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   Welcome to TSLMail #270 - Friday, March 16, 2007    
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   Tech Sports News


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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).

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Rolling Stones caps in 14 different color combos

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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   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week

Ocean Lakes Star Lands First Offer

March 15, 2007
Ocean Lakes (Virginia Beach, VA) head varsity football coach Jim Prince says that 6-5, 210-pound athlete Marcus Davis is "by far the most highly recruited guy I've had in 18 years. He is my first player to get a Division 1A scholarship offer his junior year."
more

Best Chance Ever at a Sweet 16
March 15, 2007
The Hokies have been maddening at times this year -- NC State, anyone? -- but the sum total of their season is one of achievement. By winning big games and finishing near the top of the #1 conference in the country, VT has earned themselves a #5 seed and the best chance of making the Sweet 16 of any Hokie team in history.
more

Recruiting Video: State of VA Trio
March 15, 2007
For TSL Pass subscribers, we have added video clips to the profiles of three state of Virginia standouts in 6-2, 195-pound Austin Fuller, 6-2, 190-pound Dyrell Roberts and 6-4, 290-pound Buddy Ruff. Virginia Tech has offered and received a commitment from Fuller, while Tech and UVa have both offered Roberts and Ruff.
more

TSL Audio: Will Stewart on "The Press Box with Drake Anderson"
March 15, 2007
On Wednesday afternoon, TSL's Will Stewart appeared on "The Press Box with Drake Anderson" on ESPN Radio AM 1430 in Blacksburg. Drake and Will previewed Virginia Tech's upcoming NCAA matchup with Illinois and talked about the evolution of Tech basketball. (Three segments in MP3 format, compatible with Windows Media Player and MP3 players.)
more

Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Illinois
March 14, 2007
When Virginia Tech takes on Illinois Friday night, it will not only be a battle of the teams' differing styles, but of their respective conferences as well. Virginia Tech will bring two good guards to the table, as most ACC teams do, while Illinois will employ two big guys on the interior and will try to grind it out, as do all Big Ten teams. Who is the better team? It's tough to say, because they play such differing styles of basketball, and their competition has been very different.
more

Checking in with Tech '08 Commit Bruce Taylor
March 14, 2007
In our last check-in with 6-3, 230-pound Myrtle Beach (S.C.) linebacker Bruce Taylor, the star prospect had just taken in his first ever regular season game in Blacksburg. That was last October, one month after he had verbally committed to Virginia Tech. In an interview last night, Taylor discussed his pledge to the Hokies as well as how his off-season has gone.
more

Davis Close to Narrowing List?
March 14, 2007
With his junior season almost complete, 6-8, 215-pound forward Ed Davis is starting to concentrate more on his recruiting. In fact, Benedictine's 5-star prospect is aiming to reduce his list of schools within the next few weeks and possibly as early as next week.
more

Stephens has Two Favorites
March 13, 2007
Halifax County (South Boston, VA) linebacker Allen Stephens had two scholarship offers in the fold heading into 2007, and he has recently added another to bring his total to three. The 6-1, 240-pound prospect is coming off an impressive junior season in 2006, as he earned Western Valley District Defensive Player of the Year honors for his performance.
more

Talented LB Holds 11 Offers
March 13, 2007
J.B. Fitzgerald was only hoping for one scholarship offer by the end of his junior year. He certainly has attained that goal and much more, as the 6-3, 225-pound linebacker prospect is now up to 11 written scholarship offers after receiving two more yesterday.
more

Hokie Hotline Notes for 3/12/07
March 13, 2007
Presented by Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech: Monday night's show was a look ahead to the Illinois game this Friday, and head basketball coach Seth Greenberg addressed a few questions about tournament seedings, free throw shooting, and why the Hokies don't press NC State.
more

Eleven Years Later, Hokies Finally Get a Decent Seed
March 12, 2007
Boy, this brings back memories. 11 years ago today, TechSideline.com was launched as "Will Stewart's Hokie Sports Home Page." Clever name that, and for months, the "site" resided on my personal directory on the NRVNet (honk if you remember that ISP) web site. To this day, I remember the address: http://www.nrvnet.com/~wstewart/. Don't bother clicking that, because it doesn't go anywhere anymore.
more

