Returns to homepage

Hokie Hoops and Circling the Wagons

By Justin Cates | January 15
Aluma radford mutts

We're back with another episode after a brief winter hiatus. The timing couldn't be better with a huge week of Hokie news.

Jack Tyler earned a huge promotion and will now coach Tech's linebackers. The former walk-on personifies the #HardSmartTough ethos and knows a thing or two about what Virginia Tech defense should be.

Tyler of course did a great job when he stepped in last season to call the defensive plays against Duke. He joins a young defensive staff looking to turn up the wick in 2021.

On the hardwood Tech continues to outshine everyone's expectations. When the ACC media picked the Hokies to finish 11th in the preseason, many felt that was a bit low. But even the most loyal supporters couldn't have foreseen a legitimate challenge for the ACC title out of this crew.

Mike Young continues to make magic happen. There were lots of doubts after a significant hiccup against Penn State, but the team shook that off quickly and is a close loss to Louisville from being undefeated in conference play.

One might go so far as to say they circled the wagons, and did so quite well.

However we all know nobody circles the wagons like the Buffalo Bills. As I put my Blue Light's on ice and prepare for Saturday night, enjoy this week's show filled with loads of Hokie news including Hokies' win over the Duke Blue Devils, the top ten wrestling program, Jack Tyler's promotion, plus alumnus Nickeil Alexander-Walker going off in the NBA.

Stay safe and enjoy the games this weekend. Go Bills!

4

My Dad graduated from Tech in 1981 and I’ve been attending Virginia Tech sporting events since I first moved to Blacksburg in 1988. I myself graduated in 2008 with a Communication degree. During my time as a student I was the Sports Director for WUVT and helped establish and run Planet Blacksburg, an independent student-run news website. I’ve since written for numerous publications including SBNation, Inside The ACC, and Sports Illustrated's AllHokies. Currently, I host The Justin Cates Show in addition to other contributions here at Sons of Saturday and various other sites as the need arises. I now live in a fortified compound in upstate New York with my wife and numerous animals. The smell of popcorn makes me think of Cassell.

Read More of Justin's Articles