Virginia Tech Women's Basketball 2020-21 season preview

Jay Winters and Topher Wagner

November 25, 2020

The Virginia Tech women's basketball team was heading to the NCAA Tournament in March before its season was cut short due to COVID-19. In 2020-21, the Hokies have their eyes set on the tournament.

Our beat writers Jay Winters and Topher Wagner highlight what to expect and players to watch and give their take on how they think the upcoming season for the Hokies is going to pan out.

Jay Winters:

Expectations and Projected Record:

With a team that was on the cusp of the NCAA Tournament before the season shut down, the Hokies come into the 2020-2021 campaign with both a hunger from the returners to finish what they started last year, and a replenished set of new faces to make for a deep and dangerous team.

The ACC Coaches and Blue Ribbon Panels both placed Virginia Tech at seventh in the ACC, with Louisville and NC State taking the top two spots.

The Hokies should get off to a host start and be very competitive in the ACC, though there are a few tough stretches Tech has to deal with. If Tech can hit the new year with close to ten wins, it's in good shape. The Hokies should finish around with 18 wins and be an NCAA Tournament team.

Tech has a lot of potential and could upset some of the bluebloods of the ACC, but with a multitude of new faces joining the team who have never played a full ACC schedule, there might be some growing pains along the way. The team does possess limitless potential though, a positive that can help Tech turn some heads this season.

Regular Season Record: 18-7 (12-7)

Top Returners and Strengths:

Aisha Sheppard and Elizabeth Kitley, who were recently awarded Preseason All-ACC, are Tech’s biggest returning players. Sheppard, who was a First Team All-ACC selection last season, led the Hokies in scoring averaging 14.8 points a game, while also setting the program record for three-pointers made in a season with 84.

Elizabeth Kitley, on the other hand, is coming off a season that saw her claim ACC-Freshman of the Year while posting a 12.5 and 7.5 stat line, while leading the team in blocks with 63 and shooting an efficient 56% from the field. Kitley will draw more attention from every defense she faces than last year, which should open up the floor for her teammates.

The loaded freshman class from last season will also play a big role this upcoming year. Chloe Brooks, Taylor Geiman and Cayla King will all compete for the starting wing spot, and all provide shooting and touch that will make the Hokies just as dangerous from the outside as last season. Senior Alex Obouh Fegue, who averaged 3.6 points and 2.5 rebounds in 2019, will also provide depth at the center spot behind Kitley and Jones.

Weaknesses:

One of the biggest weaknesses from the Hokies last season was the number of times they turned the ball over. Tech averaged just around 15.5 turnovers per game while averaging only 14.2 assists per game, a negative assist to turnover ratio. With Taja Cole graduating from last season and freshman Georgia Amoore most likely starting at the point guard spot, keep an eye on the turnover differential.

Old Faces Go, New Faces Arrive:

The Hokies have big shoes to fill as five players left the program. Taja Cole, Lydia Rivers and Kendyl Brooks all graduated, while Trinity Baptiste and Dara Mabrey transferred out of the program. Cole’s hole to fill is the biggest as she led the team in assists, steals and minutes, while Rivers was the leader in rebounds. Mabrey, on the other hand, started all 30 games, was second on the team in three-pointers made and third in scoring.

Even with the loss of five players who all contributed, the Hokies make up for it in both freshmen and transfers coming into the program. Tech welcomes in a whopping four freshmen and four transfers, along with two new assistant coaches.

The freshman who might make the biggest impact is Georgia Amoore, who comes from Ballarat, Victoria, Australia, and has the potential to start at point guard to fill in for Taja Cole. The transfer who could make the biggest impact is Asiah Jones, who transferred from USC, and will finally be able to play this season after sitting out last year due to NCAA eligibility rules. Jones will make an immediate impact and may start if the Hokies choose to go big and start both her and Kitley in the same lineup.

On Closing Out Games:

Coach Brooks knows last season, as with any, could’ve seen more wins on the board, particularly losing four games by five points or less. Win those, and the Hokies would’ve reached 25 wins, a mark which has been achieved only one time in program history - back in 1998-99.

This year, experience from those games for the returners should put them in positions to win close games, specifically through Kitley and Sheppard.

An improved defensive ability will also benefit Tech’s ability to close out games in 2020-21. In the Duke and Syracuse games last year, Virginia Tech’s defense lacked in the waning minutes of each game, and a couple of final stops could have seen different results.

With the addition of transfer Asiah Jones in the paint alongside Kitley, the Hokies will have better matchups with teams down the stretch. Tech will have the option of going both taller and longer with Kitley and Jones on the court or going smaller with someone like Taylor Geiman playing the four.

