Moved up 3 spots. I'd be curious to know the last time we were ranked so high. Great start to the season, let's keep it going.
https://collegebasketball.ap.org/poll
Six ranked ACC teams, deep conference!
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ranked #10 on ESPN Power Rankings
Even better!
Article mentions we have good shot to start 15-0 heading into game @UVA on 1/15
The only game between now and then Ken Pom has us at less than a 60% chance to win is PSU (49%), but from a non-statistical standpoint I think that's a game we should be favored in.
Berman coming in with us at #8
Edit: The one ballot that has unranked and the rest of his ballot looks all over the place
Huh? Purdue ranked, but the undefeated team that beat them unranked? West Virginia ranked?
LOL - what an idiot.
is it possible that Berman and Brian Kelly are the same person? Have you ever seen them in the same place at the same time?
I present, as evidence to you, a screen shot from espn of the presser after the Syracuse game. I can only assume they provided him with a stool to get up to podium height. #NoPhotoShop
Something is up with your video. It took about 15 clicks until I could get it to work. Really funny though!
Just trying to get you extra clicks, not meant as a slight.
6 Ranked ACC teams 5 of them being in the top 15. Power conference.
We got to around 10 (maybe higher) in 95-96 when we were part of the A10. I remember UMASS was good (top 5 I think) when we lost to them in Cassell.
I think their coach is also now at Kentucky.
I think we were #8 at the time and a Marcus Camby led #1 ranked UMASS team came to Cassell. I was there for that game. I still remember seeing Dickie V's bald head glaring in the lights
Actually 10th. We were 8th earlier in the season when we dropped a game to GW.
What's the highest Tech has ever been ranked? Anybody know?
#8 in 1995, which is also the last time we were as high as #13.
Did you find this on the interwebs somewhere? If so, I'd like to peruse the site.
Our very own HokieSports
via GIPHY
via GIPHY
Heh, I would have never thought to look there. Thanks.
Looking ahead (which is never a dangerous thing)
January 26th could be a sneaky candidate to have GameDay return to Cassell. You'll have Syracuse coming in against what could end up being a very highly ranked VT (@ UVa and @ UNC in the couple weeks before). Of course, Kansas plays at Kentucky that day, but lets not worry about that. We are set to be the showcase game on at least ESPN2 that night (8pm tip) so it could be set up for us.
If this was our Football team, I'd be very worried with a #13 ranking.
NAW looks amazing. I like where we are at with the guard play this year.
I know the nature of basketball is changing, but we are still a bit thin on the block and the boards, Clarke would have helped there a bit.
But Buzz has his horses and all sorts of leadership. Enjoying the ride so far.
Check out the ESPN Power Rankings, which pretty much just talks about VT nonstop.
http://www.espn.com/mens-college-basketball/story/_/id/25200602/college-...
We're the new kids on the block, the talk of the town. As a content regurgitator, I'm sure ESPN is tired of the tried and true "yes, of course Coach K has Duke contending for a championship again" shtick, and are happy to have someone else to talk to.
We'll continue to get attention either until the end of the season or until we drop back out of the top 15 or so.
Can someone with more program knowledge explain how we picked up NAW if he was a five star? seems like he would've gotten poached before us
Because Buzz is legitimately a good person and a great recruiter who makes kids want to come and play for him. He sells being a part of this program as taking the first step on making you an excellent human being, with the added bonus of being taught how to play basketball very well. Its a pitch that will continue to see improvements over time. Don't be surprised if you're wondering the same about Landers Nolley in the near future. Remember, we almost also landed a McD's player in NAW's class as well.
Oh I love Buzz and love what he's doing, he's a great coach I just wasn't aware we were recruiting at a bit higher level.
Well, for starters he was a 4* recruit according to the 247 composite rankings. Beyond that, even a broken clock can be right twice a day, as Memphis is currently considered the most likely destination for the #1 player in the 2019 class.
One data point does not constitute a trend. That said, Buzz does seem to be able to recruit at a somewhat higher level than our program perception, likely in no small part due to the fact that we've gotten better each year he's been in Blacksburg, considering we've made 2 straight NCAA tournaments with 2018 being a foregone conclusion with a couple weeks left in the year, and right now we're #13 and just knocked off another ranked team to win a preseason tournament.
