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.
2. Sean Pedulla is not totally to blame for his turnover struggles
Turnovers lately have been an issue for Pedulla. He struggled during a stretch last month with turnovers against Miami (six), Virginia (seven), North Carolina State (seven), and Boston College (six). Surprisingly, the Hokies split those games. He turned things around against Georgia Tech and Duke with one in each game, but he turned the ball over seven more times in Miami and a lot of them in the second half led to points for the Hurricanes.
Coach Mike Young is putting a lot on Pedulla’s shoulders by having the ball in his hands for well over 30 minutes a game. Yes, he has been able to shoot the ball, get downhill to the basket, and dish the rock for assists, but in the overall picture, there is no depth behind them Young can trust. Losing Rice before the season started was a huge loss and freshman Brandon Rechsteiner has struggled with his health and illnesses to not be available consistently. Hunter Cattoor and MJ Collins are good guards, but not ball handlers.
3. Virginia Tech is not an NCAA Tournament team
As is, the Hokies are going to have to go on a run like they did a couple of years ago in the ACC Tournament where they won it to get into the NCAA Tournament. At 13-9 and 5-6 in the conference, they are fading fast in the tournament conversation. They have some chances for Quad 1 wins coming up, but even their “winnable’’ road games are going to be tough. Notre Dame has been playing people tough at home and Louisville just dropped 101 points on Florida State Saturday night. As they have found out this season, nothing in the ACC is going to be easy for the most part at home or away.
Don’t get me wrong, Virginia Tech does have some good wins on their resume. Wins over Boise State and Iowa State in the ESPN Events Invitational in November during Thanksgiving Weekend are looking like very good wins every week. They beat Clemson at home, a team that is hanging around in most NCAA Tournament projections, but after that, good wins are few and far between. In the end, this is likely another NIT season in Blacksburg for Young and his team.