Categorized | Home

It’s the Offseason so Start the Rumor Mill!

Posted on25 March 2012.

Like in many of the past offseasons (Seth to st. john’s, Jeff Allen to transfer, Malcolm to go pro, etc.), every day there’s a new rumor related to the program.  Just this weekend I’ve heard rumors X is leaving, then Y is transferring, then Z is being hired by t.  We’ll see how it all plays out.  If past years are any indication, one of the rumors will end up being true, but that’s it.  I have no idea which one it will be (or if it won’t be any… or two… or more).  Now we play the waiting game!  Ah, the waiting game sucks, let’s play Hungry, Hungry Hippo.

This post was written by:

- who has written 1106 posts on Tech Hoops.

Niemo is a member of the VT Class of '98. Attended every home basketball game during his 4 years at VT after missing the first home game. Has attended 122 straight VT football home games (every game since '94), eclipsing the 100 mark in September of '09. During the final home basketball game of his senior year, he was brought onto the court and was awarded 2 passes to the Atlantic 10 Basketball Tournament in Philly during a timeout. The Hokie Bird made the award on behalf of Athletic Director Jim Weaver. Niemo was known to be in the front row of every home game with his familiar red afro hairdo. Niemo currently lives in DC and speaks the Hokie gospel as often as possible. He watches over 50% of all ACC games, making him one of the most knowledgeable experts on ACC basketball.

Contact the author | Visit the author's website | Follow Niemo on Twitter


  • http://www.chrishatcher.weebly.com Chris Hatcher

    Any chance you could divulge those rumors or at least tell us who they involve? I know you don’t want to give credence to what probably/possibly is not going to happen, but I’m just interested/concerned. Also, any rumors of us being a player for any INCOMING transfers? We are paper thin at the 2 and the guard spots in general, and even if JT returns we only have 11 scholarship players.

    • hokiegrad
    • Niemo

      I’ve gotten out of the rumor game, so I’d rather not divulge, sorry. Last year I had info from a very direct source on a matter and I went forward with it and it bombed and made me look bad, so I’m just staying tight-lipped from now on. And only one of the rumors I’ve heard isn’t very well out in the open anyway, so it isn’t like I’m hearing big, dark secrets.

  • kiawahhokie

    Greenberg to SMU might be a good move for him seeing as anything short of the NCAA tourney next year will most likely result in his firing. While they’re in the Big East, that’s a whole lot of traveling back and forth from Dallas…

    • hokiegrad

      I don’t see him taking the SMU job unless they are willing to pay a good bit more than he’s making at VT. Which they have the money to do if they want. But who knows.

      • kiawahhokie

        CBSsports reported on Saturday that SMU also went after Buzz Williams at Marquette and offered him $2.6 mil. SMU certainly has the money to lure SG away from the Burg, but you’d think after turning around VT basketball, it’d be strange to go start all over at SMU, where cracking into the top of the Big East standings is, at least recently, a lot harder to do than in the ACC.

        • kiawahhokie

          Then again, Pitt and Cuse won’t be in the Big East anymore…

    • Chris_atl

      Would seem odd that SG wouldn’t want to see this highly rated recruiting class get to its full potential. Unless he doesn’t see the talent in this class that he had hoped for.

    • Les

      It doesn’t make a lot of sense to hire from a school that left the Big East recently on less than good terms.

      Noticed also that some of the rumor reports pair the SMU hire with Greenberg’s job being in jeopardy may point to an effort by the competition to hinder VT’s ability to recruit remaining prospects for 2012-2013.

      • Niemo

        Les – interesting conspiracy thought on recruiting! I can certainly see that.
        As for the VT leaving the BE thing, I don’t think that matters at all. Coaching is a lot different than schools. Coaches change places all the time, so there would be no ill will towards Seth, not that it would matter anyway. Think about how much the BE has changed since VT left – probably half the schools are different and they care much more about the fresh wound of cuse/pitt leaving, not who was the head coach of VT bball (who was a doormat in the league) when they left.

