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Virginia Tech Basketball: 3 Takeaways From Disappointing Fort Myers Tip-Off Losses

The Hokies lost al the games in the Fort Myers Tip-Off and are now on a four-game losing streak.

By Scott Roche

Nov 27, 2024; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) and Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jaden Schutt (2) scramble for a loose ball in the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
Nov 27, 2024; Fort Myers, Florida, USA; South Carolina Gamecocks forward Collin Murray-Boyles (30) and Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jaden Schutt (2) scramble for a loose ball in the first half at Suncoast Credit Union Arena. Mandatory Credit: Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images / Nathan Ray Seebeck-Imagn Images
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Things have been a struggle, actually a big struggle, lately for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team. After winning their first three games, the Hokies have dropped four in a row after a 70-60 loss to South Carolina in the consolation game of the Fort Myers Tip-Off, falling to 3-4.

The Hokies have lost to three power conference schools, Penn State, Michigan, and the Gamecocks, with a very disappointing loss mixed in against Jacksonville last week. Against the power conference schools, the Hokies have had mixed performances, but there is one common theme, they struggle to score. With that said, here are three takeaways from the Fort Myers Tip-Off.

Turnovers are a major problem

Struggling to score is going to happen, but when you struggle to score and you're turning the ball over at the rate Virginia Tech is, it's a recipe for disaster. It's just not the guards, it's a problem throughout the team on the offensive side of the floor.

The frustrating part with the turnovers is some of them are avoidable, some of them are forced and some of them are unforced. Traveling, bad entry passes, bad outlet passes, shot clock violation, you name it, the Hokies have turned it over one way or another.

Couldn't string enough stops together

Against Michigan and Jacksonville, in the on-campus part of the Fort Myers Tip-Off, the Hokies couldn't get enough stops in the second half to mount a comeback or complete a comeback. It seemed like every time they made a run, they couldn't get a stop defensively.

Wednesday night against South Carolina, the Hokies hung around in the second half and ended up getting stops, but they couldn't score on the other end. Scoring droughts have been an issue and in a game that maybe was winnable against the Gamecocks, the lid was closed down the stretch when they strung stops together.

Virginia Tech could go winless in the ACC

I mean, going winless in conference play in basketball is hard to do, but would it surprise anyone on this Hokies team to pull it off? Seriously, the ACC is good again this season and it is top-heavy, but some of the teams picked around Virginia Tech are off to good starts, including Boston College. They will likely win a game or two, but anything more than that feels like a stretch, right now with all the turnovers and scoring droughts they go through.

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