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Officially, the “Buzz Williams Era” in Virginia Tech basketball begins Friday, Nov. 14 when the Hokies tip off the 2014-15 season against visiting Maryland-Eastern Shore inside of Cassell Coliseum.
But in reality, the blueprints and the foundation for the future of Tech basketball were designed in March when Williams shocked many basketball pundits by bolting Marquette University for Blacksburg. Since then, Williams and his non-stop motor have spent 18-hour days recruiting, re-organizing, and re-energizing anything that involves, revolves or bounces when it comes to Virginia Tech basketball.
From staffing to graphics to workouts to philosophical player “Tech Talks” to individual and collective responsibilities, Williams has begun wiping clean the malaise that comes with three consecutive last-place finishes in the ACC. Forget everything you ever knew about Tech basketball. Things have certainly changed.
Of course, that doesn’t mean you should expect instant on-court success. In fact, Tech likely will be picked last in the 15-team ACC at the upcoming preseason media event in Charlotte. But that won’t deter Williams or his players.
“The kids have been great,” Williams said. “Their leadership and their togetherness and willingness to accept what we’re trying to do have been great. One month into school, this team’s togetherness has been as good as any team I’ve been around.”
Tech has seven new players on its roster for this upcoming season, five of whom will be eligible to play this season. What stands out? Williams likes their toughness and camaraderie.
“We had 15 individual workouts in September, and I really liked what I saw,” Williams said. “We’ve had our boot camp, which is where our team is formed. That was a real team-building opportunity.”
Williams also said that he’s impressed with the physical condition of his team – “They’re in great shape,” he said. “Best I’ve seen in eight years as a head coach.” – which is important because the Hokies aren’t big, and they’re not going to be the ACC’s most talented team. They’ll have to find other ways to win.
It’s the unknown that makes this team intriguing. Who will emerge as leaders and who will be the key players? Judging by the “before-and-after” pictures of the players from March until today, you can see a big difference physically in the guys. Will that transform into on-court productivity?
Nobody knows exactly what to expect, including the opposition. That will make this season really fun to watch.
What we do know is this: from his Marquette days, it’s clear Williams values defense, toughness and togetherness. To win in the ACC, a team needs all of those traits, plus really good players. Williams is improving the talent-base through recruiting, and to be honest, the Hokies have some nice-looking young players on this year’s team.
But this is a team that will win because of its togetherness and mental toughness. That’s the foundation of this program that Williams has been building since the day he walked into the Hahn Hurst Practice Center last March.
The season officially begins Nov. 14, and while you might not know who all those guys are in the white jerseys just yet, you’re going to like what you see.
Ford impressive on and off the field
One of the most impressive freshmen in Virginia Tech’s football program has been wide receiver Isaiah Ford from Jacksonville, Florida. A first-team Class 3A all-state selection as a wide receiver last year at Trinity Christian Academy, Ford is second on the team in receptions with 28 and first in yardage with 366. He also is tied for the team lead in touchdown receptions with four. He became just the second true freshman receiver to start a season opener at Tech. His road to Blacksburg was a curious one, and I had the chance to visit him one-on-one recently. Here is the interview:
BR: I think it’s time Virginia Tech fans get to know more about you because you’ve jumped right into this thing full speed. How are you enjoying Tech so far?
IF: It’s been a lot of fun, a lot of work, but a lot of fun, too.
BR: Let’s go back to February. Think about this for a second: if Charlie Strong doesn’t leave Louisville to become the head coach at Texas, would you be playing at Louisville right now?
IF: (laughs) Yeah, probably. When Coach Strong left, he called. He talked with my mom. He said they didn’t have receiver scholarship spots open at Texas and so I wasn’t going there, and Coach [Bobby] Petrino and I talked, but Coach [Charley] Wiles did a great job for Tech, along with Coach [Aaron] Moorehead. I liked Tech all along, too, so it worked out great.
BR: As I recall, you only took two official visits last spring, right?
IF: Yes, Virginia Tech and Louisville.
BR: Who were your other finalists?
IF: Florida, Florida State, South Carolina, Ohio State and North Carolina.
BR: You told me that Florida coach Will Muschamp made a late push for you. How hard is it for an in-state receiver who’s living just 75 miles from Gainesville to turn down the Gators?
IF: (laughs again). There are a lot of Gator fans there. He [Muschamp] called on signing day, and we talked. But the thing I liked most about Tech was the family atmosphere. It’s the coaches and the other players here. It’s really a big family, and I liked that a lot.
BR: We’re glad you feel that way. When I think of in-state receivers who are all-state high school kids from Florida, I picture guys like Peter Warrick or Anquan Boldin or Andre Johnson. Guys like that. Really competitive. Really athletic. What is it about the top high school receivers in Florida that make them so competitive and successful?
IF: You have to have the mindset to want the ball, to compete to get the ball. You have to prove yourself on every play. High school football in Florida is very competitive, especially at the receiver position.
BR: The first day of preseason camp, when the Hokies were just in helmets and shorts, you approached it with the ferocity of the BCS Championship Game. You had a fire and passion that very first day. What was that all about for you?
IF: I felt like, although I had a good high school career, this was starting over. I had to prove myself all over again. That was the past and this was the start of something new, and I had to earn everything. I wanted to play. I wanted to start and prove that I belong. The coaches told me that I could play right away, but I wanted to prove to them that I could earn that opportunity.
BR: What is your favorite NFL team?
IF: Denver Broncos
BR: And your favorite receiver?
IF: Sammy Watkins [a former Clemson receiver now with the Buffalo Bills].
BR: What’s the most played song on your phone?
IF: Hmmm. Let me look [checks phone for accuracy]. Dreams and Nightmares by Meek Mill
BR: Not surprisingly, that song doesn’t make my top 10, but I’ll check it out.
IF: (laughs).
BR: Hokie fans have been to Jacksonville a bunch for Gator Bowls and the ACC Championship Game. What’s the best part of your hometown?
IF: Oh man, just being with family. And friends. It’s home. Mom’s home cookin’.
BR: And what’s your mom’s favorite dish?
IF: Oh wow, it’s got to be her fried pork chops, baked beans and mac-n-cheese. It’s REALLY good!
Sometimes a player comes out of nowhere to be a real contributor just a few games into his college career. That’s certainly the case for Ford, who is as likeable as he is talented. He’ll be a treat to watch over the next few years at Tech.
It took about an hour to play the third quarter of the game at Ohio State. During that time, the teams and the stadium went flat because TV timeouts were interrupting the flow of the game. Is that more about being the primetime game on ESPN, or will more games be getting longer? Also, we always hear about players being able to control their emotions in big games in front of big crowds, either home or away. How do you maintain your professional demeanor in those situations and not get too caught up in those environments? Andrew Foster, Roswell, Georgia.
Andrew,
This year, ESPN is exercising a contractual right to modify the timeout format during its telecasts. In some of our games this year, ESPN has taken 72 units (spots), plus four “floaters” for a total of 76 units for the game. Other games, such as Virginia Tech vs. William & Mary, had just 68 units, which is four minutes less of commercials during the game. That’s what you’re noticing.
We do try to maintain a professional demeanor on our broadcasts. Our listeners deserve to know what’s happening on the field, and our job is to describe the action as accurately as possible, not to scream and yell. Thanks for your observations and thank you for listening.
When you say “In each game, we want to have just two plays of third-and-11-plus, and just four plays that are third-and-7 to 10 yards. You want to look back after the [William & Mary] game and see that, 10 times, we had third-and-3 to 6 yards to go, you're basically saying that we want to have two really bad notes and just four kind-of-bad notes in our symphony. This doesn't sound good. I like a goal of playing a perfect symphony, and if, by accident, you hit a few not-so-perfect notes and no one notices, that's OK. We need to set the bar higher. Joe Rainero, Mount Pleasant, South Carolina.
Hi Joe,
In this instance, Coach Scot Loeffler was referring to the sabermetrics of football and the average down-and-distance metrics of successful teams. Thanks for your note.
I enjoy your energy and enthusiasm, even after a tough loss like the East Carolina game. What is it that causes the Hokies to lack focus and intensity to lose so many games coming off a big win? I listened to all the coaches, and no one would admit there was a letdown. The double whammy is sometimes a noon start time. This is a recurring problem that needs to get fixed if the Hokies want to play for a national championship one day.
Thanks, Michael Hall, Annandale, Virginia.
