Virginia Tech Men's Basketball 2020-21 season preview

Jackson Didlake, Chris Hirons and David Cunningham

November 25, 2020

It's officially college basketball season, one of the best times of the year. With the added stress of the pandemic, teams, fans and media are all in for an unprecedented season.

Nevertheless, Virginia Tech is set to kick off its 2020-21 campaign at 12 p.m. on Wed., Nov. 25 against Radford inside Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies, who finished 16-16 overall, 7-13 in the ACC in 2019-20, are set to begin their second season under the tutelage of Mike Young.

Men's basketball beat writers Jackson Didlake and Chris Hirons, along with Editor in-Chief David Cunningham, preview the upcoming season for the Hokies and answer some important questions along the way - expectations, strengths and weaknesses, whether Tech can close out games and under the radar players to watch.

Expectations:

Jackson: The Hokies showed some promise in Mike Young’s first season in Blacksburg, but the team will look like a whole new roster as players transferred and Virginia Tech filled its holes through the portal. The Hokies are attempting to build for the future this season, not make a run at an ACC championship. I see the Hokies finishing at No. 10 in the conference or just outside.

Chris: This season, Virginia Tech, like everyone else in college basketball, won’t play an exhibition game to go through the motions or film to watch before it kicks off its season against Radford Wednesday afternoon. With fewer games to find the perfect starting lineup heading into conference play, it could cause challenges to Young and his staff, which Young alluded to in previous interviews. However, matchups against Radford, Longwood, VMI, Coppin State, Temple, USF and Penn State should allow Young to find the strengths and weaknesses of the different lineups the second-year head coach rolls out over the course of VT’s non-conference schedule.

On the conference side of the schedule, the ACC is one of the toughest —if not the toughest— conferences in all of college basketball. There’s no doubt that the Hokies will struggle against the top five teams in the conference — Virginia, Duke, North Carolina, Florida State and Louisville. However, Virginia Tech should be competitive and win a few games against Syracuse, Clemson, Miami, NC State and Georgia Tech. And finally, VT should beat Notre Dame, Wake Forest, Boston College and Pitt every time.

David: In Mike Young’s second season, expectations are a bit higher. Still, I feel like there’s an understanding with the fans to be patient with Mike Young and let him work his magic. Heck, the Hokies upset No. 3 Michigan State and were competitive with a few top 25 teams, including UVa, in his inaugural season.

I think finishing .500 in the ACC would be a positive for Tech, but the Hokies are obviously building for the future. Tech is still a bit undersized and I’m sure Young would like to have more of his guys in the system, but I think the fans can expect the Hokies to be a competitive, scrappy bunch that is jostling for a NIT bid (assuming the NIT is held) at the end of the season. Who knows how much COVID-19 will change things, though.

Projected Record:

Jackson: 12-15 overall, 8-12 ACC

Chris: 15-12 overall, 9-11 ACC

David: 14-13 overall, 8-12 ACC

Biggest Returning Strength(s):

Jackson: Virginia Tech’s backcourt is going to be its biggest strength this season. It returns three starters in Tyrece Radford, Wabissa Bede and Nahiem Alleyne. Bede will likely run the offense and has the chance to lead the team in assists per game after averaging 5.5 last year.

Chris: Depth. Virginia Tech returns a stronger team than it had entering last season. Even with Landers Nolley, Isaiah Wilkins, and P.J. Horne hitting the transfer portal, head coach Mike Young and his staff hit the recruiting trail, convincing Top 100 prospect, guard Joe Bamisile, to play basketball in Blacksburg. Guard Darius Maddox and athletic power forward David N'Guessan both committed to VT with Bamisile last year. In the transfer portal, Virginia Tech added Guard Cartier Diarra and forwards Cordell Pemsl and Justyn Mutts over the offseason.

There’s no question that Virginia Tech’s biggest strength will be its depth. Last season, guards Hunter Cattoor, Wabissa Bede, Jalen Cone and Tyrece Radford all received substantial minutes in Young’s rotation. Adding Diarra and Bamisile to the backcourt will create a problem in an already crowded backcourt. However, for Young, it’s a good problem to seemingly have an endless supply of guards if one or two of them get into foul trouble.

David: Tech’s biggest returning strength is the experience. Last season, the Hokies were the second-youngest team in the ACC in terms of class, only ahead of Louisville. Young recognized that problem and acquired experienced transfers in the likes of Cartier Diarra, Cordell Pemsl and Justyn Mutts. Forward Keve Aluma, who played under Young at Wofford, is also eligible this season.

