Virginia Tech’s basketball season opener is less than a month away – Nov. 15 at home against Brown. And coach Seth Greenberg is still trying to answer some important questions about his team, which began practice Friday.

Can freshman Erick Green capably spell junior Malcolm Delaney at point guard?

Will the Hokies have the second post presence, in addition to junior Jeff Allen, that Greenberg has been looking for?

How will Greenberg’s players respond to his demands for better defense?

And perhaps the biggest question: Which players might account for the 19.1 points per game Tech lost when leading scorer A.D. Vassallo’s eligibility expired after last season?

Solving some or all of those issues will determine whether the Hokies can return to the NCAA tournament after settling for the National Invitation Tournament the past two seasons.

Greenberg knows what he is getting from Delaney and Allen – his second- and third-leading scorers last season. Allen, a 6-7 forward, also led the team with 8.4 rebounds per game. But he needs other guys to show they can consistently contribute. Guys like forwards J.T. Thompson and Terrell Bell, and guard Dorenzo Hudson – all juniors. Guys like senior post player Lewis Witcher and fellow big man Victor Davila, a promising sophomore.

Among that group, “no one’s jumped out and separated themselves” so far in practice, Greenberg said earlier today. “That’s the problem I have. We hope that in the next week, someone starts to separate themselves.”

In the meantime, let’s take those questions one by one …

—-

Delaney will once again be this team’s star. A natural shooter, he was forced into starting at point guard as a freshman after Nigel Munson left the team. He took on a greater offensive role last season, upping his scoring average from 9.6 to 18.1, as he took 416 shots in 34 games, compared to 243 in 35 games as a freshman. Though his 3-point percentage went down, it dipped from 40.2 to 35.4 – which is still sharp.

Greenberg was able to slide Delaney to shooting guard at points last year because sophomore Hank Thorns could relieve him at the point. But Thorns transferred to Texas Christian during the offseason because he wanted more playing time. That left the backup point guard spot to Green – who, unlike Delaney, is a pure point guard, but not as skilled of a scorer.

“Malcolm’s a better shooter,” Greenberg said. “Malcolm’s an NBA shooter. I think Malcolm’s always been an NBA shooter. [Green is] a guy that distributes the basketball. He understands pace. He understands how to get the ball to the right people.”

Greenberg believes, at this point, that Delaney will play 15 or 20 minutes a game at shooting guard. Of course, Green’s progress will determine whether that actually happens. “He’s got to understand that you can’t let down,” Greenberg said. “He’s tough. He’s just got to be more aggressive. I want him to stay aggressive.”

Delaney could be one of the ACC’s top players this season, but Greenberg thinks he still must improve in some areas. “He’s got to make better plays off the ball screen,” Greenberg said. “He’s got to continue to improve using screens. He’s got to be a little tougher off the ball defensively. He’s got to lead. He’s the leader in terms of productivity. He’s got to lead by getting people to follow him. Which is a learned trait. It’s a process.”

—-

The question about a second post scorer took a hit a month ago when freshman forward Cadarian Raines broke his left foot. Raines, a Petersburg High graduate, has the body (6-9, 238 pounds) to contribute during his first year. But he probably won’t be available until the season’s seventh game, Dec. 6 at home against Georgia.

“I don’t know where he’ll be, though,” Greenberg said. “He’s so far behind in what we do.”

Greenberg is considering moving Bell (6-6, 205 pounds) or Thompson (6-6, 210) into the post, but he’d probably prefer the inside production to come from the Hokies’ true post players, Witcher and Davila.

Witcher averaged two points and 1.4 rebounds in 8.8 minutes a game last season. As a sophomore, his numbers were: 2.7 points and 2.2 rebounds in 12.7 minutes. As a freshman: 2.9 points and 2.6 rebounds in 13.1 minutes.

Where does the switch need to come on for Witcher? “It’s got to come from within,” Greenberg said. “He’s got to want it.” Greenberg has talked often over the past two seasons about empowering Witcher. “We’re trying,” he said. “But we can empower all we want. He’s got to embrace it.”

Davila’s arrival took away some of Witcher’s minutes, though both should play more this season because Tech’s other post player from last season, senior Cheick Diakite, is gone. Diakite played 17.3 minutes a game but was not an offensive threat; he averaged 3.8 points last season, compared to 1.9, 2.9 and 1.3 the previous three seasons.

Davila might give the Hokies the second post scorer they’ve been craving. He averaged 3.1 points in 11.9 minutes last season. At 6-8 and 245 pounds, he is more of a physical presence than Witcher, who is 6-9 and 218. But lack of assertiveness hampered Davila last season, which is typical of a freshman.

“He’s still got to be more aggressive at both ends,” Greenberg said. “He can’t settle. He’s got to get his motor running. He’s got to get engaged every play.”