The State's Top RB Prospect?
March 12, 2007
If there is one prospect coaches from the Northern Virginia area agree is the top prospect in the region, it is without question Ryan Williams. Williams, a star running back out of Stonewall Jackson High School, averaged 10 yards-per-carry en route to gaining 1,574 yards and scoring a total of 22 touchdowns last season as a junior.
more

Virginia Tech/Illinois Game Time Set
March 12, 2007
Virginia Tech will play Illinois on Friday night at 7:10 pm, in Nationwide Arena in Columbus, Ohio. If the Hokies win, they'll play the winner of the Southern Illinois/Holy Cross game on Sunday at 2:40 pm. All NCAA tournament games will be televised by CBS.
more

Virginia Tech to Face Illinois on Friday in Columbus
March 11, 2007
On Sunday evening, the Hokies learned their seeding, destination and opponent in the upcoming first round of the NCAA tournament. #5 seed Virginia Tech will take on #12 seed Illinois this Friday, March 16, in Columbus, Ohio. Tech is part of the West Region, and they will play in Nationwide Arena. Game time will be announced on Monday.
more

More Observations from Tampa
March 11, 2007
Well that was disappointing. To watch your favorite team lose a game at the free throw line is as frustrating in person as it is on television. Our seats directly behind the basket gave us a unique view of the horror show -- for every Tech free throw that clanked badly off the rim, there were two NC State free throws that swished cleanly through the net.
more

Frustrating Loss Ends Tech's Stay in Tampa
March 10, 2007
There for a moment, it looked like the Hokies were going to get it done. After 100 minutes of NC State shooting 70-of-115 against the Hokies, after two and a half games of blistering Virginia Tech's defense, NC State finally cooled down. They made just six of their first 18 shots after half time, and A.D. Vassallo popped a three-pointer to tie it up at 48 with 7:10 to go. There was a little crack in the clouds that hang over the Hokies every time they play the Wolfpack.
more

Hokies Fall to Wolfpack 72-64
March 10, 2007
Virginia Tech was knocked off by NC State for the third time this season on Saturday afternoon, this time falling 72-64 to the Wolfpack in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Despite the loss, the Hokies are still 21-11 and a lock for the NCAA tournament. They'll learn their postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 6 pm. It will be televised by CBS.
more

Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. NC State
March 10, 2007
The Hokies will get their third and final chance to defeat NC State when Virginia Tech battles the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday afternoon in Tampa. If Tech manages to knock off NC State for the first time this season, they'll get a shot at either UNC or Boston College in the ACC Tournament Finals.
more

Observations from Tampa
March 10, 2007
Internet access is very limited at the hotel I'm in, but I was able to get a few minutes this morning. I did not attend the Thursday sessions, but I did see all four games Friday, and here are some things I have noted so far, including some notes about attendance and fan interaction, two of the most interesting aspects of the tournament so far.
more

Hokies Take Care of Business
March 10, 2007
I love it when a plan comes together. Friday night, conventional wisdom dictated that Virginia Tech should try to run Wake Forest ragged, make the Deacs move up and down the court just 21 hours after their historic double overtime win over Georgia Tech. The Hokies didn't back down from the challenge, and as a result, Tech knocked a big monkey off their backs and got their first-ever ACC tournament win.
more

Hokies Get Defensive in 71-52 Win Over Wake Forest
March 10, 2007
Virginia Tech used a stellar second half defensive performance to rout Wake Forest 71-52 in final ACC quarterfinal game on Friday night. The Hokies earned their first ACC Tournament win in school history, and they improve to 21-10 on the season. They'll face NC State in the semifinals on Saturday.
more

Hokies Enter a Tournament "Already in Progress"
March 9, 2007
Weird factoid of the day: By the time Virginia Tech takes the court tonight against Wake Forest, seven teams -- over half the conference -- will already be eliminated from the ACC tournament. Three teams will have two games under their belt. How the Hokies respond to a tournament well under way is the key storyline for tonight's game.
more

Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest
March 9, 2007
Virginia Tech will finally take to the court tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum some time after 9 p.m., and their opponent will be the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Hokies had to wait until early Friday morning to know that, because Wake and Georgia Tech played a game for the ages last night. It was finally decided in double overtime, with Wake Forest winning 114-112.
more
 
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