Will JJ be dyn-o-mite?

JJ is our new basketball coach.  I really hope that they do something with that in reference to Kid dynomite.  Who knows if they will or not, but I think it will definitely take us a couple of years to tell if he is going to dynamite.

James Johnson

James Johnson was an assistant coach at Tech before he left us a couple of weeks ago to go to Clemson as an assistant.  Jim Weaver offered him the same amount of money to stay at Tech.  Johnson declined it and told Weaver that it wasn't about the money.  This statement helped to lead to the decision to let Seth Greenberg go.  I do however think there were other motives to leaving Blacksburg besides the atmosphere that surrounded Seth Greenberg's program.  Clemson has been known to have a pipeline  for assistant coaches leaving for head coaching positions.  I think that ultimately the opportunity for James to be a head coach is why he left Tech.

Sure enough, two weeks later, James was offered a head coaching position.  He was given the opportunity to come back to Blacksburg to be the head coach. I bet you he didn't think he would coming back to Blacksburg.  Weaver did a coaching search and decided to get James Johnson back as the head coach. 

James doesn't have any head coaching experience.  OK, he does have a games worth.  When he was an assistant coach, one time the head coach got thrown out of the game and James had to be the head coach.  It was a funny story when he told it at the press conference.  The thing is that he doesn't have a lot of head coaching experience.  Honestly I don't know much about him and hadn't really heard of him until he left Tech in the first place.

I do however think this is a good move for Tech.  We have yet to invest a lot of money in our basketball program and unless we are willing to do so and allow our Basketball coach to make as much as Frank Beam then we are going to be stuck with a middle of the road basketball team.  I am fine with that philosophy.  I would like to make the tournament some and I believe JJ will get us there!

We have lost a couple of players this coming year.  That is expected when you change coaches.  I don't know it it will be next year or a couple of years from now, but I think Tech will start to make the tournament.   We do have an excellent team returning next year, even without Finny Smith.  I like what Johnson said in an interview:

“We’re losing six points a game in Dorian Finney-Smith. Montrezl Harrell never scored a basket, never got a rebound for Virginia Tech.”

That is a very true statement.  I bet they can find a guy that can get us 6 points a game next year.  Johnson as a likableness about him and I think that he will really provide the Hokies with that spark they need.  Call it a feeling but I think that JJ will be DYN-O-MITE!

My Top 5 Hokies: #5 Malcolm Delaney

I am starting a new blog series where I am going to list my top five favorite Hokie players to this point.  I mean there will be plenty more to come but up until this point, these are MY top five favorite Hokie players.

My # 5  Favorite Hokie player is Malcolm Delaney.

Malcolm Delaney

Malcolm played for the Hokies from 2007 to 2011.  Altough he considered leaving for the NBA draft after his junior year he came back and played his senior year.  Each year Malcolm got better and better.  Here are his averages each year:

Season Averages
SEASON				FG%		3P%		FT%	REB	AST	BLK	STL	PF	TO	PTS
2010-11				.420		.408		.850	3.5	4.0	0.2	1.6	2.6	3.0	18.7
2009-10				.387		.306		.842	3.7	4.5	0.1	1.2	2.9	3.0	20.2
2008-09				.385		.354		.869	4.0	4.5	0.3	1.5	2.6	2.9	18.1
2007-08				.420		.402		.787	2.9	3.1	0.1	0.8	2.6	2.2	9.6

As you can see by his stats his best year was his junior year.  This was the year that I truly loved watching him play.  Malcolm just seemed to have a way about him.  He could take over a game and before you even knew it, he had dropped 30 points on you.  He was a pure shooter with an excellent stoke.  He could light you up from NBA three point land or take it to the hole for a layup.  Malcolm made Hokie basketball fun to watch.  He added that extra flare.  He helped to keep Tech in a lot of games.  Malcolm finished in second place all-time at Virginia Tech with 543 career assists and finished in third with 2,255 career points.  He set new school records for career free-throws made (721), attempted (853) and percentage (.845), career minutes played (4,688), and career three-pointers attempted (727).

During his senior year, Malcolm was played injured.  The Hokies were decimated by injury and were stuck with a six to seven man rotation which led to Malcolm playing almost every minute of every game.  That kind of playing time takes a toll on you, I don't care who you are.  It was tough for him to fight through it but he was able to do so and the Hokie came really close to making the NCAA tournament.

Malcolm made the game fun to watch.  Although he never got the opportunity to play in an ACC tournament he never game up and always tried his hardest to get the Hokies there.  He left everything on the court.  He was an exciting player to watch with a wonderful game and attitude.

Thanks Malcolm for all you did for the Hokies.  That is why you are my number 5 favorite Hokie.

Where is he now?

He plays for Elan Chalon in France and continues to put up excellent numbers like he did at Virginia Tech.

Malcolm Delaney in France



No more Harking...

Well I was wrong in my earlier post.  Harrell has decided to ask for his release from his Letter of Intent.  He has decided to seek a stronger team and a better opportunity.  I hate it for the Hokies whose Turkey is now down a wing and a leg with two scholarship players leaving.  There is also talk about Dorian Finny Smith getting the opportunity to play for some better programs like Kansas. Harrell will probably end up at some place like Kentucky.

Don't get me wrong the kid has to go where he is comfortable and wants to play.  We don't need or want him to come to Tech if he isn't going to be happy there.  I understand that and respect that.  The same goes with Finny Smith leaving.  We don't need an unhappy player.  It is a shame he had to come there to realize he didn't want to be there.

I understand that these kids need to go wherever they are comfortable and will provide them with the best opportunity to play basketball at the next level.  The thing I don't understand is why doesn't there seem to be any loyalty any more when he comes to athletes?  I would have given anything to be able to go to Virginia Tech.  I have loved the Hokies since I was a kid.  If I had the talent and ability of an athlete I would have gone there in a heartbeat.  I don't understand why there isn't that same love of schools by these athletes.

Ok it might not be Virginia Tech that they love and want to go to but all these kids with talent are recruited and consider lots of schools.  If you are so talented, go where you want to go to school because you are going to shine where ever you are.  I don't think that one school or another really opens a ton of doors for you when it comes to where you get drafted or if you play at the next level.  I think it comes down to how good you really are and proving it on the field or the court.  Go out and make a difference for the team you loved as a kid and if you are a star then you will shine.

I wish Harrell and Finny Smith the best of luck and we will keep tabs on them to see how they do. I am going to keep looking for that kid with the Virginia Tech jersey who goes to every game, who grows up watching and rutting for the Hokies and has a lot of talent.  I am going to keep my eyes open for that first kid with lots of God given talent that doesn't even have to think about where he wants to go to school.  His parents went to Tech, he grew up at Tech, and during his senior year on the first day he can, he will tell the world that Virginia Tech is where he wants to play ball.

No matter how good he ends up being when he gets here, he is the one that I want to cheer for.

I will shop at the Super Marcus!

According to Mel Kiper, Marcus Davis is predicted to be a highly ranked senior wide reciever.  Mel also has Logan Thomas as the number 2 pick overall in the NFL draft.

Marcus Davis

This could be the beginning of a beautiful friendship.  If both of these guys can hook up a lot during the upcoming season not only would that help both of their draft status, but the Hokies could be looking really good come the end of the year.

That is a lot of pressure and honestly Hokies don't seem to do well under pressure.  It is true for the team as a whole but lets hope that this year is a year of change for our Hokies.

So here's to Logan shopping every game at the Super Marcus!  I feel there is a special on touchdowns!  Let's buy, buy, buy! 

