Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 9 No. 2 | October 2016

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9
by
Jimmy
Robertson
Tech fans should be optimistic about upcoming
men’s hoops season—but cautiously so
Buzz Williams always seems to have a
unique take on matters, whether they be of
the basketball, biblical, leadership, or any
other variety. That perspective often results
in others seeking him for insight, including
business, civic leaders and even coaches from
sports other than basketball.
So given his often fascinating take on most
things, it absolutely came as no surprise that
Williams dropped Emily Dickinson’s name
into a recent interview when discussing his
team and its prospects for the upcoming
campaign.
Dickinson, a noted American poet during
the mid-1800s, pinned the poem, “I dwell in
Possibility,” which focuses mostly on poetry
and how Dickinson views poetry as limitless.
Williams, now entering his third year as the
Hokies’ head men’s basketball coach, views
his 2016-17 squad in a similar light.
“I think our team and what I want our
program to be is like Emily Dickinson’s poem,”
he said. “She said, ‘I dwell in Possibility.’ I want
to take away the ‘I’ and replace it with ‘We.’
“I think that energy comes from
anticipation. We want to anticipate the right
things and dwell in the possibility of those
things, and yet have the grace to love one
another and be mature enough to take care of
today.”
Taking care of the day and getting better
each day—(remember #getBETTER?)—is
the foundation of Williams’ program. He
focuses on the process and not the product
because one doesn’t get the product without
the correct process.
Last year’s process led to a 20-win season
at the conclusion of the year. Following a
16-point loss at Miami on Feb. 17, the Hokies
sat at 13-13 overall and 5-8 in the ACC. They
then won six straight games, made the NIT
and won a game in that tournament before
falling to BYU to finish with 20 wins.
Williams and his staff deserve credit for
taking a hodgepodge of pieces—transfers,
junior-college players, walk-ons, freshmen,
etc.—and molding them into a cohesive
bunch. He deflects that credit, instead praising
the parents who raised such tough-minded
young men.
Tech began its fall practice with most of
those same pieces. Yes, the Hokies lost hard-
working Shane Henry to graduation and a
talented player in Jalen Hudson, who decided
to leave, along with Satchel Pierce. And yes,
Devin Wilson’s status is up in the air, as he
continues to pursue football.
But Seth Allen, Zach LeDay, Justin
Bibbs, Chris Clarke, Justin Robinson, Kerry
Blackshear Jr. and Ahmed Hill constitute a
strong nucleus. Plus, Williams gets Ty Outlaw
back and added Tyrie Jackson and Khadim
Sy. Those three can make up for any lost
production.
Such potential firepower is enough to make
Tech fans think about the NCAA Tournament.
It’s hard not to blame them—85 percent of
the scoring and rebounding from last season
returns—as Hokie Nation craves a winner in
men’s basketball.
But those same fans need to be careful
with their expectations. The Hokies won a
bunch of close games last year. They won
four conference games by three points or less
and another one in overtime. They only won
three conference games by 10 points or more,
including a win over BC, which failed to win
an ACC game.
“I would anticipate being in a lot of those
this year,” Williams admitted. “That’s what
makes it fun, but also makes it really difficult.”
Also, they won just four true road games
during the 2015-16 season, and this season,
they play a tougher schedule. A three-game
stretch in California, a game at Michigan, four
home games to start ACC play—without the
Hokies’ student body in attendance—and
conference road games at North Carolina,
Louisville and Pittsburgh give one pause.
In addition, keep in mind that this is just
Williams’ third season. No one likes to hear, “It
takes time,” but that remains the fact. His roster
finally consists of a majority of OKG’s—better
known as “our kind of guys.” He’s finally getting
to play the way he wants to play.
Fans need to hope that the Hokies get better
each day. Williams has been preaching that to
his team since his arrival on campus, and he
and his staff have the program trending in the
right direction.
Fans should be excited. It’s OK to be
optimistic. Just be cautiously so. Or like Emily
Dickinson said, dwell in possibility.
“I love the story that we’re writing,”
Williams said. “I’m thankful to be learning all
the lessons that I’ve learned thus far.
“We dwell in possibilities. Man, that’s fun.”