ACC Nation Special Feature
Column by Patrick Hite

This is turning into basketball week on ACCNation.com (sorry football fans, but we’ll get back to your sport very soon – I promise) .

We welcomed Dick Vitale into the Nation this week. You can listen to the entire interview on the podcast. But, for the Tuesday Twelve this week, we give you a few of his comments on the ACC. Nothing earth-shattering, but it is Dickie V.

12. “I think clemson is going to have a big year. I really do.”

11. “If they (north carolina) had one little problem (last year)… it’s that they played in spurts.”

10. “Everybody says they’re healthy and everybody says they’re going to be ready to play and when you add in (Kyle) Singler and Nolan Smith, I think you’re going to see a really solid duke team.”

9. “I think that those kids (n.c. state) really learned how to win. Sidney (Lowe) got them back with a little sense of pride and wearing that uniform and I think you’re going to see them be a factor in the upper echelon.”

8. “They’re (florida state) really solid on the perimeter, but the question is, how good will they be on the interior?”

7. “Anytime you get the ball in the hands of a guy like (Sean) Singletary you’ve got a chance to win. I mean, he is that special.”

6. “I think that lasting impression (of losing to georgetown) is going to be a big motivational factor (for north carolina) and I think they’re going to have a big, big year.”

5. “I really believe this could be the year for Oliver Purnell to get them (clemson) into the NCAA Tourament.”

4. “I think he (Tyrese Rice) is going to have a phenomenal year, but they (boston college) lose so much with (Jared) Dudley and (Sean) Marshall.”

3. “Gary Williams is going to get the most out of them (maryland).”

2. “(Dave) Leitao is having a great recruiting year and it looks like he’s going to have a bonanza class coming in next year.”

1. “I have north carolina uno, number one in the nation.”

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True freshman Terrell Bell will not play in Virginia Tech’s opener against elon, and could miss the first two months of the season after having hernia surgery yesterday. Terrell’s hernia injury had been nagging him for a while and limiting him in practice. The surgery will hopefully resolve the pain. His recovery will likely take 4-8 weeks.

Bell was not expected to see extended action early on, but this is a severe blow to his development. Since most of VT’s cupcakes are in the first two months, Terrell likely would have gotten a chance to play in those games and show what he can do. If he is not back until the new year, VT will be entering its ACC schedule, where minutes will be scarce for Bell. A redshirt might end up being the best plan of action for him if he is not healthy until late December.

Bell is expected to be a wing player (3) in VT’s system behind Deron Washington and A.D. Vassallo.

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Niemo appeared on the ACC Nation Virginia Tech basketball preview podcast this week. Patrick Hite hosts the podcast, which also includes some sound bytes from Coach Greenberg.

You can listen to Niemo and the entire podcast by clicking the play button below:

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ACC Nation can be found online at accnation.com.

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While Tyrod Taylor will likely run the Virginia Tech football team for years to come, Tyshawn Taylor will not be running the Hokies’ basketball team. Tyshawn committed to marquette over the weekend after a visit there. He is a 3-star point guard, rated 104 overall in the Class of 2008 according to Rivals.com.

This is a tough blow to the Hokies’ 2008 class. Taylor was someone VT was very interested in and was one of the top players left on VT’s board.  The Hokies also recently lost out on Frank Ben-Eze, a center from Arlington, VA. Frank is a haaaavad (harvard to those of you not from the chowda state) man now.

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The Virginia Tech Hokies received their first commitment for the 2009 recruiting class over the weekend when Ben Boggs of Hidden Valley High pledged to be a Hokie.  He is a 6’4″ guard who averaged 16 points, 8 rebounds, and close to 4 assists last year.

Ben is a 3-star recruit according to Rivals.com.  Most of his other offers were from Colonial Athletic, Big South, and Southern Conference teams, so he wasn’t exactly an elite recruit — but he is a solid prospect, and a local boy!

Ben is likely to play shooting guard for the Hokies.  He’s an excellent free throw shooter, but needs to improve his range from the floor.

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TechHoops.com would like to welcome Cory Jez, a new member of TechHoops.com’s Student Section, where students voice their opinions on Virgina Tech basketball.

Cory is currently a sophomore Political Science and Economics double major at VT. He is from Midlothian (just outside of Richmond), Va. Cory’s favorite VT basketball moment was chanting “sit down Gary!” to maryland’s coach Gary Williams as he argued a call last season in Cassell. Cory thinks the entire month of March should be a national holiday to watch basketball.

Welcome to the ACC, Hokies.

Last season, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program experienced a taste of ACC success, breaking from their traditional position as bottom feeders in the conference. With this newfound success, the student body must bring to the Cassell the same enthusiasm and excitement they have exhibited next door in Lane Stadium on autumn Saturdays.

While the Virginia Tech Athletic Department is enjoying a period of success that is unprecedented in Blacksburg, embattled Athletic Director Jim Weaver has borne the brunt of student criticism this football season for his banning of the popular “stick it in” cheer, among other things. As we transition to basketball, Mr. Weaver’s policy making with student ticket distribution is now coming under fire.

Anyone who attended the Hokie basketball home game against Maryland last season knows how amazing the student section can be, it was an amazing night. Due to inclement weather preventing season ticket holders from traveling to the game, Cassell was opened to allow students to occupy unused seats, in effect turning Cassell into one large and rowdy student section. We need to have a system in place that enables the Hokie faithful with access to seats to every game. Our current lottery / season-ticket system is seriously flawed.

