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The Hokie Hotline (football and basketball season)
When: Every Monday from 7:00-9:00 during football season, 7:00-8:00 during basketball season.
Where: Click here for a list of radio stations, and to find the link for listening to the show on the Internet (look to the right on the hokiesports.com page that loads when you click the link). You can also watch the archive on hokietv.com.
Jim Weaver
- Regarding Tech’s 7:00 start against Southern Mississippi and the fact that
it shortens Tech’s recovery and prep time for Clemson five days later,
Weaver said he would never decline ESPN’s request to move a kickoff time
for television. That would be a disservice to the ACC and ESPN. Any
television exposure is good exposure. Thursday night ESPN games have been
great for Virginia Tech. - The Hokies will play three straight games at night on one of the ESPN
networks. It’s a great chance to get the season heading in the right
direction. Tom O’Brien has taken BC to six straight bowls, and runs a very
good program. It would be a big win for Virginia Tech. - Weaver dismissed thoughts that Duke should no longer compete in the ACC
for football. If that’s what the university wanted to do, he would support
them. But as of now, he isn’t sure if that rumor has any legs. - There is no scalping law in the Commonwealth of Virginia. People are
allowed to sell their Hokie tickets for more than face value. - Last year the ACC put so many players in the NFL, that it would have been
very tough to come back this year with a repeat performance with so many
good teams. It all runs in cycles. - Seth Greenberg perhaps did his best coaching job last season, with all the
injuries and off the court problems. Weaver said he was very proud of last
year’s basketball team. - Weaver recommends that people going to the game from the West parking lots
to the East stands need to enter the stadium at Gate 8, which is directly
behind the East stands. That will help make the crowd entering at the
northeast corner (at Gate 7, where the students enter) a lot smaller.
Seth Greenberg
- Right now the coaches are allowed a certain time per week with their
players. The Tech coaches have saved that time and will start practice on
Thursday. - In Seth’s first three years, they had a total of three seniors. On this
year’s team alone, they will have five. That will pay major dividends. - Just like anyone else in the ACC, they can be very good. Any coach in the
ACC will say right now that they have a chance to be very good. The guard
play will be excellent. They will be most improved at small forward. A.D.
Vassallo and Deron Washington have been very good in the preseason. - Post players: Coleman Collins needs to get better in defensive rebounding
and defending the post. He wants to play in the NBA, and he needs to
practice like it. Robert Krabbendam is up to 246. Cheick Diakite has to set
expectations for himself. He has some tools. This team is talented, and they
are excited to get in the gym and get to work. - The “Takeover”, Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon and Coleman Collins, has
done a lot to change the culture of Virginia Tech basketball. Now they have
a chance to take it to another level. They can be very good. - The team must take advantage of every day. They must do what they can do
every day to make themselves better. They must develop into a consistent
program. They have to prepare, play and practice the same every day. - Shawn Harris is trying out for an ABA team. Allen Calloway is doing
better. His weight is staying consistent. He is finishing up some paperwork
so he can officially graduate. He is a walking miracle after two major
surgeries in six months. - Nigel Munson will be fun to watch. He is a point guard. He sees the floor
well, he is quick and very unselfish. Guys like playing with him. He puts
others in a position to be successful. - Greenberg said everyone will get into the game in the first half (in the
first game presumably). The only way they can lose that right is to not
compete and play hard in practice. It’s important to keep the starters
fresh, and the Hokies need to find a rotation. - Greenberg said he will do a Midnight Madness when 10,000 will show up.
3,000 people is midnight without the madness. Plus, it wastes a valuable day
of real practice. - Rebounding, free throw shooting and three point shooting will be keys to
Tech’s season. They are getting bigger. Deron Washington should be a very
good rebounder from the wing position. - Greenberg said the staff has done a great job in recruiting. They have five
commitments for the 2007 class already (Dorenzo Hudson has just
committed, making it five), and each player ranks 150 or higher in the
nation. The future remains exciting. Early Signing Day is the second
Wednesday of November. - There will be a basketball scrimmage on the day of the Southern Miss game
at 2:30. Admission is free. They will also scrimmage Georgetown on the road
and South Carolina at home. There will be no exhibition games this season.
Frank Beamer
- This will be a big challenge on Thursday. The Hokies will have to play
great on Thursday. BC is one play away from being undefeated. - Thursday nights are great because you are the only game on TV. Tech has
always played well on Thursday nights. It’s the same as Monday Night
Football in the NFL. - The Hokies can’t give up the big plays against BC like they did against
Georgia Tech. The Hokies have never lost a Thursday night road game, and
they’ve never lost an ACC road game. - It’s possible that Kam Chancellor could play rover next year. You want
to get your best 11 players on the field, and Chancellor will probably be
one of those. Cam Martin is another possibility. - BC has a very big offensive line, as usual. They are always tough and good
in the trenches. They have a couple of steady, solid tailbacks. Defensive
players get tired of tackling them as the game goes on. Tech’s defensive
line is very fast, so they need to take advantage of that. - The running game needs to get cranked up. As the team continues to mature,
that part will come along. Elan Lewis played well against Georgia Tech, and
hopefully he will be able to provide a lift. - Josh Morgan has been great on the punt block team. Justin Harper will
factor in there this week as well. Games can turn on a dime in the kicking
game, and it’s important to use your best athletes. - Tech doesn’t have as much room for error as in the past. They aren’t a
lot better than teams they are playing, and they aren’t a lot worse than
anybody either. They have to scratch and claw for victories. - Beamer lets Stinespring and Foster come up with the game plans. He trusts
them. Sometimes he offers a suggestion, but he generally leaves it up to
them. - The game dictated how many carries Branden Ore had against Georgia Tech.
Beamer is pleased that the team has shown the ability to throw the football.
That part has been a plus. The running game has to catch up to the passing
game. - Tech just needs to play better against BC up front. They need to do the
right things, like getting to the right gap. The effort is there. - Kenny Lewis, Jr. has to improve a bit on his pass blocking, but he is
running the ball well. You saw that in the JV game against Hargrave on
Friday (31 carries, 161 yards). It was a very good experience for him. - There is no truth to the rumor that Tech could install (artificial) field
turf in Lane Stadium. They just got a new surface in the offseason, and it
is working well right now. - The coaches are staying in constant contact with the recruits who have
already committed. Beamer feels good about it. He would like to have an
early signing day, but that means there is a lot more stuff to do during the
season, and that makes it very difficult. That would also lead to more
recruiting over the summer, which is the only time that coaches have any
vacation time at all. - BC linebacker Brian Toal has been bothered by two bad shoulders, but he
will probably play. They are very big inside at defensive tackle. The Hokies
have to earn it. - BC is very good in the kicking game, especially on kickoff returns. It’s
going to take an error free game from the Hokies to win.
Monday was Day 681 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.
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