2022-23 Hokie Hoops Statistical Notes: Volume 1

The Men's Team
It may not feel like it, with the borderline 80 degree weather here in the RVA, but it is time for Year 4 of CMYBall and our inaugural chance at defending an ACC tournament title.

Tipoff will be day number 240 and it still don't believe it.

Through three years, Mike Young has been amazing, amassing the 2nd most wins by any coach in their first 3 years, behind only Charlie Moir. Much like Moir, Young will be defending his first conference tournament championship after his third year.

Yet despite coming off an ACC title, and despite the graduations of a tremendous amount of production, we may actually be deeper and more talented than last year.

Scoring
The Hokies have lost a ton of scoring; 1390 points from last year's 2549. That's not an insignificant figure, so what can we hope for as far as incoming talent?

Wright State graduate transfer Forward Grant Basile (6-9, 235) comes in leading all transfers in scoring with 664 from last season, while Rice transfer Forward Mylyjael Poteat (6-9, 265) enters having scored 253 last season. While 917 is not a full replacement for the losses of Aluma, Alleyne, Murphy, N'Guessan, Ojiako, Haynes, and Varga, they might just replace the 913 of Aluma and Alleyne, which will be a good start.

Note: HS stats are much harder to come by than expected, so these are the most recent numbers I was able to find.

Incoming freshmen are plentiful. Headlining the class is 6-4 combo guard Rodney Rice comes in having scored 404 at DeMatha Catholic which isn't known for playing pushovers.

Also coming in is...wait a minute...is this allowed? A 7-footer? Ok then, 7-0, 255 Center Patrick Wessler comes in having scored 468 while at Butler High in NC. Clearly not one who is shy around the basket.

Continuing the recruiting haul is MJ Collins out of Westminster Catawba Christian. While having a shortened season, the 6-4 guard still managed 129 points in just seven games.

The '22 class was rounded out with Darren Buchanan, a 6-7 small forward who earned DC Gatorade Player of the Year honors, and who despite being the lowest rated recruit of the class, was by far the greater high school scorer having put up 560 points in his honor winning campaign.

The stars might not be there, but the scoring ability is there.

Rebounding
Again, the Hokies have seen a number of last year's rebounding productivity leave the confines of Cassell; 547 to be exact.

The incoming transfers, being all sizeable post players, bring a bounty of boards to the mix. Poteat, Basile, and Memphis transfer John Camden combine for 445 from last year.

Among the recruits, Buchanan posted 339 for Woodrow Wilson, Patrick Wessler pulled down 307 for Butler, Rice managed 80, and MJ Collins brought in 35.

With over 750 from the freshmen and 450 from the transfers, incoming Hokies actually had more rebounds last year than the Hokies that were on the roster last year.

Bigs are a good thing.

Assists
Last year, the Hokies put together a 5:4 team ATO

I had to double check some of these, but among the new Hokies, Rice comes in having a margin of 78:7.

The downside is the transfers' margin was 84:147

Experience/Depth
I don't remember when the Hokies had this much height and this much scoring capacity. Here's what we know.

Basile will be manning the 5. Mutts will be holding down the 4, unless we go big, in which case he'd be at the 3. On the wings, I expect to see a heavy, heavy dose of Maddox and Cattoor. Handling the point will be Pedulla who came along very well as the season progressed.

Here's a quick question for you opposing teams. Of the four guys who might be playing on the perimeter, which one is going to end you with the 3-ball?

If you are huddled, crying in the corner, you are correct.

Good luck trying to keep the starters for the Hokies from lighting you up. Maddox (.506), Pedulla (.447), Cattoor (.417), and Mutts (.333) can all drain the three.

Hell, even big man Basile is a career .308 (post not sponsored by Winchester)

Beyond that the Hokies' depth is, and I say this very cautiously, actually deep. Behind the starting 5, the Hokies have size and shooters.

Post depth includes the aforementioned 7-foot Frosh Wessler, the 6-10 Lynn Kidd, the 6-7 Buchanan, the 6-8 Camden, and the 6-9 Poteat. That's 5 players that can come off the bench that are taller than 6-7. Remember when our tallest player was shorter than that? */shudders

Guard play is also deep as the Hokies can go to the bench for incoming freshmen Rice and Collins, as well as a trio of walk-ons who I expect to see some mop up action regularly.

So, probably seven post players and five guards makes for a potentially deep (and tall) Hokie team.

Next (First) Four
And now let's see who this iteration of CMYBall opens up against.

Well the Hokies almost couldn't have picked a softer cupcake to open the year. Your defending MEAC bottom-feeder and preseason 357th NET ranked (of 358) Delaware State. Guards Corey Perkins and Martaz Robinson are the top returning scorers for DSU having combined for just 230 points in almost 1000 minutes played last year. They do have two taller post players as well, but neither of them saw any action last season.

Next, the Hokies will welcome Lehigh from the Patriot League (299th in preseason NET). Lehigh does return their top scorer, Sr Guard Evan Taylor who put up 13 ppg last season. Like Delaware State, Lehigh also has two near 7-footers who have no in-game experience.

Thirdly, Tech will welcome William and Mary (339th) of the CAA. The Tribe only return two players from last year's squad who scored more than 100 points in the season. Admittedly, they combined for over 600 of the Tribe's 2044 ponts, but weaknesses exist for the rest of the roster in the scoring department. All told, the offense is going to revolve around 6-9 F Ben Wight. He's the top returning scorer and led the team in boards. Keep him quiet and the game should be a cakewalk.