Mama knows best.. Dorian is leaving the Hokies

Dorian Finney Smith is officially transferring.  It has been confirmed by his mother.  In a meeting this past weekend, Dorian, and his mother, asked coach Johnson for a release from his scholarship.  He said that it had nothing to do with the coaching changes and was something he had been thinking about since January.  Dorian was Tech's most highly ranked recruit since Dell Curry.  The rumor is that he will look to transfer to ODU. 

Dorian had an up and down rookie campaign as a Hokie.  He has a lot of potential and he definitely will be missed as a Hokie.  The belief is that he would of started for the Hokies this coming year and had an opportunity for a lot of playing time.

Finney Smith leaving the Hokies puts their bench in a tight spot.  We really need Harrell to decide to stay committed to Tech and play for the Hokies!  I hope he will! 

Lost our first Turkey!

It is being reported that Dorian Finney Smith is leaving Virginia Tech.  It is said that he had decided to leave before the coaching change happened.  It is rumored he is going to Old Dominion University.  It will be interesting to see if these reports are true.  I will have more on this when it is confimed! 

Dorian Finny Smith: Tip In against Boston College to win the game.

Logan's Run

Nope, I'm not talking about the 1976 Sci Fi movie.  I am talking about Logan Thomas' run as our quarterback.  It started last year and I fear will end after this coming season.  I recently was listening to ESPN radio and heard a segment where they were talking about next year's NFL draft.  Although it is really early to predict the draft picks for next year,  they were listing their top ten.  Matt Barkley from USC has been predicted to be the number one pick.  Then honestly I was a little shocked to hear them list Logan Thomas as the number two pick.


Logan Thomas

I thought Logan would be a really high draft pick but I also thought we would have another year before he would be forcasted so high in the draft. He had a good rookie season as the starting quarterback but there were quite a few flaws in his game. Of course there is a learning curve when playing quarterback in college and you rarely see someone leave after their freshman year because they are ready for the NFL. That being said I think that Thomas has huge potential and that he will play in the NFL. I wanted to take a look at his stats at quarterback versus the other Tech quarterbacks over the last 5 years.


                Season  GP    Effic.   Comp   Att   Pct.     Yds   TD   Long   Int    Att   Yds   Avg   Long  TD
 Thomas     2011    14   135.50    234      391  59.8     3013   19     63      10     153   469    3.1      23     11
  Taylor      2010    14   154.80    188      315  59.7     2743   24     69       5      146   659    4.5      72      5
  Taylor      2009    13   149.39    136      243  56.0     2311   13     81       5      106   370    3.5      46      5
  Taylor      2008    12   103.25    99        173  57.2     1036    2      40       7      147   738    5.0      73      7
Glennon     2007   13    137.64   143      235  60.9    1796    12    ?       5        66    -43   -0.7      12      1
   Taylor       2007   11    119.68    72       134  53.7       927    5      59       3       102   429    4.2      52      6


We all know that in 2007 the Hokies used a duel quarterback system with both Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor getting playing time.  What I like about Thomas' numbers is how balanced they are.  He threw more passes and completed more than either Taylor or Glennon.  The negative with those passing numbers is that Thomas also had 10 interceptions.  Both Glennon and Taylor didn't come close to that over the last five years.  Thomas also had 469 rushing years which was blown away by Tyrod Taylor during his senior year when he had 659, but look at the touchdown numbers.  Logan had 11 touchdowns running the ball where Tyrod only had 5. 

Tyrod had more of a running, scrambling game. While watching him his senior year, the Hokie receivers would have to run off their routes to get open because Tyrod was scrabbling.  They hit some big plays with Tyrod being able to stay alive and find the receiver but always looked disjointed and out of sync.  They were broken plays and often there were too many of them.

Logan Thomas was a pocket passer who could run when needed and because of his size was able to literally run over defensive players.  Plays last year with Logan as the starting quarterback were much smoother and not as choppy as when Tyrod was the starting quarterback. There were some bad decisions as there always is with a freshman quarterback.

Sean Glennon

Why do I compare Logan to Tyrod and Glennon over the past 5 years?  Well, both those gentleman have pro experience. 


