Confidence a key component for the Hokies' success this season

Jay Winters

November 22, 2020

BLACKSBURG, Va. - In a year that has seen so much change and trial throughout the sports world, Virginia Tech women's basketball head coach Kenny Brooks said his team is ready for whatever comes at them in the upcoming 2020-2021 season.

“At least we’re here,” Brooks said to open Tech's media day on Friday afternoon.

In an offseason that has prevented Brooks from doing usual things like have individual meetings with his players, run full scrimmages or mesh the new freshmen class with the returners, he is still encouraged with what he has seen in the limited practice time they have been granted.

As much as this offseason has been different for everyone, this team in particular would’ve had an interesting offseason, regardless of COVID-19.

The Hokies lost three seniors last year in Taja Cole, Kendyl Brooks and Lydia Rivers, while Dara Mabrey transferred to Notre Dame and Trinity Baptiste to Arizona.

Cole was the senior leader and first on the team in assists, minutes played, and steals, while Mabrey was third on the team in scoring and Rivers the rebounding leader.

Brooks is confident that production on the court will stay the same, but replacing Cole's leadership is the big question.

“This team has high potential, and I’m not worried about production being an issue,” Brooks said. “Replacing the leadership of Taja [Cole] is huge.”

Senior guard Aisha Sheppard, a preseason All-ACC selection and one of Tech’s three captains, certainly feels she can step into Cole’s role.

Playing beside Cole in years prior, Sheppard learned everything from skills on the court to how to lead a team.

“I’m someone my teammates can count on regardless of what's happening, and that goes for both on the court and off,” Sheppard said.

Even with the loss of those five players, Brooks and company made up for it by recruiting four freshmen and adding three transfers from the likes of Duke, Wofford and Gulf Coast State. That's not counting Asiah Jones, a talented forward that transferred from USC to Blacksburg ahead of last season. She received endless praise from Brooks on Friday.

Sophomores Makayla Ennis, Cayla King, Taylor Geiman and team captain Chloe Brooks all return from last season and look to contribute on both sides of the court, while Brooks also welcomed in new assistant coaches Lindsey Hicks and Christal Caldwell to the staff this summer.

One of the standouts of the freshman class and who Brooks already called “the second best three-point shooter on the team,” Georgia Amoore will look to have an immediate impact and fill in for Cole’s point guard spot.

A native of Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, Amoore has had to adjust to not just Eastern Standard Time, but also American basketball rules, such as the 30-second shot clock instead of 24 seconds or being limited to two steps after a dribble instead of three.

Amoore can be described as a scoring point guard who can create for herself and others, and will be looking to the paint almost every possession this season to give sophomore center Elizabeth Kitley touches.

Kitley, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year and a preseason All-ACC selection, is one of the key returning players alongside Sheppard.

The Summerfield, N.C. native averaged 12.5 points per game and 7.5 rebounds per game in her freshman season and slowly turned into one of the more dangerous bigs in the ACC last season. The scary thing is, she’s only getting better.

“When she [Kitley] came back to Blacksburg in the summer, I saw the hunger in her eyes,” Brooks said, complementing his sophomore forward. “I’ve never seen a kid improve as much from year one to year two as she has.”

Alongside a new arsenal of post moves and dribble-drive looks, Kitley also said her confidence has improved and she is ready for the responsibility of carrying the team far into the postseason, a postseason that the Hokies should’ve been a part of last season.

“It took us, and really myself, through the end of the summer to really get over the season getting cancelled,” Brooks said.

While the sting has waned a bit from March, it is still the number one motivation factor for this year's team going forward.

Talent and confidence may be the two biggest attributes the Hokies have this year, attributes Brooks said stemmed from last year's squad that had the mindset that they could win every game.

With memories still fresh from March and being on the cusp of an NCAA Tournament berth, which would have been the program’s first since 2006, Virginia Tech has the confidence, skill and depth to match anyone they face this season.

When all three click at once, the heights this team can reach become limitless.