Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 11 No. 6 | June 2019

inside.hokiesports.com 9 Celebrating 50 Years of serving the New River Valley and surrounding areas! If you want to cook with the best, come buy from the best! Come in and see the new Traeger grills with D2 technology! Elevate your craft with Traeger and G&H! Nobody Does It Better! 1290 Roanoke Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 • 540-382-7500 • www.gandhappliance.com Find us at G&H Appliance by Jimmy Robertson Tech Athletics year over, now time to look ahead to 2019-20 The sighting of 2019 football preseason publications on newsstands usually marks the turn of the page from the previous college athletics season to the upcoming one (even with college baseball running to the end of June). As folks head off for vacations, they often grab a copy of these publications and enjoy the content, specifically the predictions for the upcoming campaign. The newsstand sightings—and subsequent readings and predictions—got this writer to thinking about the 2019-20 athletics year for Virginia Tech. It could be an interesting one, with a new men’s hoops coach (Mike Young) and numerous great athletes having departed. That, the time of year, and musings of the future prompted a composition of potential outcomes for the year, though from a holistic view (not just football). Call a few of these crazy, but there is logic behind all. Here is the list: Ryan Willis ultimately will win the starting job and could lead the ACC in passing yards Willis ranked fifth in the ACC in passing yards a year agowith 2,716 yards, and he started just 10 games. Had he started all 13 games and kept his average (226.3 ypg), he would have finished with 2,942 yards—and ranked third in the league. Three of the four passers in front of Willis departed. Only Clemson’s Trevor Lawrence returns, and given the Tigers’ talent and palatable schedule, he probably won’t be playing the entire game each week. Plus, the strength of Tech’s offense is Willis, the receivers, and the tight ends. Expect the Hokies to play to their strengths and throw the ball. Toss in a manageable schedule, and it isn’t crazy to think of Willis leading the conference in passing yards. Landers Nolley II could make the All-ACC team This one is bold because Nolley, who averaged 31 points per game as a senior for Langston Hughes High in suburban Atlanta in 2017-18, sat out last season after not being cleared by the NCAA. But those fortunate to have seen Nolley last year in practices and in early summer workouts love the versatility and skill that the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder brings. He resembles Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Also, remember that 12 of the 15 players on the All-ACC team from this past season departed—a number that could swell to 13 pending Kerry Blackshear Jr.’s decision. An opportunity is there, and this writer thinks that Nolley enjoys a big season to secure a spot. Mekhi Lewis may repeat as national champion Only those in the wrestling world understand how dominant Lewis performed at the NCAA Championships in March. The redshirt freshman wasn’t taken down in five matches. He controlled the championship match against two-time defending national champ Vincenzo Joseph of Penn State, easily winning 7-1. Lewiswill face stiff competition in thisweight class. Seven of the eight All-Americans at 165 pounds return, but he took the summer off from competition after wrestling competitively for 12 consecutive months. He focused on training, and that decision seems smart. He should enter the 2019-20 campaign rested and ready—and the favorite to make another run. Both Tech soccer teams may make the Sweet 16—again The Tech women’s team lost six seniors off a Sweet 16 team, but only two starters. Nineteen different players started at least one match, and 14 started at least five matches. TheHokies return their top four goal scorers, led by rising sophomore Karlie Johnson, who scored six goals in 2018. All-ACC goalkeeper Mandy McGlynn and All-ACC defender Kelsey Irwin return as well. On the men’s side, the Hokies lost just one senior. Nine players returnwho started at least 16 matches in2018, alongwitheveryonewho scored a goal last fall—a group led byKristo Strickler, an All-ACC player who scored 10 goals. In addition, All-ACC goalkeeper Mathijs Swaneveld returns after leading the ACC in saves. Talent, firepower, and experience—all reasons to expect this fall to be big for both squads. Tech men’s track team could sweep the ACC—again The Hokies shared the ACC indoor crown and won the league’s outdoor crown outright this past season with the youngest squad in Dave Cianelli’s 18-year tenure. Tech loses a star in Deakin Volz, but the rest of the key figures return. Freshman Jacory Patterson possesses the potential to be a national champion, and freshman hurdler Miles Green earned All- America honors this past season. Joel Benitez, Harrison Rice and Jaelyn Demory should be able to replace Volz, and Tyson Jones figures to join Isaiah Rogers as a top-level thrower. The next group of great distance runners should emerge, too. Expect this team to be Cianelli’s best—one with the talent to bring home two more ACC team trophies.