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gw67
09-30-2008, 08:43 AM
The ACC previews to date have been well written and pretty much on the mark IMO. The preview of Virginia Tech states that "Tech really needs another guard to emerge." Last year, Tech had a number of unsung freshmen perform very well and I expect all of them to improve this year. One of those freshmen was Hudson, a 6-5 guard, who in the games I saw, appeared to be a very good offensive player and I expect that he will be their primary backup at guard. The preview also notes that Tech may be a little short up front. In their case, I don't think that it will matter against most teams because Allen and Thompson are wide bodies who are very aggressive rebounders.

I expect Tech to be in the top half of the league this year and make the NCAAT.

gw67

RepoMan
09-30-2008, 09:26 AM
I also commend DBR on their Hokie review. Over the post-expansion years, I have felt that they sometimes have made gratuitous and largely undeserved snarky comments about Greenberg and Virginia Tech, but this was a very fair assessment. I think Greenberg has done a remarkable job.

Olympic Fan
09-30-2008, 10:28 AM
I also like and respect the DBR previews -- informed and even-handed.

But in this case I was also surprised by the absence of Dorenzo Hudson, both on the roster posted and in the preview. Has something happened to him that I don't know about?

Hudson, a 6-5 soph from Charlotte, came on strong late last season. In fact, it was the late development of Hudson and JT Thompson who really sparked the Hokies' late surge.

I think the trio of Thorns, Delaney and Hudson is plenty deep in the backcourt, especially with Vassalo getting some minutes at guard.

Allen and Thompson are like Clemson's 6-7 center Trevor Booker -- they may not be particularly tall, but they are burly and powerful down low. Davila is another wide body.

I think Virginia Tech is in the mix with Wake Forest, Clemson and Miami for third-through-sixth place in the ACC going into the season (behind UNC and Duke; just ahead of Maryland-Georgia Tech-FSU ... I have BC, NC State and Virginia another notch below).

If Hudson is indeed gone, I would have to re-evaluate ...

fan345678
09-30-2008, 05:51 PM
It appears that Hudson is still there:

http://www.hokiesports.com/mbasketball/players/

Not only is he 6'5", but he's apparently 220 lbs! That's a big guard.
There's also a freshman from Gulliver Prep. named Gene Swindle who's 6'11"/260. Anyone ever heard of him?

riverside6
09-30-2008, 08:47 PM
Dorenzo Hudson (http://www.scacchoops.com/players.asp?search=dorenzo hudson) is there, and is quite the shooter, but defense and conditioning have held him back.

VTemanresu
10-01-2008, 01:40 PM
As a Hokie fan I wanted to commend and thank DBR for putting together this review. I thought it was relatively complementary and captured the gist of Greenberg’s competitive but somewhat uneven mindset, which we have to thank for both some heady wins over great opponents and head scratching losses against garbage teams.

The review did miss a few players though. As far as backcourt depth, it not only missed Hudson but also Terrell Bell. They are both sophomores, about the same size and build, and both can play G/SF. However while Hudson has the best shot on the team but was a defensive liability last year, Bell was just the opposite, but both struggled overall. So far this year they look to be the most improved players so I would expect to see at least one on the court at all times. Delaney and Thorns look to be about where they were at the end of last season, so along with two reasonably competent walk-ons, I think there is plenty of backcourt depth this year.

As far as the frontcourt, it was hoped that Davila could step right in at 5 and we could play a leaner, meaner Allen at 4. However in two scrimmages I have watched, Davila looked completely lost and Allen, while he looks like he’s in far better shape, was playing slower than last year. So, our frontcourt problems are not solved yet. We do have a freshman, Gene Swindle who may have potential at the 5. He was something like 370lbs and had only played basketball for a couple of years when Greenberg was the first and only coach to offer. I thought it was a disaster at the time but was blown away when I watched him play the other week. He has lost 100 lbs in a year, has quick hands and feet and is incredibly strong. He was huffing really hard to get up and down the court but once he got to the glass he showed flashes of complete dominance. The plan was to redshirt him but if that doesn’t happen I bet that he should start getting some good minutes later in the season.

