News and Notes: Q&A about Virginia Tech

I did a  Q&A exchange with a writer from Virginia Tech this past week (he answered my questions for my readers about Va, Tech and I answered his for his readers about Pitt).

His name is Pierce Booher and he covers the Hokies for The Key Play ( http://www.thekeyplay.com/virginia-tech-basketball/2015/01/8570/virginia-tech-basketball-pittsburgh-preview-qa.   ) and his thoughts about the Hokies and this matchup with Pitt are at the bottom of this entry. Pitt obviously plays Virginia Tech Tuesday night and there is a lot of good info in there so give it a read.

But first, let me get to some news and notes wrapping up the Louisville game.

This one - Louisville 80, Pitt 68 - was pretty simple: Louisville was better at just about every position on the floor, the Cardinals are bigger, they are more athletic and the Panthers didn’t shoot well enough to pull off the upset. And of course, Louisville had a really good day shooting but we will get to that in the notes section.

Pitt missed this opportunity for a big win at home but the Panthers have another one coming up Saturday when they play host to Notre Dame. So let’s get to some news and notes:

** Louisville shot 65.2 percent from the floor and 50 percent from the 3-point line. This from a team that has struggled to shoot for the entire season. But the Cardinals did a couple of good things to that end - (A) they got into the lane and created open shots or layups and (B) they didn’t force bad shots. It is amazing how much a shooting percentage can improve when a team takes good shots. And just for the record - that shooting percentage (65.2) is the highest against a Jamie Dixon team and the highest by an opponent at the Petersen Center. 

** Louisville is now 4-1 at the Petersen Center. Rick Pitino was asked why he thinks the Cardinals have had so much success at the Petersen Center. I liked that he was actually honest in his answer. He said that the other wins were hard fought battles between good teams but this was different because “This (Pitt) team is not as good as other Pitt teams, so they are going to lose a few (games)” -- he said next year they will be back but this year the team is young. He was very complimentary but he was honest - he has a better team than Pitt this year so it isn’t a shock that the Cardinals beat them, even at the The Pete.

** Dixon was very down after this game, he is trying to squeeze every ounce of talent out of this team but at the end of the day, they just aren’t quite big enough or athletic enough and don’t shoot it well enough to win consistently in a league like the ACC. I think Pitt will win one or two of these games against top teams but I’m not sure how many more. The Panthers just are not going to be able to match up with many teams and if they don’t have a big day shooting - which they haven’t had many - they will really have a hard time overcoming some of their shortcomings.

** Jamel Artis has continued his hot streak as he scored 18 again - that is 72 in the last four games. This is a good development for the Panthers because it looks like he has settled into the role as the team’s top scoring option.Unfortunately he couldn’t overcome the Cardinals guards, who combined to score 43 (26 by Terry Rozier). 

** Jamie Dixon was once 20-9 versus Top 10 opponents. He is now 22-18 against Top 10 teams which means he is just 2-9 in his last 11 of those games (including Sunday).

Here is the Q&A about Virginia Tech....

Zeise: How has Buzz Williams changed the program (tangible differences and some intangible differences)?

Booher: Pitt fans should be well aware of the energy and toughness that Buzz Williams-coached teams bring to each and every game. Shoot, Pitt fans should be well aware of the energy Buzz, himself, brings to each game.

Rick Pitino summed it up well when he said, “Virginia Tech is Marquette. Our fans should be very familiar with Virginia Tech because they're exactly like Marquette. He's still coaching his team the same way and they're still very tough to go up against." It’s not to say that the Hokies were going-through-the-motions under former head coach James Johnson, but it became evident towards the tail end of last season that his approach was failing to resonate with the players.

Buzz came in and immediately began creating an identity for this program, something Hokie basketball teams had been sorely missing. It has been a breath of fresh air for a program that had fallen on hard times after a brief period of success during Seth Greenberg’s tenure. Buzz’s tenacious, blue collar, grind-it-out approach is not too different from that of the Virginia Tech football program, making him a natural fit with the Virginia Tech community.

