BLACKSBURG – The Virginia Tech women's basketball program has waited a long time to get back on the court in a competitive setting, but with Wednesday's season opener against Richmond 48 hours away, it can begin to set its sights on the ultimate, and seemingly elusive prize, a trip to the NCAA Tournament.
The Hokies were poised for the programs' first trip to 'The Dance' since 2006 in March of this year before the event was cancelled due to concerns about the global pandemic.
After a record-setting season last year - 11 league wins, multiple ACC Players of the Year and a renewed respect for the program across the conference, Tech will face questions about its roster. With four of the top six players from the 2019-20 team departing, two new coaches and a pandemic to deal with, many wonder how the Hokies will fare with a new-look team in the nation's toughest conference.
Fifth-year head coach Kenny Brooks has kept his head down, using Zoom and the limited time in front of his team he has to prepare for what 2020-21 may bring. But above all, with game dates on the calendar, and a bit of normalcy restored, he is looking forward to tip-off.
"We're excited about the opportunity to play basketball although it's crazy times, very stressful times," Brooks said. "You deal with so much, you learn to appreciate the opportunity to be able to go out there and play. For me in particular, it's a great pleasure to be able to go out there and play with this group of kids. We've done a tremendous job of trying to put together a very good basketball team full of good players and good people. Each and every day we are able to go out there and play with them, it's been a lot of fun."
If anyone has any doubts, don't tell Brooks. He spoke with confidence that his ball club would be able to compete with the best of the best, something they will be asked to do quite regularly with two matchups each against No. 8 NC State and No. 22 Notre Dame, and No. 5 Louisville on the schedule, along with a host of other talented postseason caliber opponents.
"They picked us seventh, we feel that's low," he said when asked about the ACC's predicted order of finish. "We feel we should be higher than that so that's also another motivating factor going into the season."
Tech is one of just three schools to boast two preseason All-ACC players, in Aisha Sheppard and Elizabeth Kitley.
Brooks' bunch has had to sort out many unknowns, both on and off the basketball court. Who assumes the leadership roles vacated by Taja Cole and Lydia Rivers? Who will the starting five be? Brooks and the Hokies offered answers during a recent session with the media.
How have the new coaches assimilated to life in Blacksburg?
With the departure of two assistants in the offseason, Brooks had the opportunity to scour his network and find the people he most wanted to bring into the program. By the looks of things, he's knocked it out of the park with Christal Caldwell and Lindsey Hicks.
"Coach Caldwell and Coach Hicks, they're rock stars," Brooks said, beaming about the staff. "They have done a tremendous job coming in. We haven't skipped a beat and gotten better in certain areas. The kids love them. The kids absolutely adore them and respect them, and they bring a great energy to the group every day. They have been a tremendous addition to our program."
Hicks, a former standout at Purdue, came from Louisiana Tech where she was the Associate Head Coach, and Caldwell crossed the Blue Ridge Mountains, trading her alma mater's country roads for Blacksburg. She brings great recruiting ties and will be promoted to the program's recruiting coordinator, Brooks hinted.
In tandem with the promotion of Shawn Poppie to Associate Head Coach, the Hokies are in capable hands with this staff.
Who are the leaders of this team on the court?
The team set out to name three captains and took a vote. Three names continued to pop up; Sheppard, Kitley and Chloe Brooks. For all three, it will be their first season in the role.
"Liz is going to be one of the vocal leaders, Chloe Brooks and (Sheppard), those three," Coach Brooks said of his captains elect. "I think it's going to be like a three-headed monster."
Kitley eluded to her confidence now in year two playing collegiate ball, which has led to a more prominent role both on and off the floor.
"It's been fun knowing that my teammates look up to me and respect what I've done for the program, but they know that they can count on me for whatever the team needs," Sheppard, a senior and the only four-year member of the program stated. "They can talk to me about anything and that's what's most important to me."
Where will point production come from other than Sheppard and Kitley?
To be fair, Tech does offer the second-best returning tandem in the conference with Sheppard, a First Team All-ACC performer and Kitley, the reigning ACC Freshman of the Year, combining for 27.3 points per game.
But one look at the stat sheet tells you that, at least based on previous production, there aren't any other big-time scorers ready to fill it up. What the stat sheet won't show is the additions of early enrollee Georgia Amoore, transfer Asiah Jones and an increased role for guard Cayla King, not to mention the seven newcomers.
Amoore, an Aussie and true freshman, will be the Hokies' point guard Wednesday, and by all accounts, she is ready to not only run the offense, but contribute buckets of her own.
"She is the most-ready point guard I've ever coached," Brooks stated. "She's athletic, she shoots the ball at a very high clip and I know she's our second best 3-point shooter behind Aisha Sheppard. I think she is going to have a tremendous year and be one of the best freshmen in the league. She's going to be a big contributor for us."
King, now a sophomore, figures to start on a wing. Although she averaged 2.9 points her freshman year, she is a shooter the Hokies have confidence in.
And lest not forget Taylor Geiman. A guard/forward, she played a significant role before a season-ending injury in January. She is back and ready for her sophomore season.
"I refer to Taylor as my Swiss Army Knife because she can play the 1, 2, 3 or the 4," Brooks noted on Geiman. "If (the opponent) goes small, she affords us the luxury of going small. She handles the basketball and is a very smart player who can play the guard positions. I'm excited because she's one of our better defenders because she can guard a lot of positions, and she is a big part of what we are going to do."
What will the offense look like with Asiah Jones available?
"You might not recognize us, we've done a 180," Brooks remarked when asked about the offensive scheme. "A coach's dream is to be able to play inside out, and we're the definition of that right now. Liz (Kitley) is the focal point and the kids understand that, throw the ball inside to her. Her counterpart Asiah Jones is just as talented. You throw the ball inside to her she scores in a variety of ways. She's athletic, she's bouncy. Our offense is a lot different. We're just a little bit more deliberate."
Jones found her way to the Hokies after three years at Southern Cal, a school she loved, but a situation where, for basketball reasons, she needed to find a better fit. Enter Coach Brooks.
"Last year really helped build my confidence and Coach Brooks had a lot to do with that," Jones told the media. "At my old school, I didn't really play a lot, but he saw my potential, so I feel like that made it really easy for me to start getting comfortable with playing again and really working on my game."
She may be the most excited Hokie to touch the floor against Richmond after sitting out due to NCAA transfer rules. "I'm really excited to put on that jersey and play with my teammates and play for Coach Brooks, I can't wait until Wednesday," Jones said with a smile on her face.
The Hokies will face the Richmond Spiders on Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum on Wednesday November 25 at 4 p.m.
