By Al Featherston for theACC.com
Deron Washington enjoyed his first trip to the NCAA Tournament so much that he wants to go again. But Virginia Tech's senior wing forward understands what a challenge that will be after losing three four-year starters to graduation.
"It's going to be very different for me," Washington said. "For three years, I've had those older, more experienced players to turn to. Now, all of these young guys will have their eyes on me. Coach tells me I cannot have that off day at practice because the young guys will look at that as the way it should be done."
Deron Washington
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Washington is a wonderfully athletic 6-7, 210-pounder who started his Virginia Tech career as an undersized power forward, but last year transformed himself into a high flying wing. He's the team's top returning scorer (12.0 ppg.) and top returning rebounder (5.3 rpg.). But more than numbers, Washington's junior season was made memorable by some of the jaw-dropping plays he created - most notably the dunk on Duke in Cameron, when he soared over the head of Greg Paulus to reach the basket.
"Deron is a freakish athlete who has the ability to have a breakout season," Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg said. "He's worked extremely hard in the off-season and he's improved his release and his consistency on his jump shot. I expect him to be one of the better defenders in the ACC. He needs to have a special season for us to be competitive in the ACC."
Washington will team with 6-6 junior A.D. Vassallo, the team's top 3-point shooter last season, to give the Hokies two of the biggest, strongest wing players in the ACC.
"A.D. is a world-class shooter and rebounds his position as well as anybody in the ACC," Greenberg said. "He has a high basketball IQ and is extremely competitive."
Greenberg has to replace veteran Coleman Collins at center, but he has a number of experienced players to use in his post rotation.
"Overall, our size is going to be very good," the Hokies' coach said, looking at a post rotation that includes 6-9 junior Cheick Diakite, 6-9 sophomore Lewis Witcher, 6-8 red-shirt sophomore Terrance Vinson and 6-7, 258-pound freshman Jeff Allen - the latter described by Greenberg as "a mountain masquerading as a man."
The bigger problem for Greenberg is finding replacements for his brilliant 2007 backcourt of Zabian Dowdell (first-team All-ACC) and Jamon Gordon (third-team All-ACC). That talented tandem started together as true freshmen in the fall of 2004, when Virginia Tech was still in the Big East, and remained fixtures in the lineup throughout the Hokies' transition to the ACC.
Dowdell and Gordon were probably the best defensive backcourt combination in the league last season - ranking one-two in the ACC in steals. Dowdell was also one of the top scorers in the league (17.4 ppg.), while Gordon was one of the ACC's assist leaders (4.5 apg.).
Their departure leaves a huge void in the Virginia Tech lineup.
"It's going to be hard to replace those two," Washington acknowledged. "It hurts us, but it's something you have to deal with."
Greenberg obviously knew that he'd have to replace his backcourt this season and he had a plan in place to limit the damage. A year ago, he recruited point guard Nigel Munson out of famed DeMatha High School in Hyattsville, Md., and gave him significant playing time as a freshman - clearly preparing Munson to take over the team's playmaking duties this season.
But the best laid plans ...
Munson went home this summer and decided not to return to Virginia Tech. Suddenly, Greenberg was left without a single guard who had even a minute of college basketball experience.
"It is what it is," Greenberg said, shrugging off the problem. "You can belabor it. You can use it as an excuse. Or you can deal with it."
A.D. Vassallo
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The Virginia Tech coach intends to deal with it. He'll turn to a talented crop of freshmen guards and allow them to learn on the job - just as Dowdell and Gordon did four years ago.
"This is no different," Greenberg said. "Dowdell and Gordon started every game as freshmen. That team won 16 games, advanced in the Big East Tournament and had a top 25 win."
Virginia Tech will probably start the season with a one-guard alignment, allowing Greenberg to juggle freshmen Hank Thorns and Malcolm Delaney at the point.
"It will be a learning experience for all of us," Greenberg said. "Someone is going to have to play those minutes. We're going to ask a lot of these guys."
Thorn is more of a true playmaker. He is a 5-9, 140-pounder in the mold of Wake Forest's Ish Smith. He led the prep scoring in Las Vegas last season, averaging 27.8 points a game. Delaney, the Baltimore Catholic League player of the year as a senior, is more of a combo guard with a sweet 3-point stroke and good defensive skills.
"Hank has blow-by quickness and a feel for the position and getting other people involved," Greenberg said. "Malcolm is a little more deliberate, but solid in terms of his decision-making and his ability to stretch the defense."
The uncertainty in the backcourt, especially at the point, is one of the reasons the ACC media projected Virginia Tech to finish ninth in its pre-season poll. Of course, the ACC media has been wrong about Virginia Tech before - picked 10th in 2005, the Hokies finished fourth; picked sixth last season, Virginia Tech finished third and was in the regular-season title race until the last weekend.
"It does not bother me one bit what people are thinking we can do," Washington said. "We know what we're capable of doing. People see all of these young guys, but we've already taken a trip to Canada, so we got to play together and (to) get used to each other. I would just as soon be considered an underdog."
Greenberg's goal is simple.
"Our goal is to make the NCAA [Tournament]," he said. "That's always our mindset."
Last year's NCAA trip was Virginia Tech's first in over a decade. Neither Greenberg nor Washington wants to wait that long for the Hokies' return to the playoffs.
STRENGTHS: Washington and Vassallo are a perfectly matched set of wing players. Washington is a defender, a rebounder and an athlete who excels in transition. Vassallo is a deadly 3-point shooter and an excellent rebounder. And at 6-7 and 6-6, their size will be difficult for most opponents to match up with.
CONCERNS: Inexperience at guard, especially the point. At least one of the two freshmen point guards must mature quickly.
NEWCOMER TO WATCH: Jeff Allen is as physically mature as any freshman who has entered the ACC in years. He's also a year older than most ACC freshmen after spending a post-graduate year in prep school. He could have a huge impact for a team that needs a low-post offensive presence.
EARLY TESTS: A late-November trip to Alaska for the Great Alaskan Shootout could produce match-ups with Michigan or Butler and perhaps Gonzaga. The Hokies visit Penn State in the Big Ten/ACC Challenge, then get George Washington later in December. The month ends for a trip to New York City of the ECAC Holiday Festival and a potential match-up with St. John's in Madison Square Garden.