Yes but Buzz is no broken clock. He's a great coach that has put players in the NBA, which is a lot harder to do than in football, so it's no surprise he'll get a high 4 star and some 5 stars from time to time (deff more often than our "once in a decade" 5 star football recruit).
As soon as I hit "post" I realized I was being unnecessarily harsh. He isn't a broken clock and is likely the best coach the program has ever seen, and is certainly lifting the Virginia Tech Basketball brand to heights never seen before. But even then, it's still possible for any program to pull in a top recruit, if all the stars align in just the right way, so one highly-rated recruit could be an aberration just as easily as he could be the start of a trend.
smooth edit. I saw that after I posted!
No worries. It's thanksgiving week, legs for everybody!
NAW also skyrocketed to the top in hype after he committed to us. He wasn't nationally well know until he attended certain camps and performed extremely well.
Also not nationally known because he's Canadian.
so you're saying he's internationally known
But is he known to rock the microphone?
We're one of the big dogs now.
There are several factors that brought Nickiel Alexander Walker to Tech, a couple of which have been touched on above but probably the biggest factor in NAW and several other high profile recruits/commits being interested in Tech routes back to Assistant Coach Jamie McNeilly. His being Canadian, connections in Canada, especially with the Canadian National Team, where he also served as a coach have really helped create a quasi pipeline to high profile Canadian recruits. His nephew, Cashius McNeilly is a heavy Tech lean in the 2020 class. 2019 commit Emmanuel Miller is also from Canada although Coach Webster was his primary recruiter. This was even the case when Buzz and McNeilly were at Marquette, where before coming here they had a commitment from Marial Shayok. Shayok eventually ended up at UVA after Buzz left Marquette. There are a few other recruits from Canada that the Hokies are also pursuing, so its become a major source of talent for Buzz and Co.
Everyone else has state and city pipelines. We have an entire country, checkmate.
Well but its Canada, so really just taking a rook.
Just realized during the St Francis game thanks to the announcers that Jon Kabongo is also a Canadian recruit, from Toronto, so we are looking at essentially one or more Canadians per class over a six year period if we get the future recruits we are expecting
Arkansas, Oregon St, Western Kentucky and Mississippi St all got players ranked higher as well. Basketball recruiting isn't football recruiting in that the powerhouse schools can't hoard all of the top50 guys with 25 roster spots. It means non traditional powers can pull elite players more often
A top 40 guy in football has an offer from pretty much every blue blood. NAW didn't have an offer from any basketball power
He had an offer from Maryland. Not quite the power they were under Williams but they're not chopped liver..
NAW wasn't a 5-star. There are very few of those in basketball each year. However, he was a highly rated 4-star, and our highest rated recruit in the Buzz era. Recruiting his caliber of prospect is not a surprise or exception though. and Buzz has been steadily reeling in the top100 players since arriving in Blacksburg. It would be wonderful to see more top 50 players like NAW but having a team where the core lineup is all top100 players who stick around 2-4 years is a pretty good place to be.
Class - Name (Position), rating, national rank, (position rank)
all recruiting data from 247 composite
2014 - Ahmed Hill (SG) - 0.975 - #62 (#16)
2014 - Justin Bibbs (SG) - 0.958 - #86 (#24)
2015 - Chris Clarke (SF) - 0.977 - #62 (#18)
2015 - Justin Robinson (PG) 0.939 - #101 (#16)
2016 -
2017 - Alexander-Walker (SG) 0.986 - #40 (#9)
2017 - Wabissa Bede (PG) 0.970 - #70 (#15)
2018 - Landers Nolley (SF) 0.975 - #67 (#15)
2019 - Anthony Harris (PG) 0.975 - #65 (#8)
wasn't he an ESPN 5*?
Regardless, as you said, we're routinely pulling in at least one top 100 recruit every year, and that goes a very, very long way to making sure you are a good team for the long haul.
He may have been a 5* on ESPN, but the 247 Composite (which compiles multiple rankings into one weighted average) had him listed as a 4*.
conference calls don't last long enough for me to research multiple ranking services, so I went with the 247 Composite
Is Buzz Hokie Basketball's Frank Beamer?
Edit: "Future"
If he's still here in ten years, yes.
Edit: I a word
Me this season: