Virginia Tech Hokies
ACC (24-8, 12-6)
Virginia Tech started the 2018-2019 campaign with a 14-1 record. There were not many big wins during that stretch though and the loss came against Penn State. ACC play saw the Hokies remain pretty strong and consistent. The Hokies struggled against the top teams in the conference, especially on the road, but did more than enough to put themselves in a good position to make a nice NCAA Tournament run.
Big Wins: 11/18 vs Purdue (89-83), 12/15 vs Washington (73-61), 2/26 Duke (77-72)
Bad Losses: 11/27 at Penn State (62-63), 2/4 Louisville (64-72), 2/9 at Clemson (51-59)
Coach: Buzz Williams
Why They Can Surprise:
Any team can make a nice NCAA Tournament run when they are knocking down three-pointers. That bodes well for the Hokies, who are one of the most prolific and efficient outside shooting teams in the country. Guards Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Ahmed Hill, Ty Outlaw and Justin Robinson are all proven shooters. Alexander-Walker, a 6-5 sophomore, leads the team with 16.6 points per game and connects on 38.1 percent of his attempts from beyond the arc. That may seem like a good shooting percentage, but the rest of the backcourt is just as good.
Why They Can Disappoint:
When Justin Robinson suffered a toe injury in late January, Virginia Tech took a step back. The point guard was not only a big time scoring threat, but he was also dishing out a team high 5.4 assists per game at the time of the injury. The Hokies struggled to replace him with Wabissa Bede and Nickeil Alexander-Walker taking over a bulk of the ball handling duties. Those two grew into that role relatively well, but Coach Buzz Williams’ team certainly missed Robinson’s ability to create offense. Robinson may return for the NCAA Tournament, but how effective he will be remains to be seen.
Probable Starters:
Wabissa Bede, Sophomore, Guard, 3.6 ppg, 2.5 apg
Nickeil Alexander-Walker, Sophomore, Guard, 16.6 ppg, 4.1 rpg, 4.0 apg
Ahmed Hill, Senior, Guard, 13.1 ppg, 3.9 rpg
Ty Outlaw, Senior, Guard, 8.7 ppg, 5.2 rpg
Kerry Blackshear, Junior, Forward, 14.7 ppg, 7.4 rpg
Key Role Players:
P.J. Horne, Sophomore, Forward, 3.7 ppg, 2.5 rpg
Isaiah Wilkins, Freshman, Guard, 5.0 ppg
Justin Robinson, Senior, Guard, 13.7 ppg, 5.2 apg
By the Numbers:
Scoring Offense: 74.5 (127th in nation, 6th in conference)
Scoring Defense: 62.2 (12, 2)
Field-Goal Percentage: 47.6 (35, 2)
Field-Goal Defense: 40.9 (38, 8)
Three-Point Field Goals Per Game: 9.7 (27, 1)
Three-Point Field-Goal Percentage: 39.8 (27, 1)
Free-Throw Percentage: 76.2 (19, 2)
Rebound Margin: 3.1 (85, 9)
Assists Per Game: 15.4 (44, 4)
Turnovers Per Game: 11.5 (50, 3)
Recent Postseason Appearances:
| 2018 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Alabama |
| 2017 | NCAA | Round of 64 loss to Wisconsin |
| 2016 | NIT | First Round win over Princeton |
| 2016 | NIT | Second Round loss to BYU |
| 2011 | NIT | First Round win over Bethune-Cookman |
| 2011 | NIT | Second Round loss to Wichita State |
| 2010 | NIT | First Round win over Quinnipiac |
| 2010 | NIT | Second Round win over Connecticut |
| 2010 | NIT | Quarterfinal loss to Rhode Island |
| 2009 | NIT | First Round win over Duquesne |
| 2009 | NIT | Second Round loss to Baylor |
| 2008 | NIT | First Round win over Morgan State |
| 2008 | NIT | Second Round win over UAB |
| 2008 | NIT | Quarterfinal loss to Mississippi |
| 2007 | NCAA | Round of 64 win over Illinois |
| 2007 | NCAA | Round of 32 loss to Southern Illinois |
*all team stats through 3/10
