Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 12 No. 2 | October 2019

16 Inside Hokie Sports season preview men’s basketball Top Storylines 5 by Jimmy Robertson T here have been massive changes within the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program over the past eight months, starting with Buzz Williams’ decision to take the Texas A&M job, then moving to the hiring of popular Mike Young as the new head coach, and finally, the continuous additions and subtractions of personnel on the roster. Young and his staff inherited a program coming off three consecutive NCAA Tournament berths, including a Sweet 16 appearance this past spring, but also one in which all major contributors from that team graduated, transferred, or went to the NBA. So the 2019-20 season will be interesting, but also fun, as Young molds this team into the fast- paced, 3-point shooting group that he turned Wofford into during his 17-year stint as that program’s head coach. Plus, Tech fans like Young partly because of his coaching prowess, but also because they consider him one of them, with his New River Valley roots and blue-collar background. So, what will Hokie Nation see this season? Here are the top five storylines for the 2019-20 campaign: Will Landers Nolley develop into a star? 1 Nolley’s decision to stay with the program marked Young’s first big recruiting coup, and the 6-foot-7, 230-pounder appears ready for a big season after sitting out last year because of an NCAA-related issue. Two seasons ago, he led his high school in Atlanta to back-to-back state championships (6A) and was the Atlanta Journal-Constitution Player of the Year as a senior. He possesses the versatility to play multiple positions—somewhat like Nickeil Alexander-Walker, who now plays for the NBA’s New Orleans Pelicans. Expectations always have been high for Nolley, and the Hokies need for him to come close to those, if not exceed them. 2 Can Wabissa Bede handle point guard chores? Justin Robinson departed as the school’s all-time leader in career assists, and he really served as the general of this program over the past three seasons. Bede played extensively last season both behind Robinson and next to him, starting 26 games in the Hokies’ three- guard lineup and averaging 25 minutes per game. He probably moves into that lead facilitator role vacated by Robinson, and while Tech fans often express concern over his shooting percentage (40.2 in 2018-19; 35.4 from beyond the 3-point arc), they need to keep in mind that Robinson did not shoot better than 35.8 percent from beyond the arc in his first two seasons either. Bede finished with 82 assists and just 37 turnovers in 2018-19, and he has 105 assists and just 46 turnovers in his career. This could be the season in which he puts it all together. WABISSA BEDE