3 truths Virginia Tech men's basketball fans don't want to hear

It is going to be a long week in Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team. At 13-9 overall and 5-6 in the ACC, the Hokies had a chance to pick up a pair of Quad 1 wins last week to improve their chances of making the NCAA Tournament, but losses to Duke and Miami did a lot of damage.

The most frustrating loss came in South Florida Saturday afternoon. The Hokies were holding a 10-point lead with just under 12 minutes left, but turnovers, missed free throws, and empty possessions proved to be too costly against the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech returns to the court Saturday night at Notre Dame, but before that game, here are three truths that Virginia Tech fans don’t want to hear about the 2023-24 team.

1. Virginia Tech’s season took a hit before it even started

Going into the season, the Hokies were not exactly blessed with depth, but that took a bigger hit when guard Rodney Rice decided right before the season began to leave the program. That left a thin roster even thinner. That is one less ball-handler for a team that struggles mightily at times to handle the ball.

Virginia Tech has good shooting guards, but aside from Sean Pedulla, they don’t have anyone that they can count on to handle the ball against pressure. If there is one area in recruiting that needs to be addressed it’s that they need ball handlers. Rice was an athletic guard who could create his shot, but losing him created a depth issue that they have not been able to fill. There are a lot of nights where just 7-8 guys play and that’s not going to cut it on a nightly basis in the ACC.