When Megan Duffy took over at Virginia Tech for Kenny Brooks last April, the former Marquette coach had a roster to rebuild. She did have some retainment with some key players, Carys Baker, Matilda Ekh, Carleigh Wenzel, and Rose Micheaux, to name a few.
Duffy also brought in freshman Kayl Petersen and also got a commitment from Utah transfer Lani White. It's never easy adjusting to a new school, a new conference, and a new coach. There are going to be growing pains and some time is needed to adjust. White is quickly adjusting to her new home in Blacksburg and becoming a big piece of what Duffy and the Hokies are looking to do in 2024-25.
Lani White becoming huge part of Virginia Tech's success
Virginia Tech has played just three games in the month of December, but White has been one of the best players for Duffy. She is shooting 70% from the field, knocked down six of her seven 3-point attempts and she has scored 44 total points.
How good has White been? Consider the following. In a 70-61 win at Georgia on Dec. 4 in the ACC/SEC Challenge, the Hokies trailed the Bulldogs heading into the fourth quarter, but White sparked a big rally for a win in their first true road game. She finished with 14 points, along with Ekh and Baker and White knocked down three of four 3-pointers.
Four days later at Duke in the Hokies' 81-59 loss, White scored seven points, but last Sunday against Radford at home, she had her best game at Virginia Tech. She had 23 points, one more than Wenzel, in Virginia Tech's 73-34 rout. You might be thinking, consider the competition, but in 30 minutes, she gained a ton of confidence going 7-for-10 from the field.
If Virginia Tech and Duffy are going to have success of any kind once ACC play kicks into high gear after the New Year, they are going to need to have balanced scoring. If White can continue to play at the level she is this month, then she gives Duffy another scorer for teams to defend and a big option.