Finney-Smith Down to 3, Sets Announcement August 22, 2010 Highly regarded forward Dorian Finney-Smith will announce his college choice on September 28, at a 1 p.m. press conference at Norcom High School (Portsmouth, VA). Before he does this, though, he will make official visits to his three finalists. more
Brown To Join Rankin, Barksdale at HMA July 30, 2010 If you're looking for a preview of the future as far as Virginia Tech's men's basketball program is concerned, be sure to check out head coach Kevin Keatts' Hargrave Military Academy (VA) in 2010/2011. Hokie commits C.J. Barksdale and Marquis Rankin confirmed in June that they would attend HMA and, earlier this week, shooting guard Robert Brown confirmed that he would be doing the same. more
VT Basketball Recruiting Notes June 24, 2010 2010 signee Tyrone Garland has made the grade. 2013 guard Rodney Purvis earned an offer from the Hokies after impressing at last Sunday's Elite Camp. Hargrave head coach Kevin Keatts discusses Tech 2011 commitments C.J. Barksdale and Marquis Rankin. Read up on this and more in this edition of "Notes." more
NBAPA Top 100 Report: Dai-Jon Parker June 22, 2010 In seeing Dai-Jon Parker live in action for the first time last week during the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, I was initially struck by how fluid and athletic he is. The 6-3, 185-pound Milton (Alpharetta, GA) rising senior guard should be a tough match-up for opposing guards - point guard or shooting guard - on the next level. more
Catching Up With 4-Star CJ Barksdale June 17, 2010 At last year's NBPA Top 100 Camp, C.J. Barksdale had just finished his sophomore year at George Washington High School (Danville, VA) and was considering a number of schools for his college future. A year later, the 6-7, 220-pound forward is now a rising senior and eyeing a future at Virginia Tech. He's also preparing for his senior year, which will not be at GW-Danville. more
Finney-Smith Narrows List, Makes Visit June 14, 2010 I.C. Norcom (Portsmouth, VA) small forward Dorian Finney-Smith, one of the top 2011 class prospects in the state, recently narrowed his list to Florida, Maryland, Old Dominion, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. The 6-7, 192-pound prospect visited one of his favorites last week and will be able to check out another this week. more
NC Forward Now Open May 26, 2010 2011 forward Bernard Sullivan was a heavy lean to Clemson before Oliver Purnell left for DePaul this spring. The 6-8, 215-pound North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) standout, who eyes a big AAU season with Team Charlotte, now has no clear favorite. more
Hokies Strengthen In-State Recruiting Foundation May 25, 2010 If newspaper reports are accurate, Virginia Tech is expected to announce the hiring of John Richardson as a new assistant men's basketball coach sometime soon. Richardson has a long history of basketball in the state of Virginia, and he is a very good hire from a recruiting perspective. more
Top Basketball Games of the Decade: #1through #5 May 21, 2010 ACC basketball is always gut wrenching. Today, we bring you five more games that went down to the wire. These are also our top five basketball games of the last decade for Virginia Tech. more
The Latest On PG Ty Garland May 20, 2010 Virginia Tech point guard recruit Ty Garland has less than a month to go before he graduates from John Bartram High in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His primary focus right now is finishing out strong in the classroom to be able to get to Blacksburg this summer. Right now, he is confident in the job he's doing. more
Top Basketball Games of the Decade: #6 through #10 May 18, 2010 Chances are, you have a pretty good memory of most of the games we'll cover today. If not the actual games themselves, then at least something from each game stood out to you. Today we've got some Deron Washington highlights, a road win against UVA, as well as arguably the best atmosphere of the decade in Cassell Coliseum. Those moments highlight games #6 through #10. more
Top Basketball Games of the Decade: #11 through #15 May 14, 2010 There have been a lot more great basketball games than great football games over the last decade. That's partly because there have been more basketball games in general, and partly because ACC basketball games are generally very close. Some very close games, including plenty that came down to the final possession, did not make this list. more
Hokies Will Have Experience and Talent Next Year April 8, 2010 Assuming Malcolm Delaney does not hire an agent and he returns to Virginia Tech next season, the Hokies will bring back almost their entire team intact. In that scenario, Tech would return all five starters, 98.5% of their points scored and 96.3% of their minutes played. They would be the oldest and most experienced team in the ACC. more
