Hokies Overpower High Point, Coast to 99-73 Victory

It took all of five minutes — 303 seconds, to be exact — for the Hokies to assert their dominance against High Point on Tuesday night in Cassell Coliseum. Ahmed Hill drained a pair of corner threes, Chris Clarke converted two easy buckets inside, and just like that, the Hokies held a double-digit lead at the first media timeout.

The route was on.

Buzz Williams' most talented Virginia Tech team to date showed its chops early and often against the Panthers, dismantling the overwhelmed Big South foe with a balanced offensive attack en route to a 99-73 victory.

Hill led the way for the Hokies with 20 points and four assists, a heartening performance from the redshirt sophomore guard making his return from a left knee injury that kept him sidelined throughout the 2015-2016 season. The high-energy Georgia native looked like his old self, heating up early with his hallmark corner three before eventually widening his range to the tune of a game-leading six three-pointers. Hill was active and engaged from the opening tip, providing a spark on both ends of the floor that Williams will no doubt lean on as expectations rise in Blacksburg.

Seth Allen chipped in 17 points to the cause, his relentless penetration in the first half exposing gaps in the High Point defense that the Hokies exploited time and time again. The Panthers had no answer for Allen's left hand, and Scott Cherry's help-side defense did nothing more than open up shots on the perimeter for Tech's multitude of sharpshooters. The Hokies knocked down eight three-pointers in the first half alone — two from newcomer Ty Outlaw — as they cruised into the break with a 60-34 lead.

The Panthers were forced into a zone for much of the second half, negating a majority of the straight-line drives from Allen and Justin Robinson. Robinson seemed particularly hesitant attacking the less engaged defense, but consistently strong play inside from both Khadim Sy and Johnny Hamilton kept the Hokies' lead above 20 for the entirety of the second half.

Sy's performance was particularly encouraging given the recent history of big men under both Williams and former head coach James Johnson. The Oak Hill product led the team with six rebounds and finished efficiently around the basket, but most striking was how comfortable the true freshman looked in just his second career collegiate game. Comfort can be a tough thing to put your finger on, but you know it when you see it. Sy moved well with dribble-drives, flashed a decent set of hands, and seemed to have an astute feel for how the defense was playing him. Spinning baseline away from traffic is generally something you don't see from a freshman big man, but Sy did just that on his way to a wide open two-handed slam midway through the first half.

The message, I suppose, in more succinct terms: Sy didn't just look like a big body, and that's no small feat. Granted, Harry Giles and Isaiah Hicks will provide far stiffer challenges once conference play begins, but the Hokies will take every bit of production they can get with Kerry Blackshear sidelined indefinitely.

Other Impressions

Quiet Night For LeDay Zach LeDay registered just 22 minutes tonight, and that was more than enough. Make no mistake, LeDay played well against an undersized High Point team, but there was no need to push Tech's star big man in a game that was over before Buzz Williams could even change dress shirts.

(Still) Finding His Sea Legs Ty Outlaw still looks a step slow. The highly-touted Junior College transfer knocked down a pair of three-pointers early, but Outlaw appeared reluctant to simply put the ball on the floor against High Point. The quick release is encouraging, but I'm looking for Outlaw to be more assertive as November progresses.

Who Do You Key On? The balance of this team offensively continues to intrigue me. Brian, Pierson, and I talked about it at length in our season preview, but the depth Buzz has amassed on the perimeter in just two short years is truly remarkable. With the wide array of weapons the Hokies present, it's going to be awfully difficult for opponents to key in on a specific player. Conventional wisdom suggests Seth Allen be the focus for defenses, as containing the ball is the first "must-have" for any defense. Without it, and well, Allen makes lay-up after lay-up like we saw in the first half against the Panthers tonight. But when you gear your defense around Allen (and namely, around hedging high ball-screens aggressively), you give opportunities to the most dynamic athletes on Tech's roster. It's an interesting conundrum for defenses, and save a dominant shot-blocker protecting the rim, it promises to provide plenty of headaches.