Young Hokies Show Heart
posted 1:10 pm Fri January 18, 2008 - Richmond, Va.
But the experienced members of the Hokies can't help but gush a bit. The young Hokies have won two of their first three games in Atlantic Coast Conference play, could have won the third and will try to make it a 3-1 start Saturday at Georgia Tech. "They're getting a lot of confidence and they're getting a taste of what the ACC is all about," Vassallo said of the Hokies seven freshmen after a buzzer-beating 70-69 overtime victory at Virginia on Wednesday night. "It's just the beginning."
Virginia Tech (11-6) wasn't expected to start like this, especially after losing guards Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon and center Coleman Collins following last season. The trio was the heart of the team, the ones to look to in crunch time.
In the preseason, they were picked to finish 10th in the conference.
This year, Vassallo looks around before the opening tip and typically sees freshman Jeff Allen as the starting center and freshmen Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson at guard, with freshmen Hank Thorns, Terrell Bell and J.T. Thompson all playing, too.
The reality has caused the older guys to adjust their thinking.
"Lately I've been trying to go a little harder because earlier in the season, I wasn't playing as hard," Washington said. "I've been trying to set an example and get the guys to go a little harder in practice. I feel like it's coming along pretty well because the guys are picking up their intensity and everything is going fine."
Washington wound up the hero in Charlottesville on Wednesday night, making a driving layup that fell as the overtime buzzer sounded. The finish fit the profile of how the Hokies have played, and will have to keep playing, in the rugged ACC.
"It's one stop, one rebound, one roll of the ball," coach Seth Greenberg said.
At Wake Forest on Dec. 23, Tech blew an 8-point lead in the final 82 seconds, ultimately losing on a jumper with 0.6 seconds to play. In the game, Allen had a shot from inside that could have slowed the meltdown, but he missed and Tech fell, 77-75.
Last Saturday in Blacksburg, the Hokies trailed Maryland for much of the game, but freshmen scored the last six points of the game, including the winning free throw from Allen with 12.4 seconds to play, and the Hokies rallied for a 67-66 victory.
They trailed by five in overtime at Virginia, but didn't fold.
"We were down nine, we were down five," Greenberg said. "I joke around that they're so young they don't know any better. They just keep on playing. They keep on trying and competing. Sometimes they throw it into this row and sometimes they take the wrong shot, but they play the next play and that's what I'm most proud of them for."
The Hokies still have a long way to go, with games against No. 1 North Carolina, No. 7 Duke, No. 21 Miami and No. 24 Clemson among them, but Washington is excited.
"We're building our confidence up and getting better," he said.
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