Let’s look at how one of the top programs in the country does it: duke. Though an ACC rival, I have to commend their system of ticket allocation for the petite cameron indoor. Tickets are offered on a first-come, first-served basis, with students lining up for many hours before games just to get a seat (where they will never actually sit, because the cameron crazies are up all game). duke actually designates two games each year as tent games in the town of Krzyzewskiville, usually unc and another big conference match up each season. This gives every student who really wants it a chance to be front and center when game-time comes.

I’d like to see a similar system implemented here in Blacksburg. Give those who really want to see the games a chance to see them, reward those showing up hours before a game with the chance to be the first into Cassell to stake out the best seats in the student section. The lottery system does nothing to reward those who attend multiple games; they have just as much chance as the student who enters the lottery just to sell the ticket.

If an improved system can be implemented at Virginia Tech, I will be the first one to get my tent out in preparation to welcome uva to Cassell Coliseum.

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Today is going to be a tough day after an even rougher night. So, get your mind off that other sport by checking out a great new website, the Basketball Prospectus. The site launched on October 10th and is run by hardball gurus Ken Pomeroy, John Gasaway, and Kevin Pelton.

Their first feature was an ACC basketball preview (of course).

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Preseason ACC Poll (as voted on by the ever popular media folks)

1. unc
2. duke
3. nc state
4. clemson
5. uva
6. md
7. ga tech
8. bc
9. fsu
10. VIRGINIA TECH!!!
11. wake
12. miami

We all figured VT would be in the bottom 3rd.  I’m actually surprised VT isn’t 11th.  wake has some real talent coming in.  But with the passing of head coach Skip Prosser, it remains to see what kind of shape the program will be in this year.

The thing that surprised me is VT did not have any of the top three guys in the ACC Preaseason Rookie of the Year voting.  Will all the points and depth lost by VT, the Hokie freshman will really be counted on.  I think Jeff Allen or Malcolm Delaney will make a strong push for Rookie of the Year and win the weekly award several times.

VT had no one on the Preseason First Team.

ACC Preseason First Team:

• Tyler Hansbrough, Jr. (unc – preseason POY)
• sean singletary, Sr. (uva)
• Tyrese Rice, Jr. (bc)
• Brandon Costner, r-So. (nc state – he’d probably be POY if they played VT every game)
• Ty Lawson, So. (unc)

Moral of the story: Have “Ty” in your name and you have a good shot at being ACC First Team.  Hopefully, VT will sign recruit Tyshawn Taylor based on this.  Maybe Tyrod Taylor should try bball?

Preseason Rookie of the Year: Kyle Singler – duke

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Around the World twice in one day. It’s a record.

TurtleSportsReport.com is reporting that Gus Gilchrist is going to maryland. Their stellar graduation rate must have been the deciding factor.

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Ok, I know I’ve been a no-show this past week. The Sox are once again sucking up the little time I have, but I am ready to get back into the blogosphere.

I was going to post about a few new websites that I found last week, but this morning I found a preview on gw. Looks like former Hokie Wynton Witherspoon is receiving some hype for the colonials, who are picked to finish last in the A-10. It will be interesting to see how Witherspoon performs on December 9th when gw comes to the Cassell.

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The Collegiate Inn of Blacksburg (the Holiday Inn) has just released rooms for the boston college, fsu, and miami football game weekends for TechHoops.com readers. These rooms are first come, first serve. To book a room, call 540-552-7001 and tell them you read about it on TechHoops.com.

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With the roster almost set now (pending Dorenzo Hudson qualifying to play after the end of the first semester), let’s take a look at how I see the depth chart looking.

Beginning of the season:

• PG – MALCOLM DELANEY / Hank Thorns
• SG – A.D. VASSALLO / Malcolm Delaney
• Wing – DERON WASHINGTON / A.D. Vassallo / Terrell Bell
• PF – JEFF ALLEN / Deron Washington / Lewis Witcher / J.T. Thompson
• C/F – CHEICK DIAKITE / Lewis Witcher

Mid-season

• PG – MALCOLM DELANEY / Hank Thorns
• SG – DORENZO HUDSON / Malcolm Delaney / A.D. Vassallo
• Wing – A.D. VASSALLO / Deron Washington / Terrell Bell
• PF – DERON WASHINGTON / Jeff Allen / J.T. Thompson
• C/F – CHEICK DIAKITE / Lewis Witcher

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Last Week: 

This Week:

• Football: OFF
• Men’s Soccer: Friday 10/19 – unc @VT
• Women’s Soccer: Thursday, 10/18 – VT @ uva; Sunday 10/21 unc @ VT
• Volleyball: Friday 10/19 – VT @ duke; Saturday 10/20 – VT @ wake

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The Hokies got some good news yesterday. J.T. Thompson is academically eligible to play. Thompson has been taking classes at Tech, but was waiting on the NCAA decision.

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I figured I’d actually write about something Virginia Tech basketball related this week just to keep you all on your toes…

One thing that has really stuck out to me during the Greenberg Era is the number of players the Hokies have lost before their eligibility expired.  Let’s take a look at the guys Greenberg has signed and how many have stuck around, and then break that down a bit further.

Recruits signed by Greenberg (NOTE: For the sake of this article, I am counting Coleman Collins and Jamon Gordon as Stokes signees since he is the one that technically inked them.  Also, I’m only counting signees once.  And this list assumes they actually signed, not just verballed, to VT.)

2003:

• Zabian Dowdell – 2 star (all star rankings are from Scout.com)

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