2011-2012 record: 16-17, 4-12 in the ACC
Head coach: James Johnson
Despite low expectations in the ACC, head coach James Johnson believes his Hokies will make their presence known in the ACC this season. After the dismissal of former coach Seth Greenberg, Virginia Tech selected Johnson, a former assistant coach for the Hokies, to lead the program forward. His team, which is tied for 10th in the preseason ACC coaches’ poll, will be led by senior guard Erick Green, who led the team in points and assists per game with 15.6 and 2.8, respectively.
Johnson will look for improvement from a quartet of sophomores who were highly regarded recruits in the class of 2011—point guard Marquis Rankin, shooting guard Robert Brown and power forward C.J. Barksdale. Brown started last year alongside classmate Dorian Finney-Smith, who transferred to Florida when Greenberg was fired, but Rankin and Barksdale played limited roles and will be counted on for more minutes this year.
The Hokies’ main bright spot during a disappointing 2011-12 campaign was their stellar perimeter defense, which allowed opponents to shoot just 28 percent from beyond the arc, good for second in the nation. Most of the key personnel from that effort return for 2012-13 but will need to be stouter on the interior, as they allowed opponents to shoot 48 percent from 2-point range and pull down plenty of offensive rebounds.
It will also be interesting to see if Johnson sticks with Greenberg’s style from last season as one of the slowest teams in the nation.
The team must effectively integrate freshman Marshall Wood, the Hokies’ lone incoming scholarship player and potentially one of the top freshman in the ACC. Virginia Tech has not made the NCAA tournament since the 2006-07 season, and this year will likely see the streak continue.
One thing that needs to go right: Green will need to be an active leader and scorer on the court as Wood provides the needed spark to guide the Hokies into potential postseason play.
One thing that could go wrong: The lack of talent outside of Green and Wood hampers the Hokies ability to win consistently against average teams.
The starting five: small forward Jarell Eddie, power forward C.J. Barksdale, center Cadarian Raines, shooting guard Robert Brown and point guard Erick Green.
Projected finish in the ACC: 11th
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