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The VT coaches held their annual recruiting rally last weekend at the Brambleton Deli in Roanoke. It's an event where a couple of the VT coaches (in this case, Bryan Stinespring and Jim Cavanaugh) show film of all the signees and answer questions for the crowd in attendance.

That event has been rehashed pretty heavily on the TSL message boards, but I thought I would throw in my impressions of the event. I won't include a rundown of each and every video clip shown, because (a) not every clip made an impression on me, and (b) I wanted to let nearly a week go by and see what still stood out in my mind.

Without further ado, here are some comments (heights and weights are from the handout at the event):

DE Michael Brown (6-3, 218) -- clips showed good speed from the corner and relentless pursuit to the quarterback. The coaches' plan is for Brown to play defensive end at Virginia Tech; at this point, they are not entertaining the possibility of Brown being a linebacker (the search for the next Corey Moore continues).

OL Tripp Carroll (6-3.5, 290) -- absolutely annihilates defenders. Already enrolled at VT.

FB Joe Razzano (6-0, 220) -- hard to believe he's only 220. Looked like an offensive lineman playing fullback. VT's only true fullback recruit in the last three years.

DT Kory Robertson (6-3, 295) -- very nimble on his feet, and light-footed for a big man. May be the big sleeper of the class, if he can get stronger and learn proper technique. Moves very well for a player his size.

TE Duane Brown (6-6, 248) -- moves very well in space, very athletic. Needs to work on firing off the ball faster, particularly if he's going to be an effective blocker.

RB Kenny Lewis (5-9, 185) -- I've never seen that many highlights of a guy making 95-yard TD runs. Lewis has very good speed, as advertised, but all runs shown were around the corner, in stark contrast to last year's film of Mike Imoh motoring right up the middle of the field in traffic. Lewis' ability between the tackles is still unknown.

LB Vince Hall (6-1, 240) -- the line was, "It's going to look like he's blitzing, but he's not," and it was true, as Hall was shown blowing up play after play. He's a very instinctive linebacker who reads plays quickly, fires into the gaps, and makes the tackle. Is probably the most physically ready to play at his position of any of the recruits.

WR David Clowney (6-1, 175) -- the very definition of explosive. Clowney has great acceleration. On one clip, he took a short pass on a flanker screen and exploded through the middle of the defense for a touchdown. Has to develop into a good receiver, but has great potential.

TE John Kinzer (6-3, 255) -- very aggressive tight end. Gets off the ball quickly, looks like a monster both on film and in person. The Hokies have done a masterful job of recruiting at tight end in recent years, with rising senior Keith Willis, rising junior Jared Mazetta, rising sophomore Jeff King, and now Duane Brown and John Kinzer. The Hokies should be set at tight end for years.

Other Notes

A few other notes from the recruiting rally:

-- Asked to name some players the coaches really wanted and recruited hard but didn't get, they responded with the names Fontel Mines, Vince Redd, Rodney Kinlaw, Chase Anastasio, and Terrell Golden.

-- Positions: DJ Parker will be a cornerback or wide receiver. Xavier Adibi will stay at linebacker. Barry Booker will be a defensive end (at 6-5, 270, he and 6-3, 218-pound Mike Brown are the two ends of the DE spectrum).

-- When it comes to deciding recruiting numbers, Coach Beamer makes the call. The assistant coaches, in other words, recruit until they're told by Beamer to stop.

-- Tripp Carroll will probably replace Jake Grove at center, after Grove leaves. If Tripp doesn't play center next year, he'll play close enough to it to know the position, and though things are never set in stone, the coaches would like Tripp at center eventually.

What Happened to TSL's Recruiting Coverage?

TSL Pass subscribers have no doubt noticed the lack of recruiting updates since signing day. After taking time to catch our breath after the big day, Chris Horne is back at it, talking to coaches and players around the state and the region.

In the coming weeks, we'll have in-depth profiles of this year's signees, and we'll start seeding the database with 2004 recruits (this year's juniors). Our intention is not to charge into 2004 recruiting coverage willy-nilly, but rather to talk to coaches and players, gather some solid data, and start building our database with players that represent legitimate targets for VT in 2004.