I think the biggest conclusion that can be reached about VT right now is that Greenberg lost 5 seniors, our only returning guard and our best recruit, and replaced them with 7 freshmen last year. Some of those guys struggled to adapt to the college game and several really struggled in the classroom and had to curtail practice time, but they improved over the season and ended up 4th in conference, only one spot behind the senior-laden team of 06. Since then all of them made it through the Spring and Summer academic sessions unscathed and all of them (save Allen) look to be playing vastly better now than this time last year. VT doesn't have any superstars, but has a deep pool of young, athletic, competitive players. Assuming Greenberg can avoid some of his now patented early season let downs, I think this team could have a pretty high ceiling over the next 3 seasons.

whereinthehellami
10-01-2008, 02:51 PM
VT was a young team last year so I think it took them awhile to come together. I thought they looked really good as the year went along and into the NIT. They should have made the NCAAs and I think they would have made some noise, maybe the sweet 16 with the right matchups. They were a hot and dangerous team at the end of last year. The complete opposite of Duke, who seemed to limp into and out of the NCAAs. I think this lineup can hang with any team in the ACC;

G- Thorn
G- Delaney
G/F Vassaillo
F- Thompson
F/C - Allen

RainingThrees
10-01-2008, 03:01 PM
At least Deron Washington won't be there this year.

fan345678
10-01-2008, 03:22 PM
I heard a funny comment from a VT fan last year:

"Deron Washington is the best basketball player I've ever seen who can't dribble, pass, or shoot."

Then again, the Pistons drafted him, so perhaps he can stick as thorn-in-your-side defender who can spell Prince for a few minutes here and there.

RainingThrees
10-02-2008, 07:39 AM
The only reason I could ever think about for drafting him would be if he was a freshmen and people saw his athletic ability. But drafting a college senior on potential and not on skill seems stupid to me. But the pistons did pick up Kwame Brown so it makes sense that they would make this move.

whereinthehellami
10-02-2008, 03:07 PM
Allen and Thompson are like Clemson's 6-7 center Trevor Booker -- they may not be particularly tall, but they are burly and powerful down low.

I really like Jeff Allen and think he has the potential to explode this year. He has some qualities that remind me of Elton Brand. Size, runs well, and great hands. He made some questionable decisions last year with the ball. If he can can mature the mental part of the game and play more consistently he can be an ACC 1st teamer.

DevilCastDownfromDurham
10-02-2008, 03:22 PM
Just wanted to say "welcome" VT and please stick around. It's great to have fans of other schools posting here. It gives us insight and info about those programs (like the players you mentioned that the preview missed) and helps keep a good atmosphere for thoughtful and rational discussion. Great to have you and I look forward to hearing more of what you have to say about VT, the ACC, and life in general (do check out the off topic boards for some good non-basketball discussions).:)

fan345678
10-02-2008, 10:24 PM
Just wanted to say "welcome" VT and please stick around. It's great to have fans of other schools posting here. It gives us insight and info about those programs (like the players you mentioned that the preview missed) and helps keep a good atmosphere for thoughtful and rational discussion. Great to have you and I look forward to hearing more of what you have to say about VT, the ACC, and life in general (do check out the off topic boards for some good non-basketball discussions).:)

Thanks, DCDfD! I grew up a VT fan and went to Duke, so I sometimes find myself defending VT during football season and defending Duke during basketball season. A large chunk of the VT fan base jumped on the Duke hatred bandwagn after that first game in Cameron when SG got ejected, but hopefully the VT team earning some respect on the court will help people warm up to them.

As far as getting VT fans to realize that UNC is the real evil empire, that's a more difficult task. People seem to have forgotten the Dean Smith years somehow.

riverside6
10-02-2008, 10:38 PM
I really like Jeff Allen and think he has the potential to explode this year. He has some qualities that remind me of Elton Brand. Size, runs well, and great hands. He made some questionable decisions last year with the ball. If he can can mature the mental part of the game and play more consistently he can be an ACC 1st teamer.
I made the exact same comparison (Jeff Allen - Elton Brand) in a thread a week or so ago about players on other ACC teams that I would like to see play for Duke this year.

Allen needs to get better at limiting his turnovers, but the guy has all the skills needed to be a star in college.

whereinthehellami
10-03-2008, 08:41 AM
I made the exact same comparison (Jeff Allen - Elton Brand) in a thread a week or so ago about players on other ACC teams that I would like to see play for Duke this year.

Allen needs to get better at limiting his turnovers, but the guy has all the skills needed to be a star in college.

Allen is definately a key guy for the Hokies. There is no reason why he isn't a double-double guy. When he gets his paws on the ball, things happen. The early reports out of Blacksburg say that Allen has lost some weight and gotten in better condition during the off-season. All he has to do in my mind is stay focused and play with passion. Of course that is easier said than done. I guees that is why players like Elton are so special.