Hi Michael,
Thanks for listening. Coach Beamer pretty much took the heat for this one following the ECU game. For whatever reason, Tech came out very flat against an excellent ECU offense and fell behind 21-0 in the first quarter. I think ECU is terrific, but the Hokies didn’t play their “A” game against the Pirates, that’s for sure.
Our experience at the Georgia Tech-Virginia Tech football contest was one of the best I have had at Lane Stadium, and the exciting game was only part of it. My wife and I are Duke and Virginia Tech grads, respectively, with my daughter and son-in-law both having graduated from Georgia Tech within the past 10 years. I was simply amazed at how many times Hokie fans came up to them before, during and after the game, welcoming them to Blacksburg and hoping they enjoy their visit. On the way back to Raleigh, they commented on how nice everyone was to them. This is something I doubt would have happened during my time at Virginia Tech in the 1970’s. The efforts behind the “Hokies Respect” campaign are obviously still paying big dividends. Thank you, Hokie Nation. Jim Nichols, Raleigh, North Carolina.
Jim,
Thanks for the note. I couldn’t agree more.
Big downer for the Tech-Western Michigan game. WUAB, an ACC network affiliate out of Cleveland, Ohio, was supposed to carry it. The station was showing the game on DirecTV's schedule right through game time. However, WUAB instead showed some show about space aliens. Why wouldn't an ACC affiliate carry the game? They had been carrying the ACC network games this season. Which company is responsible to get the schedule right on DirecTV? I can't imagine any one at WUAB not noticing the scheduling snafu, or did they pull the plug at the last minute? Lastly, is there any way to confirm if the station is actually carrying a game ahead of time? I hate to put you in the middle on this, but I think you can find the answers. Thanks, Larry, Ashland, Ohio.
Hi Larry,
I spoke with the station’s management, which reported problems with receiving the satellite feed of the game. According to WUAB-TV, the satellite feed was breaking up, and thus the station aired backup programming instead. However, we’ve been told the technical problem has been fixed, and WUAB (which is a Raycom media station) will be carrying the ACC game of the week each Saturday. Thanks for your note.
I always look forward to your coverage of the Hokies and your take on the program. In today's world, filled with news bulletins of both NFL and college athletes finding themselves in trouble (from the domestic violence issues in the NFL or Charlie Strong having to dismiss nine players to instill core values), I'm proud to see our program recruit young men with character. It speaks volumes of the coaching staff.
Recently, starting with Logan Thomas, I have started to see the players wear the “I am Second” wristbands. During the interview with J.C. Coleman regarding his trip to the Dominican Republic, I noticed he also was wearing an “I am Second” band. It's nice to know the leaders on this team have their priorities in order and act as true ambassadors for the university. I only wish the good behavior and quality attributes were as highly touted by the press as the negative ones. Greg Azar, Class of ’01 Highland Village, Texas.
Greg,
Thank you. There are lots of great kids in our program (and in other programs and in the NFL as well.) And you’re right, those kids deserve the positive media coverage! Thanks for watching.
What a GREAT win at Ohio State. Was that the loudest stadium you’ve been to? Paul K, Athens, Ohio.
Paul,
From my perspective, Ohio Stadium, while the largest, was not the loudest stadium we’ve had the honor to visit. Personally, the loudest I’ve experienced is LSU (night game vs. the Hokies in 2007), Lane Stadium (dozens of games over the years), the Orange Bowl (2000) and the Alabama games at the Georgia Dome (2009 and 2013).
I’ve written this before, but I once asked Brock Berlin about this very topic a few years ago. For those who don’t know, Berlin was the national High School Player of the Year in the late 1990s out of Louisiana. He signed with Florida out of high school before transferring to Miami. His time at Miami overlapped with the Hurricanes’ move from the BIG EAST to the ACC. So he’s the only player who ever played (and started) for schools in the SEC, BIG EAST, and ACC. That gave him a unique perspective on “loudest stadiums.”
I asked Berlin to rank the loudest venues he played in and he said (in no particular order): Florida, Virginia Tech, Auburn and LSU. Berlin told me that they were all “about the same” and that “you couldn’t hear anything, but your head just hurt.”
So that’s his take. By the way, today, he lives with his wife and three kids in his hometown of Shreveport, Louisiana.
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