Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 6 | June 2017

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for the superficial purpose of calling one of
the games the Hokies played in the Wooden
Legacy Tournament. Of course, we really just
wanted to showWilliams that we, too, believed
in being all in when it came to the family.
When we met the team at the hotel, and
Williams saw Burnop and me for the first time,
he joked to the players, “Guys, those are our
radio guys. They show up when their schedule
allows.” He laughed and playfully slapped my
shoulder on his way out to practice, expressing
his happiness at seeing us. I truly love being
around the members of the basketball family.
I thought I had been emotionally invested in a
team in past seasons, but I learned of another
level to that in my second season at Tech.
During my first season, I started to attend
more practices to gain more insight for my
interviews with Williams. At times, I didn’t
notice the evolution of this in myself. At
some point during my first season, I started
to participate in the pregame prayer walk
across the floor, playful birthday traditions
and family barbeques. That expanded this
year, and at one point, I even sought Corey
Williams’ advice on the engagement ring I
wanted to purchase.
In year No. 2, I took many steps toward
truly understanding what it meant to be a part
of something that I view to be important. The
wins and losses obviously affect things, but the
maturation of the process began to become
evident to me. Quite frankly, it was awesome.
One moment stood out to me above all the
others. And yes, Seth Allen’s late-game heroics,
London Perrantes’ shot attempt resting on
the flange of the basket, and the goose bumps
I routinely get late in games all resonated.
However, a two-second exchange after the
Hokies’eliminationfromtheNCAATournament
by Wisconsin lingers most prominently.
There is always sadness when any season
ends. The knowledge that this exact group of
people won’t remain the same hangs in the air
for a while. I pondered the departures of the
seniors while riding the bus back to the hotel,
but the sadness dissipated when we arrived.
Williams waited in the doorway, giving
a two-armed hug to every person who got
off the bus, including me. It said everything
without saying a single word. He appreciated
the journey—and my very small role in it.
That makes the summer months feel even
longer because I can’t wait to get back to the
work. The gesture took me all the way back to
Thanksgiving, and for some reason, validated
the decision to make that trip across the
country and every event in between. I realized
that I had learned a lot about commitment. I
thank Williams and his family for that.
So a summary of year No. 2: I am a year
smoke free and continue to work on shaking
soda as well. I took the leap and will be
married next May. I feel firmly entrenched
in Blacksburg and comfortable in my
surroundings. Most importantly, I gear up for
year No. 3, knowing that I get to work with
two programs led by men whom I consider
mentors.
My fiancée, Renée, recently looked at me
while we were driving back into Blacksburg
from a road trip and said, “You know, our lives
are pretty cool.” She was right. Year No. 2 for
me only drove that point home. Thanks to all
who played a part in it.
Now back into the lab to see how we can get
better for year No. 3. I hope you are ready for
the ride and enjoy the results.
Have a great summer, Hokies!
Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach
Buzz Williams and radio voice Jon Laaser
discussed a game that wasn’t as important
as their impact on the "Buzz’s Bunch” kids
who were in attendance that day.