Currently
10-2
End of Reg Season prediction
23-7, 13-5
•Robinson: Has been great for the most part. Sometimes drives to the hole when it's congested & tries to make the acrobatic layup, and 3 pt shooters are wide open when defense collapses on these drives. But he's been letting the game come to him more this year, taking better shots & being a vocal leader.
Mid-Season grade: A-
•Hill: Has been our best player hands down. I love his toughness/energy. He has been way more consistent this year. Top 10 in the nation in 3pt% & 3Pt made. He has had at least a dozen of and1's through tough contact, & is finishing, whereas last year he wasn't. He's also had games of 9, 8, & 7 reb & his best games have come against our best opponents. He needs to demand the ball more, vocally or otherwise. His year by year improvements since he got to VT remind me of Buddy Heild at Oklahoma. He could be truly special before it's all said & done.
Mid Season Grade: A+
•Bibbs: Started out in the dog house. Has been good for the most part. Has shown some inconsistency, but has been great on the ball defensively. He's avg only 1.2 Reb though, which isn't great. He doesn't have the athleticism of Hill & Clarke, but his IQ makes up for it. He & Med need to be getting the VAST majority of min as the wings.
Mid-Season grade: B+
•NAW: I'll be honest. I've been disappointed. He had a great 2-3 games to open the season, which showed a lot of promise, but those were some of our weakest opponents thus far. He plays way, way too much "me" ball. You can almost sense when he gets the ball for the first few poss of the game he's just trying to get his. (See UK first half posswhen he put his head down & tried to force it between multiple defenders, multiple times.) Buzz has been seen taking him out & getting onto him during games on several occasions. I think when he committed to VT he had the 5 star recruit mentality of "I'm gonna go to a non-bluebood school for 1 yr & put on a show to boost my draft stock". That's just my opinion. Against our best opponents he has played his worst games. With that said, he could be GREAT if he buys in & becomes a team player. He's got the tools, just needs another yr or 2. And theres no question, he is Not a one&done. The better question is, will he become another Jalen Hudson type player, with loads of potential, but also with an attitude/personality that ends up clashing with Buzz and him seeking a transfer.
Mid-Season grade: C-
•Clarke: LOVE Clarke. We missed him so much last year, & we are lucky to have him come back looking 100%. Energy, toughness, junkyard dog mentality. Love it. When He & Med get a rebound & push it on the break, it's amazing to watch. We need him to W those tough ACC games down the stretch.
Mid-Season Grade: A-
•Wilson: Forgot how good of a defender he is. We missed him last year. He's saved our tails defensively on many occasions. Glad to have him back. He's very limited offensively, but we'll need his leadership down the stretch.
Mid-Season grade: B-
•Blackshear: He's shown some great stuff thus far. His ability to step out and knock down shots could be game changing in the future. Needs to sharpen up defensively on rotations etc. The moves he had going to the hole in the Kentucky game, showed his ability with his footwork. Buzz must find a way to keep him out of foul trouble in ACC play.
Mid-Season grade: B+
•Bench: young, inexperienced, but tough. Lots of energy. There is a glaringly obvious dropoff when the majority of our bench is on the court, as we saw in the Presbyterian game. But the future looks bright. They all seem to know/accept their roles. Bede and Pig have a ways to go but they look to have bought in. Always a positive vibe when they show the bench on tv.
Mid-Season grade: B-
•Buzz: Other than some substitution/lineup head-scratchers, I've been impressed. I would love to see a Robison-Hill-Bibbs-Clarke-Blackshear starting lineup. With NAW, Wilson, and Horne getting good minutes off the bench. Yes, I know buzz likes Clarke off the bench for a spark of energy, but if we come out flat to start, which we don't do often, without Clarke on the floor it seems to mess with the tone & pace for the rest of the game. We can't afford to do that vs Duke, UNC, Miami, etc. As I said above, 23-7, 13-5 is my prediction. With our L's coming @Duke, @ND , @UVA, @Miami, and vsDuke at home. We will guard the Cassell well this year.
Buzz Mid-Season grade: A-


So to everyone, Happy Hilidays, and Go Hokies!





[Post edited by Messiah12 at 12/27/2017 9:14PM]