Before I head down to ACC football media days Sunday and Monday in Greensboro, N.C., where every media outlet will churn out pretty much the same stories from the same group interviews with players and coaches (ugh), I wanted to clear my plate of summer leftovers.

Had to speak with Virginia Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg recently for a freelance magazine story, and I figured I’d post his comments here before football content begins to dominate this space.

If Tech’s 2010-11 basketball season can be, in mid-July, summarized in one sentence, it is this: The Hokies will be expected to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007, because they bring back their top 11 scorers from last season, something that is extremely rare in college basketball.

Greenberg addressed those expectations and also talked about each of his players. Some of this stuff was in the season wrap-up conversation with Greenberg. Other stuff is new. This isn’t meant to be a comprehensive overview of the team, just a quick catch-up on the most pertinent issues.

“I think first of all, we’ve got to make sure that that expectation isn’t burdening, that this group has earned that expectation by winning games. This group, I think, has won 65 games over the last three years [65-38]. This group has a winning record against the ACC over the last three years [26-22]. I think it’s really important that we don’t get all caught up in the expectations because last year has nothing to do with this year. We just need to go about things with our same approach.

“I think the other is, we can’t get so caught up in this chase for the NCAA. We can’t let the NCAA tournament define our season. Our season is defined by our body of work, and just have that mentality that it’ll play out in whatever way it would. … We can’t worry about the tournament. We’re not gonna make the tournament in November.

“Our schedule [the main reason Tech missed the tournament last year] is brutal. The first three weeks, we play two of the top five teams in the country [Kansas State and Purdue].” (Tech also plays Dec. 18 in the Bahamas against Mississippi State, “who if they get Renardo Sidney will be top 15,” Greenberg said.)

“I like our basketball team. A lot will depend on Allan [Chaney’s] health situation. That obviously is the one variable because we expected him to be, to an extent, a difference maker. Really, we don’t know what the situation is right now, and we won’t know for quite a while. … Allan’s a big one, because he’s a guy that, obviously, we counted on. He’s potentially an impact player.

“I think our team will be defined by our returning players and their understanding of what it takes to be successful. … They’ve got to enjoy their senior year. Obviously, again, it goes back to the same thing – not put so much pressure on themselves because where they want to be the following year, whether it’s the goal of playing in the NCAA tournament, the chance to play after college is over, or get drafted. There are so many variables that go into that.”

Cadarian Raines: “Cadarian, when healthy, actually was making pretty good progress. But he missed his whole freshman year [with left foot injuries], when you think about it. But he’s healthy now. Keeping him healthy is gonna be huge. Because he needs the preseason, the stuff we have in the fall. He needs all that skill work. But he’s physically strong and can block shots. That will give us two more front-court players, if Allan gets cleared.”

Jeff Allen: “Jeff’s gonna leave here one of the most accomplished players across the board in the history of our university. What we need is Jeff to be consistent. If we can get Jeff to be consistent, then everything else will take care of itself. The highs can’t be high, and the lows can’t be low. We’ve got to know what we’re getting each and every night out of Jeff.”

Dorenzo Hudson: “He did so many good things [last year]. He made big shots. He needs to improve his ball skills, making plays off the dribble, being more consistent on the ball defensively. He’s really good off the ball. Running the court hard. Just build on all the great things he did last year.”

J.T. Thompson: “This is the first time he’s gone through an offseason that he’s been 100 percent healthy. I think that’s as important as anything. Last year he had the surgery on his foot. The first year he had the uncertainty of whether he was gonna be eligible to compete. He’s had a good offseason. He’s worked hard. Forget about points and assists. He’s so valuable to us because he can do so many different things and he can plug so many different holes for us. He’s probably the most selfless guy on our team.”

Victor Davila: “I thought he had a really good year last year. The big thing is getting Victor to be productive for 30-plus games. Last year he started off great again. He finished on a high note. But I thought in between he had that one little lull where he wasn’t as consistent as he needs to be. He’s got to be a double-figure, six-, seven-rebound-a-game guy, which he’s capable of doing. It’s just having him be that person every night.”

Terrell Bell: “Terrell probably more than any guy on our team embraced and championed a role. He contested shots. He ran the court. He rebounded the ball when we needed him to rebound the ball. He played off of other people and made open shots. He’s just got to continue to champion that role. If he continues to champion that role, and he continues to get better at that role, he’ll be such a valuable asset. And he’s experienced.”

Malcolm Delaney: “I think Malcolm’s just got to enjoy this year, enjoy what he’s accomplished and enjoy our team. He knows – we’ve talked about it – that he wants to defend better. He wants to shoot a higher percentage. He wants to see plays sooner. He’s gonna be graduated, basically, at the end of the first semester. He’s only gonna need, I think, one credit the second semester. So he needs to just enjoy this experience.”

Jarell Eddie and Tyrone Garland: “I think Jarell has a real chance to be really a special player. He’s got size and strength. He’s gonna have to learn how to compete at this level and at this speed, and how to defend at this level consistently because he didn’t have to do that [in high school]. But his talent is undeniable. He can really shoot the ball. Big hands. Strong lower body. He can post ‘em. He’s really talented. As is Ty Garland. Ty Garland’s just got a good feel for the game. He’s got a 41-inch vertical jump, which is absurd. He can make shots. Again, the speed of how you have to practice and how you have to prepare – that is a learned trait for incoming freshmen.” 

Erick Green, Ben Boggs and Manny Atkins: “I really expect Erick to make a huge jump. He’s put on about eight to 10 pounds. He’s shooting the ball very well from what everyone tells me. He’s more confident. I expect him to move forward. I’m hoping Boggs knocks down shots and give us some toughness. Manny had some good games for us and helped us win games last year.”

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