Hokie Hotline Notes for 11/3/08

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.

• Tech will wear all maroon on Thursday. They will wear maroon jerseys,
  maroon pants and maroon undersleeves. The socks will be black.
• Orion Martin and Coach Beamer get together each week to decide on Tech’s
  uniform combination.
• The Maryland game will be Lester’s 366th consecutive Tech game.
• There is a chance of getting some maroon throwback jerseys. They would be
  like the white throwbacks the Hokies wore against Furman and Nebraska.

• The women’s soccer team beat Duke on Sunday, and that will help their
  chances for the NCAA Tournament quite a bit.
• Weaver thinks the Alabama situation is going to work itself out. There is
  still one hurdle to get over. Some finances have to be worked out as well.
  Until Tech knows what the financial proposal is, they can’t make any
  commitments.
• The floor in Cassell Coliseum will be replaced when the new practice
  facility is completed. The only difference on the court this year will be
  the new three-point line.
• Weaver asked the fans not to enter the parking lots until 5pm on Thursday.
  That will give all the faculty and staff a chance to leave and clear the
  lots.
• Tech will have fireworks on Thursday night.
• The charter trip to Nebraska cost about $25,000 more than was originally
  budgeted because of escalating fuel costs.

• Tech
  has been practicing well this week. The team understands that they have to
  work hard to beat Maryland.
• Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon are getting limited work in practice. They
  are both listed as questionable for Thursday’s game.
• Beamer feels like Tech can win the game with Cory Holt. He’s practiced
  very well, he’s thrown it very well, and he’s competitive.
• Maryland has a lot of seniors up front on both sides of the ball. They
  have a lot of experience, and that makes them a good team.
• It’s a four game season right now. Tech controls their own destiny, just
  like last season.
• Beamer has put some veteran players back on the pride and joy team, such
  as Kam Chancellor and Cam Martin. Special teams could be the key down the
  stretch.
• There are a lot of fairly equal ACC teams. The ones that play the best
  over the next month will have the best chance to win the conference.
• Tech is going to get Maryland’s best shot on Thursday night. They are the
  only team with one ACC loss, and they are at the top of their division for a
  reason.
• Cory Holt has height, and he can see the receivers on those quick slants.
• The Hokies need a little pop at tailback right now, and Beamer is hopeful
  that Jahre Cheeseman can give them that pop. Hopefully we’ll see it against
  Maryland on Thursday.
• Darrius Heyward-Bey is a big time player for Maryland. They can get him
  the ball in a lot of ways. He has a big body and he’s fast.
• Kam Chancellor has gotten a lot better at free safety over the last couple
  of games. He hasn’t made the same mistake twice.
• Tech can’t give up big plays to Maryland. They have good receivers who can
  make you pay for mistakes. They are good at screens and reverses.
• Offensively, Tech has to move the football and play efficiently. The
  special teams have to be good across the board. This will be a major
  challenge for the Hokies.

• Saturday’s scrimmage against Georgetown was good for the Hokies. They are
  much more beneficial than a regular exhibition game. They learned exactly
  what they need to do to get better.
• This is a more mature basketball team, but there are some different roles
  for some of the players this year. Deron Washington has to be replaced
  defensively and on the boards. Also, who will start on the inside next to
  Jeff Allen?
• Tech doesn’t have a versatile defender like Deron Washington. They have to
  do it by committee at this point.
• Jeff Allen will be a good rebounder, and so is A.D. Vassallo. The Hokies
  need another guy to emerge there to replace Washington.
• Victor Davila had a good weekend. As a freshman, he’s like a computer
  that’s locked up. He’s got tremendous potential.
• Cheick Diakite has had a terrific preseason. He is starting to play within
  himself. He can have a good senior year. Lewis Witcher is a guy who Tech
  needs to play well.
• Greenberg is really pleased with the willingness of J.T. Thompson and
  Dorenzo Hudson, especially Thompson. They have to find ways to get him on
  the court because he can do so many things.
• Tech has changed their offense around a bit, and the team has picked it up
  fairly well. They will have to establish an offensive identity and a flow.
  They didn’t have flow to their half court offense against Georgetown.
• Coach John Thompson spoke to the Tech team after the Georgetown scrimmage,
  and he gave them a terrific talk.
• A.D. Vassallo is out of his protective boot, but he’s going to be fine.
  He’s got to get back into basketball shape though, and he needs to drop a
  few pounds.
• The new three-point line should be good for college basketball. Not
  everyone can take that shot now. Greenberg thinks the new line will shrink
  the court, because not everyone will need to be defended beyond the new
  line.
• A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney will still have the green light. They
  are great shooters. Dorenzo Hudson is on the border. Bell is still
  developing, but he’s gotten better.
• Tech has shot fewer three-pointers than anyone in the league over the past
  few years, but that’s by design. Not everyone can shoot the three-pointer.
• Tech has a very challenging out-of-conference schedule. Wisconsin is a
  major program from the Big Ten, and the Hokies are going to Puerto Rico as
  well.
• A 9-7 ACC record didn’t keep Tech out of the NCAA tournament last year.
  Their out-of-conference record kept them out.
• None of the challenging games this year should hurt Tech. Instead, it
  could really help them in the RPI.
• Cheick Diakite has perhaps been the biggest surprise of the preseason. He
  isn’t great at passing the ball, and Tech simplifies their zone offense
  because of that, but he brings a shot blocking and rebounding presence.
• Terrell Bell didn’t have a great weekend at Georgetown, but overall he’s
  had a good preseason. He had a very good practice on Sunday.
• Tech has one more scrimmage, this time against American. After that
  scrimmage, Greenberg will start to set the roles of some of the players and
  get ready to start the regular season.

Monday was Day 1,437 of Virginia Tech’s continuous possession of the
Commonwealth Cup.