Top Junior PG Commits To Virginia Tech April 2, 2010 Virginia Tech has added another touted recruit to its 2011 men's basketball recruiting class. Vance (Charlotte, N.C.) point guard Marquis Rankin, a Scout.com and Rivals.com 4-star prospect, called Tech head coach Seth Greenberg yesterday and committed, becoming the third high school rising senior to commit to the Hokies. more
Carolina Challenge: Sullivan Names Top 5 April 2, 2010 North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) forward Bernard Sullivan named a top five this past Saturday and the list includes three ACC schools and two Big East schools. The 6-8 junior has been offered by four of the five favorites. more
Carolina Challenge: VT Has Offered 2012 PG April 1, 2010 5-10, 165-pound sophomore point guard Tyler Lewis (Forsyth Country Day in Lewisville, N.C.) put on a show at Dave Telep's Carolina Challenge, incuding a 13-assist performance in his team's opener. The performance comes as no surprise, as this past season he averaged nine assists (and 21 points) per game in leading Forsyth to a North Carolina Independent Schools state semifinal appearance. more
Carolina Challenge: VT Eyeing Kimbro March 31, 2010 6-4, 185-pound shooting guard/wing forward Tony Kimbro averaged 13.5 points, five rebounds and two steals per game this past season for NCISAA state champ Christ School (Arden, N.C.). Kimbro, a junior who has caught the attention of Virginia Tech and other major Division 1 programs, showed off a nice 3-point shot while averaging 18.3 points per game at the Carolina Challenge. more
Hokies Look Ahead to Promising 2010-11 Season March 31, 2010 With the NIT winding down, the Final Four set to start this weekend, and spring football practice beginning today, it's time to put the final touches on our coverage of Virginia Tech's 2009-10 basketball season. This is a look ahead to next year, one of the most highly-anticipated basketball seasons in Virginia Tech history, as the Hokies return all their starters and gun for an NCAA tournament invitation. more
Carolina Challenge: VT High On Williams March 31, 2010 West Mecklenburg (Charlotte, N.C.) star Terrence Williams exploded for 19 points in his first game at last Saturday's Challenge. The 6-4 junior didn't quite regain the form in games two and three, but on the day he showed an impressive shooting stroke, quickness and athleticism. more
Carolina Challenge Update: PG Marquis Rankin March 30, 2010 TechSideline.com was in Cary, North Carolina, last Saturday for Dave Telep's Carolina Challenge. A number of Virginia Tech targets were on hand for the event, including 4-star point guard Marquis Rankin, a junior out of Vance High School in Charlotte. The 6-0, 170-pound prospect was happy to be there along with 79 other top players from the Tar Heel state. more
Season a Success March 29, 2010 This season ended the same as the last two, with a trip to the wrong side of the NCAA bubble and a home loss in the NIT. But the similarities between the 2009-10 Hokies and previous editions end there. This year's Hokies bought into Seth Greenberg's vision, accepted their roles, had better team chemistry, and, oh yes ... won a lot of games. more
Garland Finishes Career With Over 2,000 Points March 25, 2010 Ty Garland played most of his varsity high school basketball career at point guard, the position he held as a freshman and sophomore and for part of his junior season. The 6-1, 165-pound senior, a Virginia Tech recruit, was a full-time 2 this season and played well, averaging about 25 points per game while leading Bartram to a 19-10 overall record and a Public AAAA league title. Garland produced no matter where he lined up in head coach James Brown's backcourt, finishing his high school career with 2,198 points. more
Hokies Stop Just Short of New York March 25, 2010 With 14:26 remaining in the game last night, J.T. Thompson stole the ball at midcourt. He slashed in front of a pass, knocked it towards the Hokie basket, and ran after it. Virginia Tech was leading 60-48 and was torching the nets, and as Thompson pursued the loose ball, a trip to New York was all but a done deal. more
Home Loss to Rhode Island Ends Tech's Season March 25, 2010 Blacksburg, VA - Virginia Tech's season came to an end on Monday night with a 79-72 loss to Rhode Island in Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT for the second time in three years, and finished the year with a 25-9 record. The Rams improved to 26-9, and they will advance to Madison Square Garden to play North Carolina. more
Basketball Game Preview: Rhode Island at Virginia Tech March 24, 2010 Presented by Kent Square Condominiums: #1 seed Virginia Tech will face #2 seed Rhode Island, a tough team out of the Atlantic 10, on Wednesday night for the right to go to Madison Square Garden. The Rams and Hokies have not met since 2001, and the winner of this matchup will face the North Carolina Tar Heels in the NIT semifinals on March 30th. more
Highly regarded forward Dorian Finney-Smith will announce his college choice on September 28, at a 1 p.m. press conference at Norcom High School (Portsmouth, VA). Before he does this, though, he will make official visits to his three finalists.
2010 signee Tyrone Garland has made the grade. 2013 guard Rodney Purvis earned an offer from the Hokies after impressing at last Sunday's Elite Camp. Hargrave head coach Kevin Keatts discusses Tech 2011 commitments C.J. Barksdale and Marquis Rankin. Read up on this and more in this edition of "Notes."
In seeing Dai-Jon Parker live in action for the first time last week during the NBAPA Top 100 Camp, I was initially struck by how fluid and athletic he is. The 6-3, 185-pound Milton (Alpharetta, GA) rising senior guard should be a tough match-up for opposing guards - point guard or shooting guard - on the next level.
At last year's NBPA Top 100 Camp, C.J. Barksdale had just finished his sophomore year at George Washington High School (Danville, VA) and was considering a number of schools for his college future. A year later, the 6-7, 220-pound forward is now a rising senior and eyeing a future at Virginia Tech. He's also preparing for his senior year, which will not be at GW-Danville.
2011 forward Bernard Sullivan was a heavy lean to Clemson before Oliver Purnell left for DePaul this spring. The 6-8, 215-pound North Mecklenburg (Huntersville, N.C.) standout, who eyes a big AAU season with Team Charlotte, now has no clear favorite.
Assuming Malcolm Delaney does not hire an agent and he returns to Virginia Tech next season, the Hokies will bring back almost their entire team intact. In that scenario, Tech would return all five starters, 98.5% of their points scored and 96.3% of their minutes played. They would be the oldest and most experienced team in the ACC.
Virginia Tech has added another touted recruit to its 2011 men's basketball recruiting class. Vance (Charlotte, N.C.) point guard Marquis Rankin, a Scout.com and Rivals.com 4-star prospect, called Tech head coach Seth Greenberg yesterday and committed, becoming the third high school rising senior to commit to the Hokies.
5-10, 165-pound sophomore point guard Tyler Lewis (Forsyth Country Day in Lewisville, N.C.) put on a show at Dave Telep's Carolina Challenge, incuding a 13-assist performance in his team's opener. The performance comes as no surprise, as this past season he averaged nine assists (and 21 points) per game in leading Forsyth to a North Carolina Independent Schools state semifinal appearance.
6-4, 185-pound shooting guard/wing forward Tony Kimbro averaged 13.5 points, five rebounds and two steals per game this past season for NCISAA state champ Christ School (Arden, N.C.). Kimbro, a junior who has caught the attention of Virginia Tech and other major Division 1 programs, showed off a nice 3-point shot while averaging 18.3 points per game at the Carolina Challenge.
With the NIT winding down, the Final Four set to start this weekend, and spring football practice beginning today, it's time to put the final touches on our coverage of Virginia Tech's 2009-10 basketball season. This is a look ahead to next year, one of the most highly-anticipated basketball seasons in Virginia Tech history, as the Hokies return all their starters and gun for an NCAA tournament invitation.
West Mecklenburg (Charlotte, N.C.) star Terrence Williams exploded for 19 points in his first game at last Saturday's Challenge. The 6-4 junior didn't quite regain the form in games two and three, but on the day he showed an impressive shooting stroke, quickness and athleticism.
This season ended the same as the last two, with a trip to the wrong side of the NCAA bubble and a home loss in the NIT. But the similarities between the 2009-10 Hokies and previous editions end there. This year's Hokies bought into Seth Greenberg's vision, accepted their roles, had better team chemistry, and, oh yes ... won a lot of games.
With 14:26 remaining in the game last night, J.T. Thompson stole the ball at midcourt. He slashed in front of a pass, knocked it towards the Hokie basket, and ran after it. Virginia Tech was leading 60-48 and was torching the nets, and as Thompson pursued the loose ball, a trip to New York was all but a done deal.
Blacksburg, VA - Virginia Tech's season came to an end on Monday night with a 79-72 loss to Rhode Island in Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies advanced to the quarterfinals of the NIT for the second time in three years, and finished the year with a 25-9 record. The Rams improved to 26-9, and they will advance to Madison Square Garden to play North Carolina.
