This Week in MBB
Virginia Tech vs. Coppin State | Monday, November 6 | Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, VA
Final: VT 100, Coppin State 55
The Hokies began their season with a blowout win over Coppin State at home, taking down the Eagles 100-55. Across the board, Tech was dominant, with every player scoring, five of whom hit double digits.
One of the biggest worries ahead of the season was the depth at the 1, with Rodney Rice entering the portal shortly before the season commenced. With Rice out, only freshmen Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaydon Young along with 2-guard Hunter Catoor were available to back up Sean Pedulla in initiating the offense. While Catoor is more than capable, he thrives in the 2, leaving Rechsteiner and Young as the primary backups.
Rechsteiner and Young managed to quell some fears of the depth Tuesday night. Rechsteiner had 12 points and three assists off the bench, Young with eight points, five assists, and two steals in their first collegiate games. Both were efficient, a combined 6-6 from the stripe and 4-6 from 3PT.
Another group of new faces on the team made a splash as well. Tyler Nickel, the sophomore transfer from UNC had a dozen of his own, with seven boards and a block to complement. Mekhi Long, Mylyjael Poteat, and Robbie Beran both had decent games too. All three should improve as the season goes on and they get acclimated to the Mike Young system.
Replacing Grant Basile’s production in the paint was a worry for 2024, but Lynn Kidd stepped up to fill the gaps. He had 11 rebounds with 14 points and a block. Kidd’s 6’10” presence down low will be huge for the Hokies’ success down the stretch. He meshed well in the offense, but his full potential is still untapped.
Virginia Tech vs. South Carolina | Friday, November 10 | Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Final: VT 77, USC 79
Virginia Tech came up short Friday night, losing to the University of South Carolina Gamecocks 77-79.
The game was back and forth all night. Each team would go up a bit, and end up losing the lead. Tech fought hard to stay in it, but in the end, USC came out on top. There was tons of hope near the end of the game. Tech had the ball down two with plenty of time on the clock, but USC disrupted a handoff between Sean Pedulla and Hunter Catoor. This turnover effectively ended the game for the Hokies despite their valiant effort.
Pedulla was an absolute machine for Tech. The JR guard had a career-high 26 points on 54% shooting. Additionally, he notched nine free throws, nine boards, and five assists for the squad.
Catoor struggled with his shot, depositing just three of his 10 three-point attempts in the hoop. Unfortunate for sure, but not a performance to stress on. It’s two games into the season and bad shooting nights happen.
Lynn Kidd and Mylyjael Poteat looked great down low. They had 12 and nine points respectively, with three steals between the two. It’s great to see them performing fairly well early on, as those two are expected to play into the team's long-term success in a big way.
This Weeks Takeaways
Huge win in the first game and a really close loss in the second. The sample size is small, but overall the team looks good. All the new guys on the team have performed well, and they’ll continue to get better down the line as they learn to play with each other. If they keep making steady improvements, I think this team will be better than their No. 8 ranking in the preseason ACC poll.
