Outlook: The 5-year Buzz Williams era has come to an end in Blacksburg with the head coach’s departure to Texas A&M. Williams lifted the Virginia Tech basketball program out of the depths like Yoda lifted that X-Wing out of the swamp in Empire Strikes Back. The Hokies made three straight NCAA Tournament appearances under Williams after missing the Big Dance the nine years prior. VT’s roster was stacked with talent last season but now appears to be in full rebuild mode as a new chapter begins under Mike Young. Young led Wofford to unprecedented heights last season and cashed in on his success by becoming the new head man at Tech. Young spent his entire head coaching career at Wofford (since 2002-03) and led the Terriers to five NCAA Tournament appearances. With VT’s five best players departing from last season, Young now faces an uphill battle.

Young’s offenses at Wofford relied on outside shooting, floor spacing, and offensive rebounding. Wofford ran a 4-out / 1-in look under Young with four excellent shooters dotting the arc and a beast inside patrolling the lane. VT has limited frontcourt depth this season, so we should expect to see a similar 4-out look with an emphasis placed on shooting. Wofford’s guards were constantly run off screens (down, fade, etc.) and the Terriers often played through the post to complement a robust shooting game. The Hokies do not have a player like Cameron Jackson on this roster (pour one out for Kerry Blackshear), so inside scoring will come at a premium, but they do have the requisite shooting to run Young’s preferred style of play.

Wabissa Bede and Isaiah Wilkins are VT’s two key backcourt returners, each of whom possess good outside shots. Bede was a partial starter last season when Justin Robinson went down with injury and should see plenty of time at the point and 2-guard this year. Top 100 recruit Jalen Cone, a lightning quick guard who can penetrate and shoot off the dribble, is Bede’s main competition for PG minutes. Cone is small but his quickness will allow him to be effective in a facilitating role. Considering Cone’s youth (reclass from 2020), Young likely opts to go with Bede as his primary PG for at least the start of the year. The keys to the offense should be in his ever-improving hands.

Wilkins will be one of VT’s primary spot-up shooting options after nailing 40.7% of his long-ball attempts as a freshman. The 6’3” guard is a good rebounder for his position and gives VT options on the defensive end with his 230-pound frame. Wilkins, Bede and Cone lead a slew of guards competing for minutes in the backcourt, which include redshirt freshman Tyrece Radford, and true freshmen Hunter Cattoor and Nahiem Alleyne. Jonathan Kabongo was set to see more time this season with his length and quickness; but he’ll miss the 2019-20 year with an injury. Cattoor originally committed to Wofford under Young, which makes sense after taking one look at him (looks like a combination of Fletcher Magee, Storm Murphy, and Nathan Hoover). He’s an athletic off-guard who can shoot from anywhere in the gym. In Young’s spread-out attack, Cattoor could be valuable as a spot-up shooter. Alleyne, a super athletic SG, is more of a wing slasher (somewhat of an anomaly on this roster). He brings playmaking to a roster of mostly shooters. Radford will provide depth at both guard spots.

Of course, the most anticipated debut is that of Landers Nolley, a top 100 recruit in the class of 2018 who was deemed ineligible by the NCAA due to an ACT debacle. Nolley has the makings of an elite shooter but he’ll need to be much, much more for the Hokies in 2019-20. VT’s offense is ripe for a player like Nolley, a 6’7” wing, to take over and become the alpha.

Frontcourt depth is going to be a major issue for Mike Young and the Hokies; only three players on the roster are true forwards – PJ Horne, Branden Johnson, and John Ojiako. Horne will be forced into playing a lot of small-ball 5 and eat majority of the 4-man minutes. He’s an excellent finisher around the rim and has the toughness, athleticism, and body to hang with bigger ACC forwards despite his height. Johnson, a grad transfer from Alabama State, is a fierce rebounder and “catch-and-dunk” threat around the cup. It’s unclear how effective Johnson will be in the ACC after struggling in the SWAC at times last season, but his job will simply be “grab rebounds and play defense”. Considering Johnson’s 38.5% career FT clip, don’t expect much from him on the offensive end. Ginikachukwu “John” Ojiako is a 4-star freshman who, like Cone, reclassified from the class of 2020 this offseason. Ojiako is skinny and still a little raw, but he’ll likely be forced to play unless Young can pull in some last second frontcourt recruits. With an improving face-up game, Ojiako could be a good player in a couple years.

Virginia Tech will probably not have another top 15 offense in 2019-20, and it definitely will not have another top 20 defense. Young’s defenses were never special at Wofford and VT doesn’t have the personnel to alter that trend this season. Expect the Hokies to be punished at the rim this year, apply limited on-ball pressure, and perhaps play a little more zone than Young has historically. VT’s goal will be to slow opponents down on the defensive end and eat clock on the offensive end in an effort to minimize the number of possessions.

Bottom Line: Mike Young is an objectively good coach, but it’ll be a few years before VT realizes a return on his hire. The Hokies likely finish near the cellar of the ACC this season as they look to rebuild one of the best rosters of 2018-19.