Hokies Humbled by the Loss of Radford
The Virginia Tech Athletics Department announced Monday, January 25th that sophomore guard Tyrece Radford would be suspended indefinitely.
Released via email and social media posts, the department declared that Radford’s suspension was due to “not upholding the high standards Virginia Tech has for its students and athletes.”
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If the past is any indication, Radford will be gone for a majority of, if not the rest of the season.
“We’ve got enough players in this building to continue to win” said Head Coach Mike Young after informing the media of Monday’s decision.
When asked how he planned to win without his budding star, Young responded: “We’ve got no choice. Got to figure it out.”
The once removed ACC Player of the Week had paced himself at 11.1 points, 6.3 rebounds and 2.1 assists per game this season while shooting 53.7% from the field. He also outperformed these numbers in the Hokies' three wins over ranked opponents, averaging 13.7 points, 9.0 rebounds and 3.7 assists against #3 Villanova, #24 Clemson and #19 Duke.
Radford was the late-in-the-clock shot taker, averaged 2.1 offensive rebounds per game and was an extremely versatile defender. His loss lessens the physicality and speed in the Hokies’ lineup.
Coach Young’s team is going to have to shift their focus moving forward: freshmen Joe Bamisile and Darius Maddox are in line to receive a greater workload and must be ready for the challenge.
Bamisile in particular has an opportunity to shine. The explosive 6’4 guard has wowed during brief cameos this season, scoring buckets that would leave most with dropped jaws.
Bamisile started the season a little rusty, having missed the entirety of his senior high school season due to knee surgery, but has impressed as of late. In his past two games, the young guard totaled 20 points in just fourteen minutes of action. Though he may not yet have the instincts of Radford, his activity and above-the-rim play make him a viable candidate to take on the dirty work that Radford was used to doing.
The Hokies are back in action in South Bend, Indiana Wednesday, where they will showcase their new rotation against a 5-8 (2-5) Notre Dame team.
