Hokies Are In The Right Mindset In Preparation For LSU, Final Four

DALLAS — For some, being at the Final Four is the experience of a lifetime. The Hokies didn’t buy tickets for the show, though — they’re it.

“We’re not at the Final Four, we’re in the Final Four,” Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said Thursday. “That’s a surreal moment.”

Top-seeded Virginia Tech (31-4) meets No. 3 seed LSU (32-2) on college basketball’s biggest stage Friday night in Texas (7 p.m. ET, ESPN). Yet, between two programs that are a combined 63-6 this season, only Tigers coach Kim Mulkey, who has five national championships, has been to the Final Four before.

“It’s a fever dream,” Tech forward Taylor Soule said.

The Hokies haven’t been fazed by the moment all year, though. They’ve won 15 straight games for a reason, a stretch that dates back to a Jan. 26 defeat in Durham. They’ve been solid on both ends of the court since, staying focused and consistent.

Soule said that’s a result of having great people in the program who are all pulling in the same direction. Forward D’asia Gregg explained that it’s because she and her teammates love playing for and with each other. 

“I think we all have the same goal and this insane desire to win and just have each other’s backs,” Soule said. “I think [Elizabeth Kitley] has touched on it a whole bunch — we’re just having fun with each other. So why let outside noise that isn’t going to change the outcome of a win or loss distract you from those goals?”

Led by Angel Reese (6-3, So.), the nation’s double-doubles leader, the Tigers have just two blemishes on their résumé — South Carolina and Tennessee. They’re stout on the defensive end — they rank 11th in the country in field goal percentage defense (35.4%) — and have the second-best rebounding margin per game in D-I (+25.1). 

In Brooks’ mind, LSU is similar to a team Tech saw twice this season. It’s a physical, athletic and tough group, though one that is relatively inexperienced at this level.

“We played Tennessee twice this year,” Brooks said. “Very similar styles and what they do. They’re very reliant on their athleticism, their length, their ability to rebound the basketball. So I think that game has prepared us — both of those games have prepared us.”

LSU is also comparable to Kentucky, Missouri, Miami, Duke and Louisville in terms of its pressure. The Tigers make every shot difficult and force a ton of turnovers. In their Elite Eight win over Miami, the Hurricanes shot just 31.6% from the field and gave the ball away 18 times. All but three of LSU’s opponents had more than 12 turnovers this season.

Much of that revolves around Reese, who is a force on both ends. Averaging 23.2 points and 15.7 rebounds per game, she’s one of the best players the Hokies have seen this year. She has 65 steals and 56 blocks this season.

Brooks said his squad isn’t going to be able to shut her down completely; it’s going to come down to containing her production. It’s a challenge against someone who has recorded a double-double in all but two games this season, but Tech did well to limit other stars earlier in 2022-23, like the ACC championship game in Greensboro when it held Louisville All-American Hailey Van Lith to 12 points on 4-of-17 shooting.

“Obviously, she’s tremendously talented,” Brooks said of Reese. “When you get to this level, you’re going to play against very tough, talented players. We know we’re going to have our hands full, but the kids will go out and execute the game plan.”

Outside of Reese, LSU leans heavily on guards Alexis Morris (5-6, Sr.) and Flau’Jae Johnson (5-10, Fr.) who average 14.9 and 11.1 points per game, respectively. LaDazhia Williams (6-4, Gr.), Kateri Poole (5-8, So.) and Jasmine Carson (5-10, Gr.) round out the main six. Mulkey usually opts to go eight deep at most.

It’s a collective that doesn’t get much production from its bench and is most comfortable inside. The Tigers average 15.5 points per game from their reserves, which ranks 229th in the NCAA. And while they shoot 33.9% from behind the arc, they average 5.1 3-point makes to 14.9 attempts per game. Against the ‘Canes, they were 1-of-12.

That’s drastically different from the Hokies, who thrive from outside. Georgia Amoore alone is 20-of-55 in the NCAA tournament. But LSU’s defense in that area has been quite good; its opponents are 26.5% (179-of-675) from downtown this year.

“I think I said it the other day, there’s nothing that we have to do that’s going to be different than what we’ve done to get us here,” Soule said. “It’s just going to be playing confident, playing together, playing smart, limiting second-chance opportunities. And the rest will work itself out.”

In another clash of styles, the key to Friday night’s monumental game will likely be each team’s ability to keep its composure. Statistically, rebounding will likely be the biggest factor. But having the right mindset is something both have handled quite well this year. When adversity strikes again in a win-or-go-home game in front of 20,000 people in the American Airlines Center, who will be up for the challenge?

“I think our schedule has really prepared us for moments like this because of the way our teams have played,” Brooks said. “And I think our kids have seen it all. … We’ll be ready.”