It's been a long few days for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team. Just 48 hours after their overtime win against Princeton, the Hokies had to make the nearly 2,000 mile trek to Provo, Utah to play BYU in the second round of the NIT.
It was a tough test, but Buzz Williams' crew came into the Marriott Center with their trademark tenacity. And in the end, they gave the less-traveled Cougars all they could handle in an 80-77 loss.
It took a few familiar things in Tech's arsenal to keep up with the potent Cougs. Junior guard Seth Allen put together possibly his best performance of the season. Not only did the Maryland transfer score 22 points off the bench, he also had no turnovers and played in control at almost every turn.
And Allen's fellow transfer, Zach LeDay, held ground down low. Though his 6-17 from the field seems inefficient, the undersized forward battled Brigham Young big men each second on the floor. He led all players with 14 rebounds, often acting as a one man wrecking ball on the offensive glass, and intimidated many an opposing shot on the other end.
Kerry Blackshear Jr. (13 pts, 7 reb) and Chris Clarke (9 pts, 7 reb) also had a large impact. The freshman were vital in stretches of both halves. In the first, Clarke pushed the ball with each of his boards, shifting the speedy Hokies into transition and giving them a few easy buckets when points were hard to come by. And in the second, Blackshear gave BYU fits on the block, dominating post-ups with his tricky game.
But unfortunately for the youngsters, it wasn't enough. As the game wore on with an up-and-down pace, fatigue became apparent. Turnovers grew sloppier, free throws and jumpers didn't have enough legs behind them and the weight of an entire college basketball season became apparent.
Tech kept things close by sheer will, dueling point-for-point for the last 12 minutes of the game. But as time dwindled, the last bits of steam were squeezed out of the locomotive. Outside of a garbage time lay up, the Hokies failed to score in the final two minutes of regulation, and each last ditch chance became more desperate until the final horn.
And though the closing chapter of Buzzketball season two ends in disappointing fashion, there should be nothing but heads held high. The 20-win squad became one of the most exciting groups to hit Cassell Coliseum in a long time, and considering all but one member is set to return, there should be more great things to come.
A few quick thoughts
Justin Bibbs' struggles tonight (and over the last three games), while frustrating, also shows the growth between 2015 and now. A year ago, the shooter's ability to heat up from three was often the difference between a win or loss. If the sophomore couldn't hit from deep, Tech would struggle to produce consistent points.
Now? Bibbs is the difference between a good offense and an incendiary one. The Hokies still did their thing in a scoring capacity, even though their top gunner was a non-factor. Would he had made a difference in the outcome? Possibly, the coaching staff's insistence on attacking the basket shows its effectiveness. Your shooters won't always light it up, but if you're built around something more foundational as a unit, it's survivable.
Speaking of program growth and changes, this could be the last game of Buzzketball at Virginia Tech. It may not be fun to think about, and I'm not saying he'll definitely depart, but it's healthy to at least acknowledge the possibility.
Going into the next week or two, please try to remember to not live or die on any shred of rumor on Twitter. Don't overanalyze the words of a famously vague head coach, who's simply playing the coaching carousel game like the rest of us.
It'd be a tough pill to take should Buzz bolt, but there needs to be some perspective. If I came to you during the dark days of Hokie Hoops, and said things could be fixed within two years, you'd have taken it right? It doesn't matter what the circumstances were, the program was in such a disheveled state everyone was desperate for solutions.
And even if Buzz Williams doesn't coach another day in Blacksburg, the hardest part is over. He's rebuilt it. This is an entirely different team than the one last year, and runs laps around the one before that. Basketball in Blacksburg isn't a joke, and Williams is the person to thank. And regardless of what happens now, watching this team evolve has been incredible.
(And for the record, I think he stays.)
Comments
A lot of heart and character on this team, hoping Buzz hangs around but feel future is bright. Whit will keep the program on the right track!
Not sure anything has totally been rebuilt yet. The promise is there to become a competitive program and if he stays, it will be rebuilt and get there. But if he leaves, we have to hope the next coach can carry it forward, otherwise it could be a bit of a slump before rebuilding begins anew.
somehow this is all Hokie Fireman's fault
On to beisbol?
or teh foosballs. Spring ball starts next week
Uh oh certain people around here don't like to think about "what if" future.
Just remember dude:
All. Your. Fault.
This would probably be a good time to start new threads covering all the job openings that might be tempting to our coaches, so we could explore any cryptic tweets that might be related.
We could maybe have a thread parsing the inflection of the coach's voice statements. It all has to mean something. Did he mention his family? Are they happy? What about the frequency of his tweets? Are they increasing or decreasing? Positive or negative? He's getting along with Whit, right? In that interview, was he looking to the west? OMG, I think he was looking to the west... That can't be good...
Yea because that's exactly what I did. O wait nope, I posted two tweets by known and respected sports writers who brought up the subject. But you can by all means pretend other schools will not try and lure the VT coaches away. As I stated in the that and every thread, I don't think Buzz leaves this year, but that doesn't mean he was not offered the chance to.
