Virginia Tech Basketball: Lynn Kidd & his start to 2023-24 is enormous

Through the first three Virginia Tech men’s basketball games, Hunter Cattoor and Sean Pedulla have played well at times and they have also struggled at times. When both are on, they can fill up the basket, especially Cattoor with his 3-point shooting.

If there has been one consistency for Mike Young and his staff, it’s been center Lynn Kidd and if he can continue to play the way he has early in the season, then that brings a different dimension to Virginia Tech’s offense.

Lynn Kidd averaging a double-double through three games

The Hokies are 2-1 with wins over Coppin State and Campbell, with a disappointing two-point loss to South Carolina sandwiched in between. Each of Young’s starters has had their moments in all three games, but the one who has been consistent each time he’s on the court, it’s Kidd.

Kidd’s latest impressive game to start the season came Wednesday night in a 60-44 Virginia Tech win over Campbell. The athletic Kidd had career highs with 24 points and 15 rebounds against the Camels and in reality, the Hokies needed nearly all of it from a player who averaged five points a game last season.

“There a time in peoples (careers)….. When the lights come on and (they say) ‘Hey, I can do this,’’’ Young said. “It’s a pretty good out for us late in the shot clock, at any point in the shot clock, to flip that thing down there.’’

Against Campbell, Kidd scored 12 of the Hokies’ 16 first-half points and Pedulla struggled from the floor, but he was able to drive to the basket and find Kidd in the post for a layup. In the second half, the Camels made one last late-game run at Virginia Tech, but it was Kidd who dashed any of their hopes for a comeback with a pair of dunks.

Through three games, Kidd is averaging 16.7 points and 10.7 rebounds in just over 24 minutes a night.

Against South Carolina, Kidd and Pedulla led the second-half rally with Pedulla getting hot from the outside and Kidd finishing on the inside against the Gamecocks, Unfortunately for the Hokies, it was their lack of effort on the defensive end that turned out to end any hopes they had of making a comeback. Kidd finished with 12 points and six rebounds against South Carolina.

Lynn Kidd’s inside game opens things up for teammates

One major positive of Kidd playing the way he has is that other teams are not only going to have to gameplan for Pedulla and Cattoor, but also Kidd. The 6-foot-10 senior’s ability to score in the post is going to open things up for the Hokies shooters.

Against Campbell in the second half, Robbie Beran knocked down a pair of jumpers from the elbow and near the wing with Kidd on the floor and Cattoor hit 3 treys in the half, getting better looks than he had in the opening half when he was 1-for-5 against the Camels.

Lynn Kidd continuing to play the way he has makes Virginia Tech a different team to defend and frees up other players. Pedulla and Cattoor can’t supply the offense every night and having a post presence like Kidd makes it that tougher to gameplan for the Hokies this season.