  • http://www.heyhokie.com Goodraisin

    I can’t really think of any players who would transfer… Garland was the one I was thinking of before the season started and he’s already gone. In order to transfer, a player needs at least one of these things in place:

    1) a lack of playing time & a personal belief that they should be getting more playing time
    2) a strong dislike of the current coaching staff

    The only thing I heard this season that would fit into either category was that Erick Green had beef with Seth Greenberg. Green’s not going to transfer as the star of the team going into his senior year (and besides that, I think his tweet was misunderstood by a lot people). My opinion is that only an idiot would choose to transfer and sit out for a year just to play one more year at a different school.

    It seems like all of our players are getting ample playing time… can’t think of anyone who is riding the pine would probably thinks they should be playing. JVZ was red-shirted and seems like he was cool with that… he should probably see some playing time next year.

  • http://www.chrishatcher.weebly.com Chris Hatcher

    According to the Roanoke Times’ Mark Berman, JT Thompson IS transferring and Seth isn’t going anywhere. That means we’re already down to 10 scholarship bodies IF (and knowing our history that’s a BIG IF) everyone is healthy. So I hope those were the only BAD rumors you were hearing Niemo. I hope the rest were related to us getting a player via a transfer.

    • Chris_atl

      I hadn’t thought about JT transferring but it makes some sense. With Hudson gone, all of his comrades are gone. And with the talent we have at forward and MH coming in he may see his playing time as limited.

  • Chris

    Not surprised on JT transferring; never expected him to come back. Wish him the best of luck.

    Never really figured Greenberg would leave either. Not surprised to hear he’s staying. He seems to want to build something here. Whether he’s actually capable of that or not, I don’t know.

    As for who may be leaving… I have no idea.

    Only 10 scholarship players for next season… supposedly we’re in on a big man JC guy out in Arizona who’s suppose to be good. We definitely could use another big man and 2 guard. Hope we can bring in a combination of the two via a JC transfer or picking up a HS senior late… otherwise, we’re going to be pressed for healthy bodies yet again next season, and it could ultimately lead to Seth getting the axe anyway.

  • http://www.chrishatcher.weebly.com Chris Hatcher

    I think we’re good on bigs for the moment. I doubt that Seth is going to reach for a player who might not be worthy of a scholarship based on what our program needs right now, but we do have to have enough bodies to have the kind of season we want and Seth needs right now. To do that he at least has to get ONE more guy, and that guy needs to be a guard. Considering there aren’t a lot of quality guards that are left out there (this year top guards committed very early on in the recruiting process), our options are limited. According to Rivals.com, we are a player for the #146 player in the nation, Anton Wilson, a SG who is really high on us after his visit this week and expects Seth to offer him when he has his in-home visit. http://virginiatech.rivals.com/content.asp?CID=1347369

    Also, according to Scout.com, we have offered Jeron Wilbut, an undersized 2-guard from Illinois who is rated as a 3-star by both sites and is listed as the #147 overall player in the nation. Landing one is a necessity. Two would be a coup at this point.

    • hokiegrad

      Wilbut is 6’2″, so not tiny. Anyone know why he’s still available this late for the 2012 class? Not that I’m complaining, as we could certainly use another guard. Just hope he doesn’t have character or academic qualification issues or something.

      Wilson, on the other hand, would be in the next class.

      • http://www.chrishatcher.weebly.com Chris Hatcher

        It’s an academic issue that’s the hold up. It appears he may not qualify.

  • King

    We are definitely NOT good on bigs for the moment. Interested to see if SG recruits out of the JC ranks. Other programs have had success. Seems like a great opportunity for any JC post players to step right in at VT and compete for minutes with Raines the only proven vet returning to the paint. Can’t say I’m shocked by JT’s decision but the transfer trend is troubling.

    • hokiegrad

      I wouldn’t consider JT part of the trend. Having already graduated, coming off two knee surgeries… that’s a little different.

      I agree that we are not “good” on bigs. We have some good potential there, but if coach likes what he can get out of some JC I’d be all for it. If not, just that much more pressure on the guys we have.

  • chuck

    I’m good if anyone’s looking to try and Connect 4….i always get stuck with the Hippo with the broken mouth.

