Virginia Tech Basketball: 10 Observations from Hokies win over Wofford

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team faced an early-season test Sunday night at Cassell Coliseum against Wofford in a non-conference game. It also marked the first time that Hokies coach Mike Young was facing his former team before he made the move the Blacksburg.

Leading by 10 at halftime, Virginia Tech dominated the second half against the Terriers, outscoring them 55-43 in a 98-76 win to improve to 3-1 on the season before they head to Orlando for the ESPN Events Invitational Thanksgiving Weekend.

Wofford came into the game after losing at Tennessee in a game where they hung tough with the Vols in Knoxville last week. A good 3-point shooting team, the Terriers made 14, but it was not enough as the Hokies’ defense was tough inside the arc.

Here are some observations from Virginia Tech’s win at Cassell Coliseum.

Observations from a  Virginia Tech win over Wofford

• One thing is clear early in the season, you can tell early if Hunter Cattoor is on with his shooting. Against Campbell, he struggled to make one of his five first-half 3-pointers before hitting three in the second half. Against Wofford, he hit his first attempt for the first basket of the game and stayed hot. He got into a nice rhythm as the half went along and carried that over to the second half. He finished with 17 points for four made 3’s.

• Freshman Brandon Rechsteiner plays with a ton of confidence. He sees the floor well and is always ready to shoot. He stepped into some good shots against the Terriers and is a very nice option for Young off the bench.
• Young may not be happy with his team’s defensive effort, but they made the Terriers work for most of their baskets. Inside the arc, the Hokies defended well and rebounded well. Wofford did make 11 3-pointers, but Virginia Tech did get some easy baskets in transition because of their defense.
• Lynn Kidd continues to dominate inside as he led the Hokies with 20 points. His movement around the basket and his explosiveness are pretty impressive early in the season.
• Sean Pedulla was in foul trouble in the first half but made up for it in the second half. He had 11 points at the beginning of the second half before the first full media timeout and scored 13 of 19 points after halftime. He finished with five rebounds as well.

• Tyler Nickel got hot and if he continues that, what an offensive option he can be for Young. He finished with 14 points and was a perfect 3-for-3 from beyond the arc and that included a four-point play.

• Speaking of players coming off the bench Mylyjael Poteat continues to bring energy and he finished with a workman-like four points, five rebounds, and two assists. His interior defense was good with his active hands.
• Virginia Tech finished the game shooting 56.9% from the floor and 50% on 3-pointers. If they can sustain that, and that’s a big if, they will be tough to beat, especially if they get locked in on the defensive end.
• The Hokies will not get ready for the ESPN Events Invitational in Orlando on Thanksgiving Weekend. They will play three games in four days beginning with Boise State Thursday night at 8 p.m.