The Virginia Tech men's basketball team got off to another bad start in ACC play.
Two years ago, the Hokies lost seven of their first nine ACC games. They bounced back and finished the regular season with an 11-9 record and won the ACC Tournament.
Last year, the Hokies lost seven of their first eight ACC games. They finished the regular season with 8 wins and 12 losses in league play.
This year's team will enter Saturday's game against North Carolina State with a record of 2 wins and 4 losses in league play.
So the Hokies are in a familiar position, having lost four of their past five games.
“The good news is it's nothing we're not used to,” junior point guard Sean Pedulla said after Wednesday's loss to Virginia.
Did this recent poor start in the ACC make the Hokies think, “Here we go again?”
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“No,” said security guard Hunter Kattore. “We still have a lot of games left. We just have to keep our heads down and keep grinding.
“Of course we don't want to be 2-4. But you can't dwell on the past or look to the future.”
The Hokies are 10-7 overall, 0-4 on enemy territory.
“It's not easy to win here. [on the road]But we have to do it,” coach Mike Young said after the UVa game. “And for that to happen, there has to be a connection across the group. You have to get contributions from the whole unit. You can't turn the ball over on the street or at home. And you have to get up to the plate and make a shot. I have to.”
Tech lost 74-57 to Auburn in November. The Hokies lost 86-63 to Wake Forest on December 30th. Tech lost 77-74 to Florida State on January 6th. The Hokies are coming off a 65-57 loss to UVa.
Virginia Tech has turned the ball over at least 15 times in all four ACC games, including last weekend's home loss to Miami. The Hokies turned the ball over a season-high 21 times in the nonleague loss to Auburn.
What do you feel Tech players need to do to get their first win on the road?
“First of all, we have to take care of the ball,” Kattore said.
“Take care of the ball, and it starts with me,” Pedula said.
Virginia Tech ranks second-to-last in the league in turnover margin in ACC games, committing an average of 4.3 more turnovers than it forces.
The Hokies have more turnovers (86) than assists (80) in ACC play. His assist-turnover rate in league play ranks 13th.
Pedula has 29 turnovers and 24 assists in league play. Power forward Robbie Beran had nine turnovers and two assists in league play, and power forward Mekhi Long had seven turnovers and three assists in ACC action. Freshman backup point guard Brandon Rechsteiner has six turnovers and two assists in league play.
Is this simply a high turnover team that will suffer from turnover issues all year long?
“No,” Pedula said. “We have to do a better job.”
Unlike Tech, North Carolina State (13-4, 5-1) isn't off to a rough start in ACC play.
The Wolfpack is allowing an average of 69.4 points and forcing an average of 13.9 turnovers through 17 games.
“We didn't turn guys over as much as we usually do, but I thought we really defended from a half-court standpoint,” former Ferrum College player and state coach Kevin Keatts said.
State won 83-76 at home against Wake on Tuesday. State University also defeated Boston College, Notre Dame, UVa and Louisville.
The four teams the Wolfpack lost to (BYU, Mississippi, Tennessee, and North Carolina) are all currently ranked.
“Three non-conference losses really prepared us for conference play,” Keatts said.
For the Wolfpack, DJ Horn, a transfer from Arizona State, is averaging 15.1 points, and 6-foot-9, 275-pound graduate student DJ Barnes Jr. is averaging 12.4 points. Butler transfer Jayden Taylor is averaging 12.1 points and graduate student Casey Morsell is averaging 11.3 points.
