulla will become the focal points of the offense, which could affect the efficiency of those two this season.