Oh, you thought the Buzzketball hype would take a little time off after the title game? haha, amateur
Virginia Tech keeps chipping away at ACC hierarchy
Chip, chip, chip.
That sound you hear, ACC hierarchy, is Virginia Tech taking a pickax to your foundation.
From below .500, to the NIT, to the NCAA tournament, that's the upwardly mobile trajectory Buzz Williams has taken the Hokies on since arriving in Blacksburg.
There is no sign of a detour.
But the Tar Heels and Blue Devils are in flux, and the Cavaliers are readjusting after an exodus of transfers. The Seminoles, meantime, have stars to replace and could fall back to the mean.
Which leaves a potential opening for someone else.
Could that someone else be the Hokies? Why not?
Virginia Tech made its first NCAA tournament appearance since 2007 this past season, losing to Wisconsin in the first round.
With a deep, experienced and talented roster coming back, there's no reason to expect that appearance to be a one-hit wonder as Williams continues to lead the Hokies' resurgence.
Chip, chip, chip.
Man, I can't wait til Buzzketball gets underway next year. the next few years could be legitimately program changing.
Comments
Notre Dame and Louisville, ACC, and "has long been dominated" don't really go together since UL and ND have been in the conference since 2012 and 2013. And UVa is hardly a consistent top tier program. I think the ACC will always be Duke and UNC at the top and a revolving door of teams around them.
Louisville has been in the conference for 3 years. In those 3 years, they've finished 4th, 4th, and T-2nd, and finished ahead of at least one of UNC and Duke in each season.
Notre Dame finished tied for 11th in their debut in the conference, but in the years since they've finished 3rd, T-5th, and T-2nd, finishing at least tied with one of UNC and Duke in each of those three seasons.
UVA just broke a streak of 3 straight finishes in the top 2 of the conference this season when they finished tied for 5th with Duke.
Maybe they haven't been "dominating" the ACC, or even been in the top tier for very long, but over the last 3-4 years each of those three teams have consistently put up numbers rivaling Duke and UNC, and UVA was routinely finishing ahead of both teams for a few years. If replacing any one of those three teams in the "hierarchy of ACC basketball" is the future of our program, I'll be ecstatic.
Edit: redundant sentence was redundant
It's comical to me how UVa fans act like their basketball team has always been this huge ACC power. They've had a few years of great success recently, no denying that. But other than a few years in the early 80s with a generational player in Sampson and the past 4 or so under Tony Bennett, they have never been a powerhouse program. If their basketball team starts to slip (which I think it has started to do) you will see all the UVA basketball bandwagoners go back to the rock they hid under from the Sampson days until now.
bu bu but MUH COUNTRY CLUB SPORTS!!!!!!!11111!!1!111
AND LACROSSE
via GIPHY
I like the hype for next year but I'm unbelievably high on the 18-19 season. Think next year is a bit of a step back from this years team, but the year after is a huge step forward.
The way the personnel is looking, in two years VT hoops and football are primed for a National Championship run. Hopefully, the first of many.
This guy gets it
No mention of Blackshear. Well researched article.
N.A.W. just named a 5-star top 20 player by ESPN rankings. Not to shabby. I think we are going to be hurting for interior play, even with Blackshear coming back. Sy is raw and I am tempering my expectations for Leday 2.0. I hope he has half the heart and scowl skills of his brother, he will be good, but the bar is set pretty high.
Like the core of athletic wings. When the young pups come back the following year with Chris Clarke at full strength, I am going to be plaid. Right now I am just really excited.
LeDay 2.0 is not the same type of player LeDay 1.0 was. Where Leday 1.0 was more a of a low post guy, who could take it outside if the mismatch was there, LeDay 2.0 is more of your standard wing player.
Would not be concerned with our interior play, only because our outside play is gonna be so dang dangerous. Teams have to guard our perimeter, giving KBJ a lot of 1 v 1s in the post. Will also spread the court for JRob to go P&R. Conventional basketball wisdom, and rightfully so, should raise concerns for our interior play. Buzzketball conventional wisdom gives me zero such concerns. If you want to make the case for defensive rebounding, I'll still listen to your concerns, but offensively, I have no worry. Shaping up to be the most explosive offense team Virginia Tech has ever put on the court.