Sean Glennon signed with the Minnesota Vikings as an undrafted free agent but was released in July of 2009 when Brett Farve came out of retirement.



Tyrod Taylor

  Tyrod Taylor was drafted in the sixth round of the 2011 NFL draft by the Baltimore Ravens and currently is the backup quarterback in Baltimore.        




Logan's run will continue this year as we see what he can do with his sophomore year as the Hokies starting quarterback.  Will he continue to improve?  Will he lead the Hokies to an ACC championship or even a NCAA championship?  How does his two year's as the Hokie signal caller compare to the last Hokie drafted as a number one quarterback?  We will answer all these questions as the 2012 football season gets started!

Hark the Not enough info...

Well I might have gotten pulled into all the hype and information that is out there and got excited too soon.  It looks like Montrezl may still be undecided...   It will be interesting to see what happens...  Here is a video that was retweeted by Montrezl. 

http://ballislife.com/67-montrezl-harrell-is-a-monster-underrated-undecided-senior-mixtape/

Take a look because either way, Montrezl Harrell is really good at the game of basketball!

Hark the Harrell?

There have been some reports lately that Montrezl Harrell is staying at Virginia Tech! 



Montrezl Harrell



http://www.kentuckysportsnetwork.com/forum/topics/anthony-bennett-to-unlv-amile-jefferson-a-priority-now

If this is true, Johnson has done an amazing job at keeping our recruiting class in tact which is no small feat for a new coach taking over a program.  It sounds like coach Johnson must of really been playing a huge role behind the scenes with players and recruits at Tech.  Honestly I hadn't heard much about him until this whole thing went down with coach Greenberg so I am excited to see what he can bring to the table. 

This is a step in the right direction but we need to confirm it first! 

Football Schedule for 2012

I know that football season isn't for a while but I am excited and ready to see LT (Logan Thomas) back in action again! I always get so pumped for football!  We will see what happens this year!  I will have reviews of games and my picks of all ACC games when the season FINALLY gets here! Until then we can always play some Madden!

Sat, 4/21	Spring Game, 4 PM  (Thunderstorm cancelled the game)
Mon, 9/3	Georgia Tech, 8 PM, ESPN
Sat, 9/8	Austin Peay
Sat, 9/15	@Pitt
Sat, 9/22	Bowling Green
Sat, 9/29	Cincinnati (FEDEX Field)
Sat, 10/6	@UNC
Sat, 10/13	Duke
Sat, 10/20	@Clemson
Thu, 11/1	@Miami, 8 PM, ESPN
Thu, 11/8	Florida State, 8 PM, ESPN
Sat, 11/17	@Boston College
Sat, 11/24	Virginia
Sat, 12/1	ACC Championship Game Charlotte, NC

Knock on Wood!

It has been reported that Marshall Wood one of our two recuits for next year's recruiting class has agreed to stay with the Hokies.  James Johnson, already hard at work, went and met with Wood.  Wood is a 6 foot 8, 210 pound small forward out of Rustburg, Virginia.

Marshall Wood is a Hokie!

This already shows that Johnson is the right man for the job because both recruits for the 2012 class were going to ask out of their letters of intent when Greenburg was let go.  We are hoping that Montrezel Harrell will also choose to stay with the Hokies! 

I will have my thoughts and feelings about James Johnson up very soon!

They Might Be GIANTS...

The New York Giants have a lot of confidence in Virginia Tech players.  That was shown this past week in the NFL draft when the Giants took not one but 2 Hokie players.

David Wilson:  Running Back Virgina Tech

David was taken with the 32nd pick in the first round of the NFL draft in 2012.  Although there are not many starting positions on the Giants roster that need filling, running back is one of those needs.  Wilson gives them a running back with great vision and strengthen.  His work ethic is amazing and he is an all around nice guy.  The Giants will have to work on him realizing when to go down instead of trying to get that extra yard which could result in a fumble.  He did have that issue at Tech this year.  They will also need to work on his ability to catch the pass out of the backfield.  That will be an important outlet for Manning when the other receivers are covered.  I think Wilson might start slow but he will get a lot of playing time and plenty of opportunities to prove himself.