In 2019-20, the Hokies had one player that wasn’t a junior or younger - graduate student Branden Johnson. This season? Two redshirt juniors (Aluma, Mutts), one senior (Wabissa Bede) and two graduate students (Diarra and Pemsl). The experience is to Young’s advantage in 2020-21.

Biggest Weakness:

Jackson: With a strong backcourt unfortunately comes with a poor frontcourt. One of the biggest problems for the Hokies last season was their rebounding. They had 33.9 rebounds per game, the third worst in the ACC. Additionally, Tech’s 7.5 offensive rebounds per game was the worst in the conference. The Hokies picked up plenty of transfers that could have big roles this year, but the majority are in the backcourt.

Chris: Lack of size. Last year, while a student at Syracuse, I watched a talented Orange team tumble and crash in close games because of Jim Boehiem’s inability to recruit a true center. This year, Hokies fans will experience the same pains that Syracuse fans went through in close games.

With no true center, the best the Hokies have to offer rebounding-wise are forwards John Ojiako and Cordell Pemsl. Virginia Tech will struggle rebounding the ball and playing defense in the post, especially late in close matchups. If Ojiako is injured or fouls out, Young will be left scrambling to create a lineup that can come up with rebounds late in games.

David: I’m not sure how big of a problem this will become, but the one place where losing Landers Nolley will hurt the most is when the clock is ticking down. Nolley, while playing a bit out of position due to his size, could score at will at times. When Tech needed a bucket, it often went to Nolley. It occasionally opened up other opportunities (see Tyrece Radford’s game-winner vs. UNC) but with no true scorer, at least not by looking up and down the roster, who will Tech look to in crunch time? Not having a “pure scorer” type of player might hurt the Hokies at times, though who knows how often they’ll be in that situation.

What Tech Lost:

Jackson: Easily the Hokies’ biggest loss in the offseason was guard Landers Nolley, who led the team with 15.5 points per game last season. Nolley announced his decision to transfer, but he was far from the only Hokie to do so. Forwards Isaiah Wilkins and P.J. Horne followed the suit, quickly leaving Mike Young without some of his top talent.

The Hokies addressed the guard position by bringing Kansas State transfer Cartier Diarra. They also recruited Joe Bamisile, a four-star guard. At forward, Tech brought in a handful of transfers that should bolster the rotation. Cordell Pemsl comes in from Iowa, Justyn Mutts from Delaware, and Keve Aluma, who played at Wofford under Mike Young.

Chris: Team chemistry. With three rotation players leaving via the transfer portal in the offseason and a potential of four new players being inserted into the rotation, as well as a shortened offseason, there could be a lot of miscommunication out on the floor at times. So, don’t be surprised if players crash into each other during a rebound, or aren’t totally in-sync for a pick-and-roll play.

David: A bit of everything, though not anything Tech can’t recover from. Young reloaded with a solid recruiting class and in the transfer market in the offseason. Replacing Nolley is the tough question, but the Hokies return 60 percent of scoring, 72 percent of assists and 60 percent of field goals made. Losing players like P.J. Horne and Isaiah Wilkins, who were impactful and fairly players for Tech, is tough, but if Young’s newcomers can learn his system and fit in right away, there shouldn’t be a huge drop off.

In 2019-20, Tech had a tough time closing out games. Will VT be any better at closing out in 2020-21?

Jackson: A major issue for the Hokies down the stretch last season was their inability to finish out games. That feat is easier said than done against top-tier programs like Virginia or Duke, but Tech failed to hold onto games against most of the ACC. The Hokies are going to likely struggle to close out again this season. They don’t have a ton of talent compared to even the mid-tier teams in the conference and if a player doesn’t step up to take over games late, it will be the same struggle.

Chris: Short answer, no. It’s no secret, Virginia Tech struggled to close out games last season, especially against mid-tier ACC opponents that it should have beat. This year, the story will remain the same. Virginia Tech didn’t recruit or land a transfer like a Kyle Guy, a Tyus Battle or even a Nickeil Alexander-Walker — someone that could bail the offense out at the end of the shot clock late in a close game.

Also, with no true big man that can consistently rebound the ball, Virginia Tech’s going to have a lot of problems trying to come up with second chance baskets or defensive stops.

David: With age comes experience, and that’s what the Hokies gained this offseason. I think yes, Tech will be better down the stretch this season. Tech lost seven “close” games by less than ten points last season - Boston College twice, Syracuse once, Notre Dame once, UVa once and Miami twice. There were also four overtime periods played in those games.

