GREENSBORO, N.C. – Following his stay in Maui, Hawai'i, Virginia Tech men's basketball's Landers Nolley II has been named ACC Freshman of the Week, as announced by the league office on Monday.
The redshirt freshman led the Hokies (6-2) to their first top-five win over a nonconference opponent since 1964, with a game-high 22 points against then-No. 3 Michigan State (5-2). Nolley also chipped in four rebounds, five assists, two blocks and three steals in the upset win.
In the semifinals against Dayton (5-1), tallied 15 points, six rebounds, an assist and a steal, while recording 22 points, seven rebounds, an assist and a steal versus BYU (6-3) in the third-place game. He averaged 19.7 points, 5.7 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game at the Lahaina Civic Center.
The Atlanta native dropped two 20-point games in Maui to bring his total to five on the year and had 10 3-pointers at the prestigious tournament. He was named to the Maui Jim Maui Invitational all-tournament team, joining Kansas' DeVon Dotson and Udoka Azubuike, Dayton's Obi Toppin and Georgia's Anthony Edwards.
Nolley is the fourth Tech player to win ACC Freshman/Rookie of the Week, along with AD Vassallo (2005-06), Jeff Allen (2007-08) and Kerry Blackshear Jr. (2015-16). But just Allen and Nolley have won the award twice.
Tech will be back in action on Friday when it plays host to Duke (7-1) at 7 p.m. ET at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. The game will be broadcast on ACC Network.