X-Factor:

Outside of the incredible duo of Aisha Sheppard and Elizabeth Kitley, the direction the Hokies season will go depends highly on how freshman point guard, and our projected starter Georgia Amoore, will handle the reigns as a rookie. Taja Cole’s absence will be one of the biggest holes to fill both from a leadership and a basketball standpoint, but with Amoore’s basketball background in Australia, including a bronze at the U-18 World Cup in 2018, and a senior leader like Sheppard to guide her along the way, Amoore could have the potential to have an outstanding first season. There may be some bumps along the way in the first couple of non-conference games or first ACC games of the season, but by the end of 2020 and into 2021, look for Amoore to blossom into her role.

Projected Starters:

PG: Georgia Amoore

SG: Aisha Sheppard

F/G: Cayla King

F: Asiah Jones

C: Elizabeth Kitley

An Under the Radar Player to Watch:

One of the more under the radar players to look out for this season pending her eligibility is Azana Baines. The 6’1’’ guard transferred from Duke to the Hokies after her freshman year, where she played in 29 games and averaged a steady 4.8 points and 3.2 rebounds. One of the top recruits out of high school, Baines would add a critical dribble-drive component to the Hokies offense, and would be able to take almost anyone in iso-situations. The NCAA is yet to give Baines the green light for this season, but if given eligibility, Baines would make an immediate impact as a versatile wing and contend for a starting spot.

Topher Wagner:

Last year, the Virginia Tech Hokies were one of the great surprises coming out of the ACC. Kenny Brooks’ squad finished the season with a 21-9 record and 11-7 in the conference.

Despite these stellar results, the Hokies season ended in heartbreak as a surefire bid to the NCAA Tournament never came, when March Madness was cancelled due to the COVID-19 pandemic after the regular season ended. At the time, it was devastating news for a team that was looking to go to its first NCAA Tournament since 2006 and had just set a school record with 11 ACC wins in a season.

Now, after an offseason that has felt like an eternity, the Hokies are back and more motivated than ever to build on what they started last year. Even with the departure of several key players from last year’s team, leaders like Aisha Sheppard coming off a first team All-ACC selection last year and Elizabeth Kitley the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year have given Virginia Tech a lot to be excited about.

For a team that’s more experienced this year, there’s no reason to doubt that they cannot replicate similar results as last season. Already gaining some top 25 preseason buzz and the emergence of some new young players, there’s a good chance the Hokies feel that they can make a run at the ACC title this time around.

Part of what made the Hokies so good last year was a balance on the offensive side of the ball. While Sheppard set a school record for three-pointers last season and perimeter specialist Cayla King returns, Brooks and his staff also made sure that add depth was a top priority and added some young pieces in freshmen Shamarla King and Shelby Calhoun.

With more shooters on the outside, Brooks is also optimistic about the Hokies postgame. Kitley continued to get better as last season went on and could become one of the best bigs in the ACC this season if she approaches double-double numbers which is a real possibility. In terms of possible weaknesses, there aren’t many glaring holes in the Hokies lineup. The one big area of need will be at the point guard position as ACC assists leader Taja Cole departed in the offseason. However, with the addition of Da’Ja Green, a graduate transfer from Wofford, Brooks feels that the team’s point guard position will be just fine.

While the Hokies had some tight heartbreaking losses last season particularly in some well fought ACC contests, the team should be in a better position to close out games more consistently this year. Sheppard will be counted on late in games this season. The budding star is turning into a serious force to be reckoned with in the ACC and with another step forward this season, she can cement herself as one of the bright young players in the country.

While the losses of Cole and ACC sixth player of the year Trinity Baptiste certainly loom large, the Hokies feel that they are equipped to deal with these departures with an infusion of depth from transfer players and highly touted freshmen players. Shamarla King looks to make an immediate impact as a top 100 ranked freshman recruit, while the addition of Azana Baines, a transfer from Duke would also be a huge addition if her NCAA waiver is granted.

Despite these new players, the top X factor to watch this year will probably be Green. She will be required to fill the large shoes that Cole is leaving at the point guard position this season. Green proved herself at Wofford, earning three All Southern Conference selections and averaging nearly five assists per game last year.

While Green will likely start, another player to watch as the season goes on will be Georgia Amoore. Also a point guard, Amoore enrolled at Virginia Tech this past spring and played a role on the Hokies scout team. An international player, previously on the Australian National Team, Amoore is still learning the nuances of the American game. However, Brooks and the rest of the coaching staff have spoken very highly of her so far and with continued experience in the system, she will likely have a large role as the season wears on, providing needed talent and athleticism at a position of need.

This dynamic Hokies team is coming off of one of its best seasons in recent memory, but unlike most successful squads, are only focused on the task at hand. The chance for a possible March Madness berth after they felt it was unfairly taken from them last year is the only motivation they need to make a serious run in the ACC this year. With talent all across the roster and players scouted from quite literally around the world, the phrase “why not us” has never quite encompassed a team more than this one.

Projected Record: 23-7 overall, 13-5 ACC