BLACKSBURG – After wishing his best to former Hokies that are beginning their NBA careers this week, Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Mike Young addressed the media on a variety of topics Tuesday.
Two weeks out from his first time coaching the Hokies on the hardwood down in the Palmetto State, Young touched on how he's intrigued to see who steps up to the plate that day.
"I'm excited to see how it all shakes out," Young said. "I think I could play nine, maybe 10, on opening night. I hope to. You put the guys on the floor that give you the best opportunity to win. That's what you're charged to do."
The Radford native is charged with other things too, like figuring out ways to limit turnovers or fouls. Back when he was at Wofford, he shared the insight that he would have 10 balloons at a practice and would have a manager whack one if there was a turnover. If all 10 would eventually be popped, there would be 'consequences'.
You see, some things Young has taken with him from his time in Spartanburg and there's been some things he's had to adjust and tweak, too. Knowing your team's strengths and utilizing those to the best of its ability will be crucial for Young and the Hokies.
When asked on what the Hokies' strengths will be this winter, Young painted the picture of what fans will likely see in Cassell.
"Strengths, we can shoot it," Young said. "We are going to be a good passing team. We have to be good in the half court. I think our half-court man-to-man defense is okay right now. That's got to be a real strength, though.
"The transition defense has got to be a real strength. It's not yet, but should be. A team that embraces who we are. We can't beat ourselves, nobody can. A team that takes care of the basketball, gets a good shot every time down."
One of the key ingredients to getting a good shot on the offensive end will be the role of redshirt freshman Landers Nolley II. Nolley, who is the true definition of a small forward, will be used on the post and the wing, helping Tech take calculated shots along the way.
An important piece the Atlanta native worked on during his first year in Blacksburg was gaining a greater understanding of the game and what it takes from a physical standpoint to succeed. Learning from those that came before him truly paid the way the 6-foot-7 specimen he is today.
"More knowledge, lateral quickness and weight," Nolley explained on what he added to his craft recently. "I put on about 25 pounds with me coming in weighing a little over 170. I also picked up a lot of tips from older guys like Justin Robinson and Ahmed Hill. I just learned from those guys and tried to not make the same mistakes as them, with them teaching me up from their miscues."
Another Hokie who plans to be one of Tech's strengths is freshman Nahiem Alleyne, a 6-foot-3 guard from Georgia, just like Nolley. He views his skill set as one that can get up and down and impacts both sides of the court, which is something Tech will need with losing such quality defenders from a season ago.
"My biggest strength, I think, is that I'm a two-way player that can score at all three levels and defend multiple positions," Alleyne said. "That's the biggest thing on why coach [Mike] Young recruited me, because I can score and defend at a high level."
So look for the two Peach State players to be going at it early and often for Tech this season, especially with the season opener being a conference game. Does Young enjoy his first game is an ACC road contest? Maybe not, but he does think the team will be ready for when the year opens up at Clemson on Nov. 5.
"With our season opener being our league opener, that's a huge deal. And it's something that has ramifications moving forward. We'll prepare like crazy and have them ready to go."Gallery: (10/22/2019) 2019-2020 MEN'S BASKETBALL MEDIA DAY
