Inside HOKIE SPORTS | Vol. 13 No. 2 | October 2020

14 Inside Hokie Sports Kitty Newton Photo KitKatNewt1@gmail.com “The Farmhouse... Eating Great Food here for over 30 Years.” – Coach Frank Beamer thefarmhousechristiansburg.com 285 Ridinger Street, Christiansburg, VA 24073 • (540) 251-7600 Prime Rib • Steaks • Seafood • Outdoor Courtyard • Private Dining • Weekend Brunch Joe Bamisile Fr., 6-4, Guard Chesterfield, Virginia • Missed his senior season at Monacan High School because of a knee injury • Averaged 28.7 points and seven rebounds per game as a junior, earning first-team all-state honors • A top-70 recruit by 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN • Picked the Hokies over West Virginia and Northwestern Cartier Diarra Gr., 6-4, Guard Florence, South Carolina • Played in 95 games, starting 58, at Kansas State before transferring to Tech • Averaged 13.3 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.2 assists per game last season • Scored in double digits in 40 games during his three seasons at Kansas State • Scored 864 points in his career and finished with 251 career assists Darius Maddox Fr., 6-5, Guard Bowie, Maryland • Played his senior season for Oak Hill Academy in Mouth of Wilson, Virginia • Chose Tech over Cincinnati, Creighton, Georgetown, and Seton Hall • Listed as a top 100 prospect by 247Sports, Rivals, and ESPN • Scored more than 350 points his junior season at St. John’s College High School M EET THE NEWCOMERS “That’s my roommate. That’s my guy,” Alleyne said. “He comes to work every day. Hustle guy. He can do it all, really—stretch the floor out, 3, slash, dunk on you. I’m really excited for him.” The other scholarship member of the post contingent is David N’Guessan, a 6-9 forward from the Netherlands who averaged 15 points and seven rebounds for Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland last season. Tech’s roster lacks a true “3,” or small forward, but N’Guessan—an intriguing talent with skills—could grow into that role. “David’s just a bouncy, athletic young person that can really shoot the ball, and I think he’s going to get better and better in that regard,” Young said. “He’s got some 3 in him at 6-9, 6-10, but we’ll start him at the 4 early on and just give us a chance to get longer.” FINAL THOUGHTS Young and his staff certainly have added the ingredients for success—experience, size, talent, and depth. Depth was an emphasis, as Young wanted more competition in practices—a sore spot for him last season. He adjusted practices a season ago just to keep a depth-shy team healthy. Added depth creates a bit of a dilemma, though. Can Young find playing time for 10, 11 or 12 players, or do one or two Hokies take redshirt seasons? Young seems open to the possibility. “I’ve never redshirted a kid inmy 18 years as a head coach and regretted it. Not one,” he said. “I think that is such an incredible opportunity to grow physically and have a better understanding of the game. READY TO ACTION INTO Continued from page 13