We've also got some other exciting stuff in the works. If you thought TSL's 2003 recruiting coverage was good, we're just getting started, and our 2004 coverage will be outstanding!

To renew your TechSideline Pass subscription or to take out a new subscription, click here. Don't miss out on all the action!

Women's Basketball Update

The Hokie women's basketball team is on a roll. They have won 7 of their last 8 to run their record to 17-5, 8-3 in the Big East. The Hokies are tied for third in the Big East with Villanova (8-3), behind Rutgers (8-2) and Connecticut (10-0).

Sunday, the Hokies travel to Boston for a big game with the fifth-place Boston College Eagles (15-6, 7-3). The game is a noon tipoff and will be broadcast live on WBVA/WB5 (Roanoke) and CYB.WB-TV in the Bristol, Va. area. The contest will also be carried on the Madison Square Garden Network, Fox Sports Net New England and Fox Sports Net Florida.

The Hokies have a very good RPI rating of #20, with a chance to boost it further and lock up an NCAA Tournament bid in the next couple of weeks. First they play against BC, rated #18 in the RPI, then they come home Feb. 22nd against #9 Villanova, and they go back on the road to #13 Rutgers Feb. 26th.

The next three games will boost Tech's strength of schedule in the RPI, further enhancing their rating, and one to three victories in those games should lock down an NCAA bid, assuming VT can finish strong with wins over WVU (1-9 Big East) and. St. John's (2-10 Big East) in their last two games. That would give Tech at least 20 wins and an RPI rating good enough to get them in the Big Dance.

Now through February 23rd, Crutchfield is having their Annual Outlet Clearance Sale at their Charlottesville and Harrisonburg locations. You can save 20-50% off at this sale, plus an additional 5%!

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Click the link below for directions to both locations, plus to print out the page and get an additional 5% off:

Crutchfield Annual Outlet Clearance Sale Info

TechSideline Pass - $34.95 a Year

TechSideline.com is your one-stop shop for all Virginia Tech sports information, commentary and discussion. We're extremely excited to announce that we are now providing our subscribers with full-time exclusive football recruiting coverage, as well as subscribers-only message boards (as requested!). We have our usual great staff of writers to give you the finest coverage of the Hokies that you can get. Take your fanship to the next level with a TechSideline Pass subscription!

For more info on TechSideline Pass, and to subscribe, click here. To give TSL Pass as a gift (one-year subscriptions only), click here.

-- Will Stewart

Inside the Numbers: Ranking the 2003 Recruits
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 2/14/03, 12:05 am
It's time for TechSideline.com's third annual "Inside the Numbers: Ranking the Recruits," in which we mash together recruiting rankings from various recruiting services into one complex ranking system that gives each VT recruit a composite ranking. And since we're three years into it, we'll compare the last three classes to each other, too, for some interesting info.
in TSL Pass

Hanging On the Words of 18-Year-Olds
by Jim Alderson, 2/12/03, 10:35 am
I am not much of a recruiting junkie. During the season I am much more concerned with who is presently on the field rather than who might be, and other than checking into things enough to form a vague idea of the identities of this year’s crop of phenoms and which might be interested in Tech, I pay little attention.
in TSL Pass

Advance Auto Parts Hokie Hotline Notes
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com, 2/11/03, 4:50 pm
Monday night's Advance Auto Parts Hokie Hotline show originated from Miami, where the men's basketball team was preparing to play the Miami Hurricanes Tuesday night. The show featured Virginia Tech Associated Athletic Director John Ballein, women's basketball coach Bonnie Henrickson, and men's basketball coach Ricky Stokes.
in Hotline Notes

The VT Recruiting Class of 2013
by Greg Zesinger, 2/10/03, 12:10 am
Yes, it’s fun to look at the past and imagine how our newest Hokies fit into the Virginia Tech legacy. It seems that every year now, we hear the statement, "This is the best recruiting class in Virginia Tech history." But when everyone says that, they are only comparing the latest group to the classes of the past. No one is looking at the classes of the future.
in TSL Pass