—-

Greenberg’s teams at Tech might not have always boasted the best players, but they were usually tough on defense. The Hokies’ defensive lapses last season – especially in critical, late-game situations – bothered Greenberg.

Consider Tech’s defensive field-goal percentage and its rank in the ACC from its first five seasons in the conference …

2008-09 – 42.1 (6th)
2007-08 – 40.7 (2nd)
2006-07 – 41.5 (4th)
2005-06 – 43.2 (9th)
2004-05 – 44.4 (10th)

Moreover, Tech’s field-goal percentage in ACC play last season was 43.5 (sixth in the conference), compared to 42.9 in 2007-08 (third). So Greenberg said he has harped for the “whole preseason” on the importance of defensive improvements.

“We’ve got to get back to our identity of who we are,” he said. “We went from third in the league in defensive field-goal percentage to, I think, eighth [second to sixth]. That’s unacceptable. Virginia Tech can’t afford that to happen if they think they’re going to be successful.

“Because we’re not a team that outscores people. Right now, today, we can’t match up body-for-body with the rest of the teams in our league. We’re not playing with McDonald’s All-Americans yet. We’re playing with very good players. We’re playing with guys that can play against anyone. But we’re not a team that should rely on outscoring people. We’re a team that needs to rely on getting stops.

“I think we’ve done a good job in the first five days of practice, reestablishing that mindset. I think it’s been 100 percent a point of emphasis and I think it’s been accepted. Kids will respond to what you emphasize and what’s most important.”

To that end, Greenberg established a list of what he calls “absolutes” – things that must happen in practice. There are about 10, including: keep hands above the ball on defense, rebound effort, run the floor defensively, be the first to the floor for loose balls and take a charge when the opportunity presents itself.

“I think it’s raised the intensity and accountability of our defense,” Greenberg said. “Those absolutes obviously raise the temperature of the little things that you need to do to be a good defensive team.”

The list of absolutes will be posted on a sign in the Hokies’ locker room. “We’re gonna chart them every day,” Greenberg said. “So if you don’t fulfill an absolute, your team runs immediately.”

And just how did Greenberg hatch the idea for this?

“It’s just kind of one of those 4 o’clock in the morning, can’t-sleep brainstorms,” he said.

—-

The Hokies very well might improve on defense, but replacing Vassallo’s points is critical.

“We’ve got to figure out a way to score,” Greenberg said. “Hopefully we’ll score some out of our defense.”

There doesn’t seem to be a player on this team, besides Delaney and Allen, capable of consistently scoring 19 points a game. So the Hokies must find a third scorer by committee that Greenberg hopes will include another post player. “Hopefully Victor will be one of them,” he said.

Davila’s 3.1 points last season rank third among returning players besides Delaney and Allen. Thompson is first, with 6.5, and Hudson is second, with 4.6.

Hudson is an interesting case. His minutes increased from 12.3 as a freshman to 20.6 last season. And though his scoring didn’t go up much – he averaged 3.5 points in his first year – Greenberg liked the way he finished the season.

Consider his final four games …

Miami (ACC tournament first round) – 3-4, 7 points
North Carolina (ACC tournament quarterfinals) – 3-7, 7 points
Duquesne, 2 OT (NIT first round) – 5-9, 15 points
Baylor (NIT second round) – 3-6, 9 points

So in his final four games, Hudson shot 53.8 percent, compared to 32.5 in his previous 30 games.

Greenberg wants to see Hudson lower his dribble, because he sometimes plays too upright, which can lead to turnovers. “He’s got to play a little bit lower to the ground,” Greenberg said. “He’s got to be a little bit better with the ball. But he’s worked on that. I think he’s making progress.”

This season could depend on how these juniors—especially Hudson, Thompson and Bell—play on a night-in, night-out basis. Though it seems like just yesterday that they arrived on campus as freshmen, along with Allen, Delaney and Thorns, now is the time for them to show how much they have developed since then.

“We have certain guys – Dorenzo, J.T., Terrell – [who] need to be consistent,” Greenberg said. “I need to know what I’m gonna get out of them. I think I know what I’m gonna get out of Jeff and Malcolm. We need Erick Green to contribute. We need Lewis to contribute. And we need Victor to contribute. That’s really what it comes down to.”

—-

Some leftover player assessments from Greenberg …

Bell – “Terrell’s just got to understand that he’s got to be a runner, a guy that flies around, a guy that gets to the offensive glass, a guy that shuts people down and a guy that uses quickness.”

Allen – “Jeff’s got to be a dominating player. He’s got to be a guy that rebounds the ball consistently. He’s got to be consistent. Consistency is the key for him.”

Thompson – “He’s better defending a four than a three. We’re trying to transition him to the three spot. Three is the best athlete in the ACC.”

Virginia Tech’s basketball coach breaks down some questions about his team.

Posted in • College Sports • Virginia Tech
(1) Comments | Permalink