2007-08 Hokie Hotline Notes for 1/28/08

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 see the show in person at Awful Arthur’s in Blacksburg, and you can also watch the archive on hokietv.com.


Hokie Hotline Notes, sponsored by Pete Dye River Course of Virginia Tech

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Seth Greenberg

  • Seth is really proud of his players for their focus and intensity in
    coming back from a tough loss against Duke. They took care of the ball, and
    obviously rebounded very well. It was a great road win.
  • Tech has won overtime road games at UVA and Boston College, both tough
    places to win. They both have some very good players. This was Tech’s first
    win in the Conte Forum, and their first win in the John Paul Jones Arena.
  • J.T. Thompson embraced his opportunity. He was more confident and
    aggressive. They had been trying to get him to attack. He shoots it better
    than people realize. His best asset right now is being aggressive on the
    inside and running the court.
  • You can talk about the missed free throws, but you can also talk about the
    Hokies getting offensive rebounds and scoring five points off missed free
    throws.
  • As soon as the Duke game was over, it was important to get ready for BC.
    They traveled to Boston, had two very good film sessions and a great
    practice. They approached it well, and the players handled it well.
  • Tech didn’t foul BC at the end of regulation for a number of reasons.
    First, there were over 10 seconds left. If it had been under five seconds,
    they would have fouled when BC inbounded. Also, Tech was having a poor game
    from the free throw line at that point. With the way they were shooting,
    that’s not where you want the game decided. Tech would have been forced to
    go back to the line during that scenario.
  • Plus, with BC at the line, what if they decide to make the first and miss
    the second and try to get the offensive rebound? Tech would have had to have
    brought Cheick Diakite in, who is their worst free throw shooter. If he got
    the rebound, you’re talking about Cheick being on the free throw line with
    the game on the line. A lot of thought goes into situations like that.
  • Give Rakim Sanders credit. He made a great shot. Sometimes great offense
    beats great defense.
  • Hank Thorns made his free throws down the stretch, hit a big three and did
    a great job controlling the tempo.
  • The coaching staff is still working with the young guards on fast breaks.
    They have to know where to go with the ball, when to push it and when to
    back it out. Thorns and Delaney were much better in that regard on Saturday.
  • The
    officials have a tough job. The games are so intense right now, and
    everybody is a little on edge. How the game is officiated depends on the
    crew you have. Some crews call it tight, some teams let them play.
  • J.T. Thompson played so well, and not just because of his points and
    rebounds. His attention to detail defensively was very impressive. Thompson
    will get significant playing time. He’s earned it.
  • Florida State has excellent guard play. They have four guards who are in
    their fourth year or fifth year. Sometimes they go with four guards. They
    are very good with that lineup.
  • Florida State is desperate. They are 2-4 in the league. They are very
    capable. They blew out Florida. They won at Georgia Tech. They had Clemson
    beat, but Tiger center Trevor Booker banked in a three-pointer. FSU is a
    very good team. They are very athletic.
  • Last year Al Thornton scored 27 points against Tech in the second half. He’s
    gone, and this year they are doing it by committee. They feed off their
    energy on the defensive end. They remind Greenberg of Tech’s team last year.
    Their greatest strength is their experience.
  • Jeff Allen is at full speed. He practiced with the team last week, and he
    had a good practice on Monday. Greenberg expects him to play at a very high
    level when he gets in the game, or if he starts the game, depending on what
    the staff decides to do.
  • Coach K and Greenberg walked off the court together on Thursday night, and
    Coach K told Greenberg he was very impressed with how hard Tech played. He
    was also concerned about the scheduling situation, with the quick turnaround
    to BC. He didn’t think that was fair.
  • Virginia Tech has created a monster in Matt Causey. He’s been going off
    since he scored 30 on the Hokies. He’s a very confident player right now.
  • The Hokies have played fewer home games than anyone in the ACC. They still
    have six home games remaining on their schedule. If you can win your home
    games, you create possibilities.
  • Last weekend wasn’t a good week for the home teams. Four home teams lost
    in ACC basketball last week.
  • The ACC won’t go to 18 games in the next three years. They have already
    voted on that. All the coaches are decidedly against 18 conference games.
  • Tech didn’t do a good job in regulation with their free throws against BC,
    but they were perfect in overtime. That was good to see. Greenberg is proud
    that Hank Thorns knocked down his free throws in overtime.
  • A.D. Vassallo is averaging almost 10 rebounds per game in the ACC. He’s
    doing an excellent job there.
  • After the Georgia Tech game, Greenberg was chastised via email by Jamon
    Gordon for letting Matt Causey score 30 points. Greenberg didn’t get an
    email from Jamon after they beat BC, maybe because Jamon could never win up
    there.
  • The staff sent Jamon a care package last week with some Hokie gear. The
    ownership Jamon shows excites Greenberg. He expects to hear from Gordon
    before the FSU game, because Gordon and his grandma always got fired up for
    FSU since they are from Jacksonville.
  • Glen Combs made a gift to the new practice facility. It’s great to see
    these former players getting involved in the program. They are past having a
    basketball team. Tech now has a basketball program.

Monday was Day 1,157 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the
Commonwealth Cup.