Season Preview: #10 Virginia Tech

Games against 2012 NCAA Tournament teams: 10

Games against ACC top 4: 6

Games against ACC bottom 4: 5

Best non-conference game: 12/8 at West Virginia


Projected Starting Five:

F - Cadarian Raines (Junior)

F - C.J. Barksdale (Sophomore)

F - Jarell Eddie (Junior)

G - Robert Brown (Sophomore)

G - Erick Green (Senior)


The only first-year coach in the ACC resides in Blacksburg.  And it's anyone's guess how James Johnson will do as coach.  This is his first head coaching job, as most people know.  So what does he inherit?  A team that has talented players, including a potential ACC first teamer in Erick Green.  But a team with not many bodies.  The biggest blow in the offseason was the transfer of Dorian Finney-Smith.  Finney-Smith didn't have the biggest freshman year, with a prolonged shooting slump in the middle of the season.  But he was a great talent with a big upside.  The Hokies also saw prized recruit Montrezl Harrell de-commit and go to Louisville, which certainly was tough.

Who returns?  Green is a very steady presence, with a long streak last year of games in double digits.  When no one else is making shots, he will.  Cadarian Raines really came on at the end of last year, and is primed to have a big season.  The lone freshman is Marshall Wood.  I saw Wood play in high school last year: he can light up the scoreboard and if he puts on some weight can be a very effective power forward.

The Hokies have a pretty challenging schedule for a first year coach to navigate through.  They don't have any particularly hard games in their first five.  But they have road games at West Virginia and BYU, and a home game with potential NCAA team Oklahoma State.  The conference schedule is definitely backloaded, with the last six including two games against Duke, one against Florida State and one against Miami.

What can we expect from the Hokies this year?  It's hard to say.  They have a starting five that is probably the most talented of the bottom six schools in the ACC.  But they have no depth at all, and the Hokies have a history of significant injuries.  One big injury and the season could be a disaster.  I think if the team buys in to what Coach Johnson is selling, they could push for an NIT bid.  But somewhere around a 10th place finish is the most likely spot.