Finally, this quartet will finish up at a neutral site game against ODU (201st) in the Shriners Children's Charleston Classic. The Monarchs' top returning scorer is 6-7 G Mekhi Long who finished the 21-22 campaign with 8.3 ppg. Long is also the top returning boardman, pulling down 6.8 per game. The only real height comes from 6-10 Soph Forward Faizon Fields, but again, he's had no Div 1 experience

Prediction

If the Hokies don't win each by at least 40 I might have second thoughts about this season. Mike Young will move into the top 10 of All-Time winningest coaches in VTMBB history in this set of games.

The Women's Team
Season 7 of Brooksketball begins with Coach Brooks sitting at 124 wins, only 34 behind Bonnie Henrickson's 158, but 156 behind Carol Alfano's All-Time Record. However, for Brooks, this team, like the men's, may be significantly better than last year's NCAA tournament team.

Also, remember, this was the team that lost to ACC heavyweight NC State in the ACC Tournament by only 15 without the team's best player.

As with the men's team, Praise Be To Portal as a host of ballers will now be taking their talents to Blacksburg.

Scoring
The Hokies will be needing to replace some major scoring; most notably the 438 from WNBA champion Aisha Sheppard, but also the 162 from Azana Baines, and the 128 from Emily Lytle.

The plan for that was Portal. Brooks pulled in not one, not two, but three major conference transfers, and not just benchwarmers, at that. The jewel of the Portal will most likely be 3x All-Big Ten and 2x AP All American Guard Ashley Owusu, who put up 385 last season for Maryland in just 27 games.

The jewel could also be All-ACC Forward Taylor Soule, pulled from Boston College after dropping 529 last season.

Joining Soule on the Boston to Blacksburg Express is 6-3 Center Clara Ford, a career backup who still managed 65 points.

Basic math says that the Hokies lost 728 points to graduation, but gained 979 from the portal.

Also entering the fray are 3 incoming freshmen, led by 4* guard Carleigh Wenzel on Antonian College Prep in Texas where the guard led the Apaches in scoring, rebounding, steals, and blocks, averaging a double-double, dropping 961 points in a 45 game season that fell one game shy of winning the TAPPS 6A State Championship.

Additionally, Brooks looked back across the Pacific and pulled in another Aussie, this time #1 Aussie recruit Charlise Dunn, a tall guard with a plethora of international tournament experience, including a silver medal last year in the U-19 FIBA World Cup.

Rounding out the recruiting class is Maddie Vejsicky, a guard from Ohio. A lethal marksman at range, Vejsicky owns her high school's record for 3-pointers in a single game and a single season.

Oh, and the Hokies return defending ACC Player of the Year and Pre-Season First Team All-American Liz Kitley who dropped 580 last year to lead the ACC in scoring.

Rebounding
The losses of Sheppard, Baines, and Lytle leave about 350 rebounds to be made up, but again, Portal Giveth, as Soule and Owusu bring in 303 from last year.

Wenzel has a proven track record in HS of pulling down boards, noting the double-double mentioned earlier.

Stats for the other freshmen are harder to come by, but the losses do appear to be surmountable.

Assists
The losses in ATO are slightly more than 16:14

Again, Portal Giveth. Roughly 190 assists to 155 TOs.

And we still have Georgia Amoore who had the second most assists in the ACC last season coupled with a 2:1 ATO margin for the year.

Experience/Depth
I don't think you will find a more veteran program in the country. Seriously. Of the 13 scholarship players 9 are Graduate Transfers, Redshirt Seniors, or True Seniors. Brooks could easily corner the market in the playing time pitch for anybody next year. Remember we have 3 True Freshmen on the squad too, which means that only Jr Georgia Amoore will have more than 1 year experience on next year's roster.

How does this look on the depth chart?

Kitely, at 6-6, is the clear choice at the 5. She could be the most dominant player in the ACC this year and the best player to ever come through Virginia Tech. Ford (6-3) will probably be her primary backup.

Gregg (6-2) probably starts out as the other post player, with Soule (5-11) probably filling in as backup, initially. Geiman (6-0) will provide additional depth at the post.

Starting wings should be Owusu (6-0) and either Traylor (5-9) or King (6-0).

The starting point will likely be Amoore (5-6). Remaining guard depth should be the freshmen Dunn (6-2), Wenzel (6-0), and Vejsicky (6-0). The last remaining scholarship goes to r-Sr Guard Chloe Brooks, who has medically retired.

Next (First) Four
First up against the Hokies will be NCAA Tournament First Four, Mount St. Mary's. Scoring threats should come from Gr guards Michaela Harrison and Aryna Taylor, who last year combined for a hair over 20 ppg. This is not a tall roster, with their only experienced big being 5-11 Jr F Isabella Hunt. Although expect 6-1 Austin Peay transfer Kemia Ward to also match up against Kitley.

Next the Hokies welcome Bucknell, who I expect to be led in scoring by Soph guard Cecelia Collins, who averaged 11.1 per game in her 21-22 campaign. Behind her is Sr F Emma Shaffer who at 6-2 is likely to be the primary post player for the Bison, having averaged 5.3 ppg and 5.0 rpg last year.

Rounding out the homestand, the Hokies will tip-off against USC Upstate. I don't know how they managed it, but they only return one contributor from a year ago, Soph F AC Markham who scored 33 points last year, so Spartan is an accurate adjective for this team. I count 9 transfers on their roster with very little rhyme or reason as to a recruiting footprint. I guess the top post player should be 6-4 Talia Roldan, but I have no idea what the Spartan roster is going to look like.

Finally, we will see exactly how good this team is against Kentucky down in the Bahamas. Led in returning scoring by Soph guard Jada Walker (10.4 ppg), and Gr guard Robyn Benton (8.84 ppg) the Wildcats should have a potent scoring offense. Possible post threat might be Nyah Leveretter, a 6-3 Junior who played 25 games last season, making 11 starts.

Prediction
The Hokie Men's team is built to compete this year. The Women's team is built to destroy. 4-0