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Hokies Hope Stars Produce Against Illinois
by Will Stewart, TechSideline.com

In reviewing Virginia Tech's past NCAA performances, I was struck by two trends. I covered one -- Tech's seeding and second-round matchups -- in Best Chance Ever at a Sweet 16 yesterday. Today in TSLMail, we'll discuss the other trend: Tech's stars having subpar games in the NCAA tournament.

My reference materials are limited to Tech's last four NCAA appearances: 1980, 1985, 1986, and 1996. I used a VT 1980-81 media guide for information about the 1980 tournament, and I used Hokie Huddlers for information about the 1985, '86, and '96 tournaments.

In 1980, the Hokies were led by the great Dale Solomon, perhaps the best Virginia Tech player to not have his jersey retired. Solomon averaged 16.7 ppg in the 1979-80 season (followed close behind by Wayne Robinson's 15.2 ppg).

The Hokies opened NCAA competition that year as a #7 seed, and they downed #10 Western Kentucky 89-85 in overtime. Solomon did not disappoint, dominating the Hilltoppers with 22 points and 11 rebounds. Solomon hit 10 of his 13 shots from the field and both free throws. Robinson added 12 points and 6 rebounds on 6-of-8 shooting.

In the second round, the Hokies ran into #2 seed Indiana and didn't fare as well, losing 68-59. Solomon had a poor game, shooting 3-of-8 and finishing with just 11 points and 6 rebounds. Robinson fared well, hitting 7-of-12 shots and scoring 16 points and 13 rebounds, but his yeoman effort wasn't enough, unfortunately.

That game finished Robinson's career, and Solomon, just a sophomore at the time, never made it back to the NCAA tournament.

In 1985, Tech had a stellar starting five in Dell Curry, Bobby Beecher, Perry Young, Al Young, and Keith Colbert. As good as Curry was, Perry Young was the best the Hokies had to offer that year, at 18.5 points per game and 7.4 rebounds per game.

In the 1985 tournament opening round game against Temple, however, P. Young let his teammates down. With Al Young nursing a knee injury that kept him out of the game, Perry Young and backup point guard Tim Lewis missed a scheduled practice the day before the game. Tech coach Charlie Moir made a statement, benching the much-needed Young and Lewis, starting sophomore Phil Williams and career garbage-time player Ron Everhart in their places.

The Hokies fell behind 15-12 (not a bad effort, actually) before Perry Young entered the game, and without Al Young, the Hokies never came back, losing 60-57. Perry Young played 29 minutes and hit just 4-of-14 shots and 2-of-5 free throws on his way to just 10 points and 5 rebounds. Curry led the way with 13 points, and it just wasn't enough. It was a bad way for both Perry and Al to end their Tech careers.

The following season, with both Youngs gone, Curry, Beecher and Colbert carried the torch. Curry was the star of the team, averaging 24.1 ppg, the most since Allan Bristow's 25.0 ppg in 1971-72.

Tech opened the 1986 NCAA tournament as a #7 seed, facing #10 Villanova in round one. There were no benched players and no off-court drama this time. The Hokies simply got off to a horrible start, falling behind 25-10. Curry picked up three fouls in a 44-second span, including two in eight seconds, and he sat down with the Hokies down 25-10.

Curry played 28 minutes, shot 4-of-12, and scored just 12 points. Bobby Beecher, his fellow senior and the team's second-best player, had 15 points and 12 rebounds, solid totals. Colbert, known as a defensive stopper and a rebounder, but not a scorer, led Tech with 21 points. Colbert shot 19 times, making 10, and that just wasn't Tech's style of basketball. The Hokies eventually lost 71-62.

In 1996, 9th-seeded VT dispatched of Wisconsin-Green Bay 61-48 in the first round. Shawn Good, Tech's fifth-leading scorer during the season, torched the nets for a career-high 25 points, including 5-of-7 from three-point range, positively un-Good-like numbers. Ace Custis, Damon Watlington, and Shawn Smith, the Hokies' three top scorers, combined for just 26 points after averaging 37.3 ppg during the season. Despite the odd balance in scoring, the Hokies won anyway.

No such luck in the second round, where the Hokies plowed into eventual national champion Kentucky. Custis, who averaged 13.4 ppg and 9.5 rpg on the year, was overwhelmed by the Wildcats, and he hit just 3-of-7 shots on his way to 8 points and 5 rebounds. The game wasn't played at the half court pace in which Custis usually flourished, and Tech lost 84-60. Smith bagged 13 and Watlington 11, for a total of 32 points from the three star players. 

Admittedly, it would have taken a Herculean effort from Custis, Smith and Watlington to even challenge the Wildcats. Tech got less than that.

In the tournament, you need your best players to step up and play their best. VCU got that from Eric Maynor, who scored 22 points and had 8 assists in the Rams' victory over Duke yesterday. Davidson lost to Maryland 82-70, but star Davidson guard Stephen Curry didn't disappoint, scoring 30 points. Curry only shot 9-of-21 from the field and 5-of-14 from beyond the arc, but he played a solid, impressive game.

The Hokies will need Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon to play big against Illinois Friday night. If they don't, the Hokies might have enough firepower from elsewhere to overcome the 12th-seeded Illini, but Hokie coaches, players, and fans don't want to take that chance. Dowdell and Gordon are big keys tonight.

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