Tech slipped up against Boston College last year and lost a heartbreaker in three overtimes to Miami at home. Games against UVa and Syracuse, which came down to the final possession, were winnable games. I think the Hokies will stay farther away from those situations in 2020-21 with more experience, though when they do end up in crunch time, I think they’ll be more successful. It all goes back to my weakness, though - will Tech find a go-to scorer, especially in the clutch?

X-Factor:

Jackson: If the Hokies happen to exceed expectations this season, I’d expect it to be on the back of Tyrece Radford. Radford averaged 10.2 points per game last year and is the leading scorer returning to the team after Landers Nolley transferred. Radford showed that he is capable of being the top scorer for the Hokies and especially if he can show life of an outside shot.

Chris: Last season, Landers Nolley was undoubtedly Virginia Tech’s X-Factor. The offense revolved around him, taking off when he was hot and floundering when his shooting stroke went cold. This year, though, team members will tell you that there’s no go-to scorer on offense like Nolley was last season. Guard Hunter Cattoor stressed that anyone could score 20 points on any given night and that the team will follow the hot hand.

Like Cattoor said, there won’t be a single X-Factor on the team that the Hokies can depend on night in and night out. Virginia Tech hasn’t had a true X-Factor since Kerry Blackshear Jr. left following the 2018-2019 season. Though, Diarra could eventually turn into the guy that Young and his players turn to late in games and the guy that leads the team down the stretch.

David: Since Jackson chose Tyrece Radford, who I really enjoyed watching play in 2019-20, I’ll go with my second choice, Keve Aluma. There were plenty of times last season where I walked into Cassell about two hours before tip and Aluma, who was ineligible, was running down the floor, with now assistant coach Kevin Giltner, and draining threes.

The transfer from Wofford started 34 games as a sophomore for Young and the Terriers, averaging seven points and seven rebounds per game. He was solid on the offensive boards specifically, ranking fifth in the SoCon in offensive rebounds per game with 2.8. From what I saw last season, it seems like he can open up the floor and hit transition threes too. Aluma is a dynamic big that will provide Young with a solid inside presence, yet another player to spread the floor with if needed.

Starting Lineup:

Jackson: The starting lineup certainly has some question marks. I fully expect Wabissa Bede and Tyrece Radford to get the nod at the guard positions. Wofford transfer Keve Aluma at forward is the only other spot I think is nearly set in stone. I foresee the other two spots getting taken up by transfers as well. Kansas State transfer Cartier Diarra is too talented not to be in the starting roster and Delaware transfer forward Justyn Mutts will round out the starting rotation.

Chris: G Wabissa Bede, G Tyrece Radford, G Nahiem Alleyne, F Keve Aluma and F Justyn Mutts

David: G Wabissa Bede, G Cartier Diarra, G Tyrece Radford, F Justyn Mutts and F Keve Aluma.

I’m honestly curious to see if Young rolls with Diarra or Alleyne, who was phenomenal as a freshman last season. Jalen Cone is one to watch too, though he was injured over the summer and might not see a ton of action right away. He provided a spark when he came off the bench in 2019, though, so maybe Young will keep him back there as a secret weapon.

Under the Radar Player to Watch:

Jackson: There is a lot of talk about the incoming transfer class, with good reason, but it’s left some of the returning Hokies left out of the conversation. Sophomore guard Nahiem Alleyne may have to take a back seat with the incoming transfers, but he was a near every game starter for the Hokies last season and averaged 8.8 points per game to go with 2.3 assists per game. Don’t be surprised if he jumps to a starting role and is the player that the Hokies rely on down the stretch.

Chris: If Virginia Tech wants any success rebounding the ball, six-foot-nine Cordell Pemsl, who weighs 250 pounds, will need to be that guy. Though he’s an inch shorter than the tallest forward on the team, John Ojiako, he’s the heaviest rebounder Tech has to offer. As a member of the Iowa Hawks in 2017, Pemsl pulled down a career-high 14 rebounds and recorded a block against the Hokies at Cassell Coliseum.

Pemsl could have a bigger role in close games down the stretch if he becomes Young’s top rebounder.

David: One of the players that I really enjoyed watching improve in 2019-20 was John Ojiako, the 6’10” forward from Lagos, Nigeria. He was awkward at first and it took some time for him to adjust on both ends of the floor, but once he got used to it, he was decently effective at times on both ends. I’m interested to see how Young & Co. use him this season with so many other big men available - Mutts, Pemsl, Aluma and freshman David N’Guessan.