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.
Seth Greenberg
- The great thing about playing in the ACC is that you’ll play a team
ranked in the top 25 just about every week. And you have a chance to beat
them. - Greenberg was most pleased with the team when they beat UNC Greensboro.
The Hokies played very well against the Spartans, despite it being a major
trap game. That shows mental growth amongst the players. - It’s great for the program to be ranked. It’s great for the players
and the university. But as great as it is, it doesn’t matter. Teams go in
and out of rankings the entire year. It doesn’t get the team where they
want to go. - The Hokies need to continue to do exactly what they’ve been doing. They
need to keep defending, playing hard and taking care of the basketball.
Winning comes when you do things like that. - Zabian Dowdell, the ACC Player of the Week, has been playing at a very
high level. Moving him back to the point has been very helpful. He has made
some great plays for other people as well. - Seth went recruiting after the win over UNC. He saw Jeff Allen, Malcolm
Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson, as well as some other players the Hokies are
recruiting. Delaney was MVP of his game. He had 39 points and was 7-of-8
from the three-point line. Jeff Allen was also MVP of his game. He had 17
points and 10 rebounds. Hudson had 19 points. - Going into the Duke game, Greenberg believed that if his players showed up
and played like they were capable, they would win the game. But Carolina is
so fast and so physical. The Hokies had to really play well, and play with
confidence, to beat them. And they did. - Tech got great contributions from their bench. Cheick Diakite did a great
job on the glass, and Nigel Munson and Chris Tucker played really well also.
Everybody who came off the bench made a contribution. - Nigel Munson played with great confidence, but they expected that of him.
He grew up playing against UNC point guard Ty Lawson, so he certainly was
not intimidated. The first time Greenberg saw Munson play was against
Lawson, and that’s when Greenberg offered Munson a scholarship. - Munson is really starting to get a handle on what the Hokies are trying to
do offensively. He is a good listener, and he’s starting to understand
what they are doing and why they are doing it. - Nigel Munson is on the same level as Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon four
years ago. The only difference is that Dowdell and Gordon had to start, and
Munson has the luxury of playing behind two senior guards. - The ACC is a league of good guards. Every single team has good guards. But
obviously the Tech guards are very good. - Terrance Vinson has begun practicing with the team again. He is a really
tough player. He will knock you around the lane, and he’s very strong. He
just needs to get back in shape. Greenberg isn’t sure when he’ll play,
but they are getting him ready. - The fans were absolutely unbelievable in the UNC. They stayed in the game
even when UNC got up 17-9. There isn’t a better atmosphere for college
basketball than the Cassell when it’s full. - The Tech fans in Greensboro were great. That is something the coaching
staff will definitely consider doing again in the future. - It won’t be difficult for the Hokies to get up for Florida State. It
shouldn’t be difficult to get up for ACC games. Jamon Gordon is from
Jacksonville, so this will be like a home game for him. Zabian Dowdell is
from Florida as well. That doesn’t mean the Hokies will play great, but
they will put out great effort. - Al Thornton of FSU will be a tough matchup for Tech. FSU is playing him at
the “4” position, which means they have a lot of ways to get him matched
up one-on-one. Tech has to play good help defense, and they have to get to
it quickly. They also have to keep him off the offensive glass. - There were about four plays near the end of the game that kept UNC in the
game. The Hokies will learn from those mistakes, and they also have to
understand that teams like UNC will make a run. - Coleman Collins was magnificent in guarding Tyler Hansbrough early in
possessions. You can’t let him catch the ball deep. He really did a great
job. He was active on the glass and he played really hard. He’s getting
his bounce back as each game passes. - Greenberg said the Hokies have one more scholarship available, and they
could possibly use that on another member of the 2007 class. Malcolm Delaney
is going to remind a lot of people of Zabian Dowdell. He has a step-back
jumper, and he has very good shooting range. - Next week will be crazy. The Hokies play Maryland at home on Sunday night.
Then the coaches will have to work all Sunday night to come up with a plan
against Miami, because they leave on Monday for Miami, where they will play
Tuesday night. It’s going to be a tough stretch. - A.D. Vassallo is giving the team terrific minutes. He gives you much more
than shooting. He can take you off the dribble, and he’s a very tough
player. He’s got a very good feel for coming off screens. He has greatly
improved his shot selection. - Florida State is a very good team. They have played a very tough schedule,
and lost some tough games. They are very athletic. Overall, they are a very
tough team.
Monday was Day 779 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.
Tech Sideline is Presented By: