Last season was rough for Virginia Tech, finishing 13-19 overall and 8-12 in ACC play. The Hokies showed flaws early on in league play, losing six straight games. One of them was at home to Jacksonville, along with defeats to Penn State and South Carolina, two of the worst teams in the power conference ranks.
The Hokies have hopes for improved play this upcoming year and have a solid official non-con schedule to work with for next season. That includes a trio of games in the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, along with an exhibition matchup with the Duquesne Dukes.
Among the confirmed games, here’s a look at the four toughest matchups to watch.
4. St. Joe’s Hawks
The Hawks lost their top three scorers from last season, including NBA Draft pick, Rasheer Fleming. Derek Simpson is back as the lead guard, joined by freshman La Salle transfer Deuce Jones. If former top-50 prospect and St. John’s transfer Jaiden Glover has a breakout campaign, then the Hawks will still have some quality talent to work with.
3. George Mason Patriots
The Patriots lost all of their talent from last season’s co-regular season A-10 champs, but did fairly well in the transfer portal. Some notable newcomers to the roster include Nick Ellington (Murray State), Masai Troutman (Northeastern), and Kory Mincy, a 6’1 guard who averaged 15 ppg and 4.4 apg at Presbyterian. If just a few of these newcomers can stand out, don’t expect much of a drop-off at George Mason.
2. At South Carolina Gamecocks
After finishing last in the SEC standings last year, the Gamecocks are hoping that Meechie Johnson’s return will have them back as a threat. Also among the key newcomers are South Florida transfer Kobe Knox and Nordin Kapic, a 6’8 forward who produced 10.7 ppg and 5.2 rpg at UC San Diego. SC will need him to be an impact transfer for the frontcourt to be formidable.
1. Providence Friars (N)
The Friars will have one of the top backcourts in the Big East, including 18 ppg scorer Jason Edwards from Vandy. Jaylin Sellers put up 15 ppg at UCF two years ago when healthy, while former FSU guard Daquan Davis is a breakout candidate. If sophomore Erhunmwunse Oswin has a breakout year, Providence could be a sneaky contender in the league.