Editor's Note: TechSideline.com is pleased to announce the addition of basketball message board icon "Rev. Zeke Vodka" to our staff of writers. Zeke will be providing weekly columns on VT basketball recruiting, plus other informative VT basketball-related columns.

The addition of Rev. Zeke to the TSL fold is part of our commitment to providing better coverage of VT basketball as the Hokies complete their last year in the Big East and get ready to enter the ACC next season. We are putting the finishing touches on a basketball recruiting database that we'll roll out soon, and this season, we'll provide basketball box scores, game recaps, and columns throughout the season.

We feel that Virginia Tech is a sleeping giant in men's basketball, and our hope is that new coach Seth Greenberg can provide the wakeup call. TechSideline.com will be right there helping you enjoy the ride. -- Will Stewart

It wasn't quite the size of class that new coach Seth Greenberg would have liked for his first recruiting class at Virginia Tech, but what Greenberg was limited to in quantity - thanks to the NCAA 5-8 rule - will hopefully turn out to have the quality necessary as the program makes its foray into tobacco road basketball next year, ACC style.

Due to the 5-8 scholarship rule imposed by the NCAA recently, which stipulates that a school can sign no more than 5 recruits in one year or a total of 8 in two consecutive years, Greenberg can only sign three new players in this recruiting class, and in point guard Marquie Cooke (click Marquie's name for a player profile, photo, and recruiting updates) and wing player Justin Holt (click Justin's name), Greenberg has made the first moves toward elevating the talent level of the program.

Cooke, a rugged 6-3, 200-pounder from Suffolk (VA) Nansemond River HS, is one of the top players in the state of Virginia and one of the top players in the country. PrepStars.com has Cooke rated as its #56 player nationally in their fall rankings, and he averaged 23.5 points, 8.3 assists, 6.7 rebounds and 3.1 steals per game last year as a junior. This followed a sophomore year in which Cooke averaged 18.7 points, 7.3 boards, 6 assists and 3 steals.

Cooke will be a player that Greenberg can turn the keys over to and entrust the important point guard position for the next four years. Cooke is a solid ball handler, and his size and strength at the high school level enable him to overpower many guards and impose his will on defenders. His play on the national stage with the respected and nationally known Boo Williams Summer League AAU program has given him maximum exposure and experience against the elite players in the country. Cooke is a penetrator who finishes in traffic and will also draw defenders and pass to his shooters. His defense is a highly underrated facet of his game, as he has good lateral movement and will use his very strong upper body to physically punish opponents.

Holt, a 6-6, 205-pounder who plays at Tacoma (WA) CC, will take a more circuitous route to Blacksburg. Holt is sitting out this season at Tacoma in order to preserve a year of eligibility, and he will arrive in Blacksburg next fall with three years eligibility. Justin was a full qualifier out of high school and signed with Oregon St. in the spring of 2002 only to see the head coach there, Ritchie McKay, take another job at New Mexico. Holt then enrolled at Tacoma last year and averaged 21.8 points and 8.8 rebounds a game. Holt is recognized as one of the top 25 players in junior college, and as a full qualifier out of high school was able to leave after one year of junior college. Holt selected Iowa St. last spring - only to see the messiness that ensued with Larry Eustachy's departure from the program - then returned to Tacoma, where he will sit out this season.

On the floor, Holt is a player capable of playing multiple positions. Greenberg will probably utilize Holt at a wing position, although with the size limitations of the team, Holt will more than likely garner some time inside. The strength and essence of Holt's game is his ability to take the ball to the goal. Holt puts it on the deck and is relentless at attacking the glass offensively, resulting in numerous free throw opportunities. He averaged just over seven free throw attempts per game at Tacoma last year. He also handles the ball well enough to play a guard position and create some matchup problems defensively.

With one available scholarship remaining, Deron Washington is expected to be the only player that might still sign with Virginia Tech in the fall. Washington is a 6-7 wing player from Ft. Washington (MD) National Christian Academy. A decision could come any day on Washington, who appears to be deliberating between the Hokies and Charlotte (formerly known as UNC-Charlotte).

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