As far as I could tell, those tweets were just about a job opening. Did they have anything to do with Buzz? I read it as "we're inevitably going to have this discussion..." Maybe I misunderstood, but I saw that thread as one that was looking for something that wasn't necessarily there.
As far as rumor-mongering, I really hate that, particularly when it's a VT coach who is being discussed.
That was my objection.
I don't object to you posting threads about that or any other topic. I think it's a fair thing to talk about if it seems to have some legs or there is evidence. If it's just speculation with no proof at all, I'll likely weigh in with an objection.
For the record, I agree with your posts about 99% of the time.
Yes, the tweets posted in that topic were not-so-thinly veiled references to Buzz. That day, and even before then, several regional and national beat writers were saying Buzz to OK State was a strong possibility. Perhaps a bit more context was warranted, but Fireman was on the money with the post being about Buzz. Too much pushback from people here thinking it was BS. Maybe it's a bit of rumor-mongering, but Buzz's name has to be in the mix at a few schools; OK State was just the first opening that triggered the talk.
I guess I should be happy that we have a good enough coach that this is a problem.
Still, I would have preferred that rumor-mongering have waited a week, as to not be a distraction.
There's no stopping the media, though, as they get paid both for speculation and for being the first to break news.
All things considered, this was a damn good season given what our expectations were. I'm proud of our guys for always battling tough
Great effort by this team unfortunately the NIT favors the home team with lower ranked team having to do last minute traveling. It definitely was better for all, incubator fans when all games were played in New York. One venue, one location, one travel for all teams. Yes, the student are there as easily, but the teams are not jet-lagged.
I'm very proud of this teams effort and total team play. Who knows what next year holds. Whit better work hard to to keep Buzz, we want him to continue this magic!
The countdown until March 24th begins.
Hope we keep Buzz.
Cheers to a 20 win season! I know we're all still pissed at the refs from last night, anxious/scared of the Buzz leaving town rumors, and bummed out that there's no more hoops games until next season. However, let's take a moment and appreciate the damn good basketball that we've had this year. It's been a fun ride watching this team grow up from that Alabama State game.
As hard as it may be to think of Buzz leaving, you can't say a negative thing about his upcoming decision. I also think he stays and hope he is just leveraging the situation. Stay positive. #InWhitWeTrust
"you can't say a negative thing about his upcoming decision."? Well, that depends on his "decision", doesn't it? Not only can I, but I will, and won't be the only one if he decides to leave at this point. To this fan, Buzz shouldn't have a decision to make at this juncture.
Totally agree. The program is so much better and ahead of schedule, but I have to think he would not have come here without the goal of making it nationally relevant. Not there yet. Leaving now would be premature.
Hear hear. Couldn't have said it better myself
I understand with what you are saying but to me, it DOESN'T depend on his decision. I will be incredibly upset if he leaves. However, Buzz is Buzz. I'm not even going to try to figure out what makes him tick. If you listen to his radio interview, he said he would do what is best for his family. Unlike most coaches out there, I believe him and I respect him. If Buzz stays (and I think he will stay), I'll be ecstatic. If he leaves, I'll be upset about MY loss and Tech's loss but I will thank him for making the program relevant again. I will not blast the man and say negative things about him because he has given his all to the Hokies.
You say Buzz shouldn't have a decision to make but he does. What would you do if you had a similar opportunity? Stay for the fans, players, and university or do what's best for your family? College basketball is a business. Whit is a businessman and hopefully will make this a moot point.
Relevant again?
I'm not sure one year of success amounts to that. To be relevant you need staying power, and if he left now, I wouldn't feel good about their chances next year. I'm not saying he has to stay as long a Beamer did, but if he wants to make a lasting impression it has to be longer than his current tenure.
I'd like to see him stay long enough for at least one player to have had a full collegiate career with him here. Changing jobs isn't a trivial decision. You shouldn't make the decision lightly, as there are lots of other people depending on you. It is a little bigger than you.
To have a real impact on the team or the ACC, a tenure has to be longer than two years. Has he made the job more attractive? I hope so, but I'd say Whit had more to do with that by proving he's willing to whip out the checkbook.
I guess I'm just really hoping he stays at least a few more years.
College basketball is indeed a business. One big component of business is the contract. Now, I'll not begrudge anyone the right to renegotiation at an appropriate juncture, but I'd like to see him honor more than two years of a 7 year deal. We bemoan recruits that renege on their commitments, and I'm not saying I'm gonna trash Buzz if he leaves, it's just that I will reserve the right to have my say about it either way. Believe me, I am a big Buzz fan, have been excited by his hiring and really hope he stays with us, yes, for selfish reasons. I have been a Hokie as long as Buzz has been alive, though, and I know where MY loyalty lies. Just saying that if you aren't Buzz or his family, what are you then? Chopped liver? Those recruits and players have families too, and it's not like Buzz will be crowned a king somewhere, he'll just have another job. Honor the spirit of the contract and I'll have nothing to say but goodbye, thanks, and good luck in your next job.
What matters is Buzz's definition of family. From what he preaches and states over and over again, that definition will be what matters when it comes to decision time.