    How do i say this delicately? There are certain types of people with certain types of backgrounds, and i’m pretty sure recruiting might be more difficult in Texas for someone of Seth’s Northeastern lineage, money aside. They don’t take to carpetbaggers in TX, and ones with names ending in -man and -berg are behind the 8-ball from the start.

    It’s the same reason my wife won’t ever move south of Blacksburg or anywhere between California and Loudoun County…rough world out there.

  • King

    Glad to hear that Greenberg is reaching out to transferring power forward/center Alex Oriakhi from UCONN. Unfortunately, the Hokies are competing with UNC, Duke, Kentucky, & Missouri for the rising senior, so Tech is a long shot. Here is the article from the WP: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/hokies-journal/post/virginia-tech-interested-in-former-connecticut-big-man-alex-oriakhi/2012/03/28/gIQAOq7WgS_blog.html

  • Max

    Any chances we can snag Anthony Barber in 2013?? He would be perfect to back up or even contend with Rankin for the starting PG job.

    • http://www.chrishatcher.weebly.com Chris Hatcher

      Very slim. He was a pretty big Greenberg guy and has said openly that Tech has a long way to go to get back in the race of serious contenders for him. He claims he’s not familiar with Johnson and Greenberg was recruiting him. So my guess is the way he is talking even though he says we’re not eliminated, it looks like we are.

      • http://www.chrishatcher.weebly.com Chris Hatcher

        “A long way to go to get back in the race…” AFTER Greenberg’s firing that is.


Join the Wild Hokie Club!

Who wants their name to appear in front of the next Hokie Breakdown? Just imagine it:

 

The Ron Mexico Breakdown | VT 130, duke 21

 

Jon King, Ben Floyd and Dan Rickenbach all got in on the action and we encourage all TechHoops heads to do the same.

 

Any donation amount earns you a spot in our Wild Hokie Club. We'll even give you a shout out on Twitter and Facebook. We may even let you get armcurled by Niemo.

 

No promises, but we may also try to organize an annual Wild Hokie Club gathering where you can meet and mingle with the guys that run the site.

 

So join the TechHoops.com Wild Hokie Club today!


Choose your level of support!




Get TechHoops Updates via Email

Enter your email address:

Delivered by FeedBurner

2012-13 Schedule

November
11/10 Hokies 80, etsu 62
11/12 Hokies 69, rhode island 50
11/15 Hokies 95, vmi 80
11/19 Hokies 96, unc-g 87
11/23 Hokies 87, appalachian state 76
**ACC/BIG Ten Challenge**
11/27 Hokies 95, iowa 79
December
12/1 Hokies 81, #15 oklahoma state 71
12/8 wvu 68, Hokies 67
**Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic**
12/10 Hokies 70, mvsu 49
12/15 Georgia Southern 78, Hokies 73
12/22 Hokies 66, bradley 65, OT
12/23 colorado state 88, Hokies 52
**Continental Tire Las Vegas Classic**
12/29 byu 97, Hokies 71
January
1/5 maryland 94, Hokies 71
1/9 boston college 86, Hokies 75
1/12 Hokies 70, georgia tech 65
1/19 Hokies 66, wake forest 65
1/24 virginia 74, Hokies 58
1/27 clemson 77, Hokies 70
1/30 miami 73, Hokies 64
February
2/2 unc 72, Hokies 60, OT
2/7 maryland 60, Hokies 55
2/9 Georgia Tech 64, hokies 54
2/12 virginia 73, Hokies 55
2/16 nc state 90, Hokies 86
2/21 duke 88, Hokies 56
2/24 Hokies 80, fsu 70
2/27 miami 76, Hokies 58
March
3/2 Hokies 69, clemson 61
3/5 duke 85, Hokies 57
3/10 wake 90, Hokies 79
**ACC Tournament in Greensboro**
3/14 vs. nc state, 2:30 p.m.
3/15 Quarterfinals
3/16 Semifinals
3/17 Finals

Photos on flickr

Polls

Is Erick Green one of the 10 greatest Hokies hipsters of all time?

View Results

Loading ... Loading ...