What you will see Tuesday is a team that plays hard from the opening tip to the final whistle; an offense that emphasizes “paint touches” to create chances; and a young, but talented, team trying to figure out how all of the parts fit together. At a minimum, you will see arguably the most animated and energetic coach in the country. Chances are Buzz will sweat through his first dress shirt by the 12 minute media timeout.

Zeise: Buzz obviously inherited a bad program with a lot of young players. Is this going to be a process of rebuilding that takes a few years or are the pieces in place for a quicker turnaround?

Booher: We like to casually toss around the phrase “dumpster fire” to characterize the state of the program when James Johnson took over after the unceremonious exit of Seth Greenberg 3 years ago. Fair or unfair, the program had experienced a dramatic decline after a series of successful seasons (by Tech’s standards) and highly-rated recruiting classes. To put recent pain and suffering in perspective, Montrezl Harrell was a Hokie commit until Greenberg was fired.

Attrition was swift following Buzz’s hiring, and the turnover has proven to be very much in progress following the announcement last Thursday that starting center Joey Van Zegeren was leaving the program. Buzz has been able to lure top-ranked high school and JUCO talent to Blacksburg, and many of those players have shown an immense amount of promise. James Johnson recruits Justin Bibbs and Jalen Hudson have been fantastic additions, as have former Marquette commits Ahmed Hill and Satchel Pierce. Though offensively limited, JUCO transfer Shane Henry is probably the strongest embodiment of what Buzz is looking for in this team, displaying a scrappy and hard nosed attitude while on the floor. With that being said, the current team is incredibly height-deficient and mostly comprised of wing players. While the team was able to find success against smaller mid-major teams, the Hokies have struggled mightily against taller ACC-foes.

This season has been challenging for the Hokie faithful. Thankfully, most Hokie fans understood that the reconstruction of the men’s basketball program was not going to take place overnight. The fanbase is all-in on the culture Buzz Williams is establishing within the program, and there is an immense amount of hope that it will pay major dividends in the next few years.

Zeise: Was hiring Buzz a sign that Virginia Tech is changing its attitude towards the basketball program and making more of a commitment to it?

Booher: Absolutely. Over the last 20 years, Virginia Tech has established itself as having a nationally-recognized football program under Coach Frank Beamer. Short of a few years in the mid-2000’s, the men’s basketball program has struggled to gain a foothold in the ACC, let alone the nation. Prior to Buzz’s hiring, the basketball program’s sub-standard operating budget meant that coaching vacancies were traditionally limited to up-and-comers from mid-major schools.

The hiring of Buzz Williams came shortly after former Cincinnati Athletic Director Whit Babcock took over at VT from longtime AD Jim Weaver. It signaled a major shift that the University was not only making a commitment to the basketball program, but also looking to position itself as an elite athletic department.

In just a short time, Whit has proven to be a visionary leader. Coming from a school like Cincinnati, he recognized the importance of strong revenue-generating sports and the prospective impact on the rest of the department. By luring a successful coach away from an established program in a strong conference, Whit has demonstrated to the country that Virginia Tech can (and hopefully will) be a premier basketball program.

Zeise: Local kid Devin Wilson looks like he is having a very solid season, how has he grown as a player and what does he mean to the success of this team?

Booher: This is where stat lines can be a bit deceiving. Two-thirds of the way through the season, Devin Wilson has been a bit of an enigma. Coming off of a strong freshman campaign running point for a disjointed squad, expectations were high for Wilson in Year 2. Widely considered the de facto leader of the team heading into this season, Wilson has struggled to match his first year performance. During the non-conference slate, Devin had a number of strong games at the point; however, he never really established himself as a key cog and would seemingly disappear for stretches despite being the primary ball-handler.

