Mike Young Faces Former Team for First Time, Leads Virginia Tech to 98-76 WIn OVer Wofford
Kyle Marchak
Staff Writer
November 19, 2023
Mike Young's Virginia Tech team took down Wofford in the final tune-up before heading to Orlando. (Virginia Tech Athletics)
BLACKSBURG - The last time Virginia Tech and Wofford met on the hardwood, it was December 2, 2002, and Mike Young was in his first of 17 seasons as the head coach of the Terriers. He defeated the Hokies in Blacksburg 79-77, setting the tone for a storied career with Wofford.
More than two decades later, and Young is the victor once again, this time serving as the leader for the Hokies, in his fifth year at the helm.
Tech (3-1) cruised to its third win of the season, winning 98-76 over the Terriers (2-2), Sunday night in Cassell Coliseum.
“It was strange, I’ll never do it again,” Young said to reporters after the game. “They’ve got good players, but I’m glad that one’s over. I spent 30 glorious years there, but it’s over.”
As Wofford entered the game coming off a close loss to No. 7 Tennessee, Young knew he needed his key players to step up in order to triumph over the gritty Terriers offense.
In the Hokies’ previous win to Campbell, their backcourt of junior guard Sean Pedulla and senior guard Hunter Cattoor combined for an underwhelming 17 points.
“We started turning down good shots, for great shots,” Young said. “We were a lot more fluent offensively.”
This contest juxtaposed their most previous offensive performance heavily, as Virginia Tech scored a whopping 98 points on 33 field goals. They finished shooting a confident 56.9% from the field, and 50% from beyond the arc.
Pedulla was second among all scorers, tallying 19 points, while Cattoor complimented with 17.
Cattoor opened a confounding performance against Campbell last week 0-for-4 from three-point land. Sunday, the Orlando, Fla., native started 4-for-4, tallying 12 points in the first half alone.
“We hadn’t been shooting the ball well, but Cattoor was awesome,” Young said.
But senior center Lynn Kidd stole the show, leading all with 20 points on the night, continuing his streak of scoring in double figures. He was also just three rebounds shy of his third consecutive double-double – a clear evolution of skill compared to last season.
“I admire the progress [Kidd] has made,” Young said. “He’s worked really hard to be in this position.”
But there was one secondary concern for Young coming into this contest: finding a way to stifle the Terriers’ pace of play, as their offense was second in the Southern Conference entering Sunday’s contest, with Wofford’s conference honoree Corey Tripp leading the way.
The Hokies’ counter: rebounds. Virginia Tech cleaned the glass, collecting 36 boards to Wofford’s 28. In this category in particular, Kidd once again steered the ship, while senior forward Mylyjael Poteat assisted the effort with five boards of his own.
While the Hokies’ usual cast of characters stepped up, a subtle highlight was the performance of true freshman guard Brandon Rechsteiner. The young talent picked up 16 minutes – his most to date – while picking up 6 points on 2-for-4 shooting from three-point land.
“Brandon did a really nice job for us, [he] moved the ball well,” Young said. “[It] takes me a little time [to trust] freshmen… but, man, he’s doing a very nice job… [he’s] taking care of the ball.”
He has yet to give up a turnover, a rarity over four games for a freshman guard.
Between their sound rebounding, and early and efficient shooting, the Hokies tailored a solid performance to move to 3-1 in 2023.
“[We’re] not satisfied, but very encouraged,” Young said.
The Hokies will have another non-conference test at hand at the ESPN Events Invitational, as they take on Boise State Thursday in Orlando at 8 p.m. ET on ESPN2.