Virginia Tech basketball coach Mike Young is "perplexed'' in defending Sean Pedulla
By Scott Roche
![Virginia Tech v NC State Virginia Tech v NC State](https://images2.minutemediacdn.com/image/upload/c_crop,w_6542,h_3679,x_0,y_0/c_fill,w_720,ar_16:9,f_auto,q_auto,g_auto/images/GettyImages/mmsport/233/01hmsg9atjmqg0hrtfv3.jpg)
Last week the Virginia Tech men's basketball team split their two games. They lost at Virginia on Wednesday, then on Saturday, they went to North Carolina State and upset the Wolfpack. Despite winning one and losing one, there was one common concern in both games, turnovers.
Against Virginia, the Hokies turned the ball over 15 times on their way to a 65-57 loss. Point guard Sean Pedulla turned it over eight times and some of them were unforced. Against NC State in an 84-78 victory, Virginia Tech turned it over 20 times, seven by Pedulla in 37 minutes.
Monday, head coach Mike Young spoke with the media and said that he was perplexed and scratching his head with the turnovers.
#Hokies coach Mike Young said Tech needs to have other ballhandlers take pressure off Sean Pedulla, who had 7 turnovers in the win over NC State: "I'm perplexed. I'm scratching my head."
— Mike Barber (@RTD_MikeBarber) January 22, 2024
Let's not overlook the offensive production that Pedulla has been giving the Hokies. Against Virginia he had a team-high 18 points and made some big shots in the second half to give his team a chance to complete a comeback. Against the Wolfpack, he had 13 points and took a key charge that help Virginia tech hold off a late NC State rally.
Young will look to get other ballhandlers in the game to run the point and take the pressure off of his junior. Brandon Rechsteiner played well in December in Pedulla's absence because of an ankle injury and is someone who can come into the game and slide Pedulla over and get him off the ball. Hunter Cattoor can handle the ball, but he's more valuable when he's getting open and hitting shots. Tyler Nickel had trouble with turnovers last week and MJ Collins is someone who can handle the ball.
The frustrating part of a lot of the turnovers is that they are unforced. Boston College is up next and the Eagles are a team with guard play that is going to put pressure on Pedulla and the Hokies and it will be intersting to see whoelse handles the ball for Tech and how Pedulla responds after 15 combined turnovers in two games.
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