Since the start of ACC play, teams have exploited Wilson’s tendency to pass up wide open mid- and long-range jumpers. To make matters worse, he has attacked the rim less and less, and teams are no longer respecting the pick-and-roll that was so successful early in the year. I don’t want to underestimate what he brings to the table – he is a good player that does a lot of things well – but he hasn’t shown the growth many expected this year. As the season has worn on, some have begun to openly wonder whether he is a good fit for Buzz’s system.

The truth is that he is the team’s best facilitator right now, and his “true assists” stat line is substantially stronger than his 4.26 APG indicates. Where many would like to see him improve is recognizing when to attack the rim and when to pull the trigger. He showed last year that he is a capable distance shooter, but for one reason or another he looks very tenuous when he finds himself with space to shoot.

This team is a bit rudderless at the moment, and I think that Devin is well positioned to step up and lead this team. If he can find his voice and rediscover the confidence he displayed earlier in his career, I believe that he can establish himself as the long term solution up top for this team.

Zeise: What do the Hokies do well, what are their strengths?

Booher: The one facet of the game where the Hokies have proven to be dangerous is from behind the arc. Heading into Sunday's game against Virginia, the team was shooting 39.9% from three, good for 2nd in the ACC and 18th in the nation. Despite their struggles against taller and more talented teams, the Hokies have been able to stay in games because of their ability to score from distance. What makes them even more dangerous is the number of capable three-point shooters. Justin Bibbs (47%), Adam Smith (43%), Will Johnston (42%) and Ahmed Hill (35%) are always threats.

Because of their much discussed height disadvantage, the Hokies have been forced to generate high percentage chances off the dribble. While Adam Smith has developed a strong (albeit inconsistent) pull-up game, guys like Bibbs, Hill and Jalen Hudson are phenomenal finishers in traffic and after contact.

Sounds like a menacing combination of guards, right? Sure, but where the team often leaves points on the floor is at the free-throw line. In an effort to even the proverbial playing field versus taller foes, the Hokies have looked to drive hard to the basket to create backside opportunities or draw fouls. Devin Wilson is the Hokies' leading free throw shooter at 72% (minimum 10 opportunities), and there are only 5 players on the roster shooting over 65% from the stripe. As a team, the Hokies are shooting a paltry 60% from the line; when you consider that 5 of their 11 losses were by 3 points or less - including a 50-47 loss to #2 UVa - the tone might have been slightly different in Blacksburg today.

Defensively, the Hokies are a prototypical Buzz Williams team. They play with a lot of energy and have extremely active hands, which causes a lot disruption and the occasional steal. Freshman Jalen Hudson is arguably the strongest on-ball defender and is typically deployed to shut down the opposition's strongest guard. Despite giving up a number of inches to opposing post players, Shane Henry has shined in the paint for the Hokies. He plays hard in the post, displays an innate ability to read the ball off the rim and is a talented shot blocker.

Against a similarly-sized Pitt team, I wouldn't be surprised to see the Hokies try and use 7-foot freshman Satchel Pierce a bit more than usual. Though his game is very much a work in progress, he has shown some nifty post moves and a soft touch near the rim. In the end, the Hokies go as Adam Smith and Justin Bibbs go. The team's two leading scorers have the ability to score in bunches and are threats from all over floor. Devin Wilson has been more aggressive of late, and I wouldn't be surprised to see him try and make a statement against a hometown school.

Zeise: How has Williams handled losing games (looks like they could enter Tuesday on a 7 day losing streak?

Booher: Like most of the fan base, Buzz has been pretty open about the growing pains associated with reconstructing a basketball program. The aforementioned attrition, paired with laying the necessary foundation for sustained success has made for a tough first year. With that being said, Buzz continues to expect maximum effort each and every game. He takes losses as hard as any coach, but he seems very aware of the big picture.

I think he is constantly seeking excellence from his guys while maintaining perspective throughout. Each game - win or lose – is full of teaching moments. As cliché as it sounds, he appears to be constantly striving to help each of his players become better people; better students; and better basketball players, in that order.