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Hokies Men’s Hoops Looking for 10th Win as They Host Charleston Southern

By Mike McDaniel

Dec 17, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech guard Ahmed Hill (13) shoots against the Citadel Bulldogs in the second half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Dec 17, 2016; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech guard Ahmed Hill (13) shoots against the Citadel Bulldogs in the second half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports /
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Virginia Tech Hokies Men’s Basketball (9-1) is looking to notch their 10th win in the 2016-17 campaign against Charleston Southern on Tuesday night

Fresh off of a 113-71 victory over The Citadel on Saturday, the Virginia Tech Hokies return to Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday night to take on Charleston Southern. At 9-1 on the young season, the Hokies sit just outside of the latest AP Top 25 Poll, as they look to capture their 10th win of the year with non-conference schedule nearing conclusion.

The Hokies are hoping for continued success on the offensive side of the court with redshirt-sophomore guard Ahmed Hill, who has produced a very solid comeback season after missing all of last year due to a stress fracture in his leg.

In 10 games for the Hokies this season, Hill is averaging 14.1 points, 3.9 rebounds, and 1.8 assists per contest. He has shot nearly 47% both from the floor overall, as well as from beyond the three point line.

While Hill has been spectacular shooting the basketball, the two players who have been just as involved on both ends of the floor are forwards Zach LeDay and Chris Clarke. LeDay leads the Hokies in scoring at 17.0 points per game, and is tied for the team lead in rebounding in the early going this season at 7.4 rebounds per contest.

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Meanwhile, Clarke has been great in his own right. On Saturday against The Citadel, he became the first player in school history to notch a triple-double, as he scored 13 points, snagged 12 rebounds, and dished out 10 assists in the victory.

On the season, Clarke is tied with LeDay for the team lead in rebounds at 7.4 per game, while also averaging 9.1 points per game to go along with 4.2 assists. He has truly done a little bit of everything on the stat sheet, while also playing excellent on-ball defense; he’s been spectacular.

The Hokies are a much better team than their foe in Charleston Southern entering Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday night. With that being said, it’s for certain that the Hokies cannot take any team for granted, especially with their razor-thin margin for error in a brutally tough non-conference schedule.

The Buccaneers enter action against the Hokies with a 4-6 record, with their most recent game coming on Saturday in a 84-64 loss to Georgia.

The ‘Bucs have been carried offensively primary by a three-headed monster of Armel Potter, Christian Keeling, and Cortez Mitchell.

Potter, a sophomore guard out of Marietta, Georgia, leads the team with 14.9 points per game on 48.2% shooting from the floor.

Keeling, a freshman guard from Augusta, Georgia, has been every bit as impressive in his first year for the Buccaneers, scoring 14.3 points per game on 47.6% shooting.

The third and final player averaging double figures in points is junior guard Cortez Mithell. The 6’2″ Jackson, Mississippi product is averaging an even 10.0 points per contest while hitting shots at a 41.9% clip on the year so far.

If the Hokies are able to contain these three guards from scoring around their season averages, Tech should be in good shape tonight. It will all start with limiting second-chance opportunities, which the Hokies handled so well in the second half of Saturday’s match-up against The Citadel.

Rebounding will be key, and this is yet another spot (and one of the few games remaining on the schedule), where the Hokies will have a noticeable size advantage in the paint.

There are only three players on Charleston Southern’s entire roster taller than 6’7″, so bigs Khadim Sy and Zach LeDay, along with wing Chris Clarke will look to continue the strong rebounding for the Hokies.

Tip-off is slated between these two teams at 9 PM ET on Tuesday evening, and the game will be televised on ESPNU.

Stay with Fighting Gobbler for the latest reaction from this game, including a recap to come following the completion of the game on Tuesday night. Go Hokies.