Why is the D Day 3/24? guess the anniversary of his contract?
Buzz is not going somewhere next year.. almost a guarantee. His team is the #312 youngest out of #347 D1 programs. He has at least 1-2 yrs left, this team has HUGE chemistry for at least another year and can go very far. He returns every player that contributed. He would be CRAZY to go.
Players that Buzz has sold hard but would be left in lurch; Ahmed Hill, Chris Clarke, Justin Robinson. He is not going to walk out on the senior duo either of Leday and Seth Allen.. Buzz may go somewhere in a couple years not next.
Because March 24th is when Buzz's buyout goes from 3.5 mil to 1.5 mil. I agree with you, I don't see Buzz going anywhere, but until March 24th comes people are going to be anxious.
Watching a replay of a close loss can be a killer! You often see so much more than a live game and you see so many small mistakes that cost you a game. Some observations from last night:
1- We are better than BYU. We would have beaten them on a neutral court.
2- Seth Allen is a very good player when he plays under control. Last night was by far his best game of season. We need more of this Seth next season.
3- I love Zach LeDay, he has the heart of a lion.
4- I am so looking forward to the development of our freshmen. Blackshear will be a hoss, Robinson may leave VT as one of our greatest PG's ever and Clarke has so much potential. I love watching him in the open court on a fast break, either in the middle or by himself. Needs to develop a jump shot to be a great player.
5- Keep Buzz and this can be a great team in the future
I agree wholeheartedly. We were better than BYU, and if we had only had our typical game at the free throw line and with 3-point accuracy, we would have won. We had it all over them in terms of energy and inside play. I think the defensive laps hurt, too, but some of that is expected against a crafty, good offensive team like BYU. Take nothing away from BYU-they're a very good team, but this was a very winnable game. Really proud of the way we played, just wish we could have gotten the W. I think if we had won this game, we likely could have went all the way to the championship game.
I love the way Buzz has these guys playing, so let's hope he sticks around a while, but if he leaves us, I have confidence that Whit will make sure this program is heading in the right direction.
Was it just me or did it seem that "Five" struggled a bit the last two games. I don't know if he was losing his legs at the end of the season or if the last two teams were focusing on defending him a little tighter or what. Looking at the boxscore he was held scoreless against Princeton and it looks like he got 8 against BYU.
I suppose you could call 8pts a rebound. Not Seth Allen style, but still.
Btw, first victory for the Cougars against ACC team in their stadium (or something like that). It sucks that we're frequently on the negative end of firsts.
I had high expectations of this season considering where we had been over the previous few seasons. I was excited to see improvement and good basketball from my favorite team in a sport I have loved for most of my life. I knew this team had potential and was being undersold, especially with that preseason 14th place prediction. Their ceiling could be a trip to the NCAAs as a bubble team, but that was the longest of long shots. Yet, this team exceeded my expectations and almost hit that ceiling. Not only did they take us on a ride and reintroduce us to basketball success, but they did it with a character and a passion that made us fall in love with them beyond just being a Virginia Tech team. They made us hope and care and celebrate. I didn't want this season to end, I wanted to go back to Cassell. But every game I watched and every little thing about this team will stick with me for a long time. This season is what sports, and sports fandom, is all about.
Thank you Virginia Tech Basketball. I can't wait for next season.
This was my favorite Virginia Tech athletic team since the 2010 Virginia Tech Football Team. The way they played, with heart, hustle, and true grit was a perfect example of what it means to be a Hokie. They represented the school well and to say that I am excited for the future of Virginia Tech Basketball is an understatement. The Dork Magic is strong with this team.
I was getting really worked up during this game last night. It made me realize that I'm going to be a hot mess whenever we make the dance.
Just watching the game on DVR Sunday afternoon. Even knowing the outcome, with 6:30 to go, despite the foul trouble and back and forth, with 2pt lead and 3pters starting to hit target, I'm still thinking "we've got this". There was no giving up.
Even though the game ended in a narrow loss, it was indicative of the change that Buzz has started in the culture of our program. We had to travel from Blacksburg to Provo, UT, the day after a grueling OT win in which we almost gave the game away down the stretch, only to battle back in the extra period to seal a home win. We then went into a packed, hostile arena and had to fight what was some questionable officiating. I honestly believe both Greenberg's and Johnson's teams would have folded under that situation, but Buzz's boys fight tooth and nail to the final buzzer. And honestly, the only thing that I personally think undid the team was a couple of freshman mistakes by Blackshear, not any overall weakness of the team in terms of ability or drive.
This isn't to crucify Blackshear. I think he will develop into an excellent player. But his lazy pass turnover and travel at the top of the key were killers for us. They were the difference in a game that was otherwise completely even. And to be completely even with the situation we were in is incredible.
Also, that game was just damn fun to watch, even though we lost. Every time BYU tried to pull away in the closing minutes, we had an answer. We answered the bell. I came away from that loss damn proud of our basketball program and hopeful for the future. I feel like we aren't even close to hitting our ceiling, and we're already a top-half ACC team. The future is bright.