Jayron Hosley: Cornerback Virginia Tech

Jayron was taken with the 94th pick in the third round of the NFL draft.  He was picked to fill the hole at cornerback left by Aaron Ross who signed a free agent deal with the Jacksonville Jaguars this off season.  Jayron brings excitement and great ability to the cornerback position.  He can read plays before the Quarterback even throws the ball.  Although I love that part of his game, jumping routes can cause major trouble in the pro game.  Hopefully the Giants will work with him on playing within the game and not always trying to go for the home run ball, so to speak.  It will be fun to watch them play this year.

They might be Giants, but does that mean I am a Giants fan?  That is a great questions.  I am a Panthers fan because I live in North Carolina.  I am a Dallas Cowboys fan now because of Danny Coale, and I am definitely now  a Giants fan with both Jayron and David playing for them!  NFL football will be fun to watch this coming season!

When it Raines it pours!

Today I joined Tweeter!  I finally decided to give it a try and see what it is all about!  Hopefully I can get a following and have fun with it!  My first add was Cadarian Raines.  He plays center for the Virgina Tech Hokies!  It was a really neat thing.  I look forward to following him and the other Tech basketball players!

I will write another blog later, but I am very happy with the choice of James Johnson as the new Virginia Tech Basketball coach.  I know a lot of the players are and I am glad that we are keeping the band together! 

Thanks Cadarian for the add!

Dallas gets Coale in their Stocking!

With the 152 pick in the 5th round of the NFL draft, the Dallas Cowboys selected Danny Coale!  I was super excited and extremely happy that Danny was drafted.  I thought he really deserved it and was a great pickup by Dallas in the 5th round. 

Danny Coale running down the sideline after catching a long pass against Nebraska.

Danny Coale brought so much excitement and entertainment to the field for Tech.  I have always loved to watch him play and to this day his catch against Nebraska is by far one of my favorite catches I have ever seen. 

I really see Danny as a Wes Welker type player.  He is a do everything wide receiver and I truly believe that he could punt and or return punts in the NFL if Dallas needs him to.  I hope that they give him every opportunity to be a go to receiver in the NFL. 

A receiver from Virginia Tech has not been drafted since 2008.  That year Eddie Royal was taken in the 2nd round with the 42nd pick, Josh Morgan was taken in the 6th round with the 174th pick, and 7th round with the 215th pick. 

This is an excellent career opportunity for Danny, someone who I truly enjoyed watching over these past couple of years.  You could always count on him to make a big play or try as hard as he can to make that play.  He will leave it all on the field.

Getting Coal in your stocking at Christmas is a bad thing.  Not for the Cowboys!  Getting Coale in their stocking was a great thing and he will be an asset to their team.

Here is a link to the Cowboys telling Danny they are drafting him!

What the Tech?

Hey everyone, my name is Eric and I am a Huge Hokie Fan.  I have been one for all my life.  A lot of people ask me if I went to Virginia Tech.  That is always a weird question for me to answer because the answer is no.  I went to the University of North Carolina at Asheville!

I grew up a Hokie fan.  Both my parents went to Virginia Tech and now they make their home up in Blacksburg.  I have always loved to watch games with my Dad and talk about VT.  My brother is just like me when it comes to Tech athletics and he didn't go to Tech either. 

I have been following the football and basketball program all my life. I just wanted a place where I could write my thoughts and feelings and express my love for VT.  Anything you see on here will be my opinion and only my opinion.  I will do research and make valid points, but I am not a professional sports writer or anything like that. 

I hope you will add this blog and read along, especially if you really like what I have to say and like Virginia Tech! 

So Let's GO Hokies!