Virginia Tech Basketball: What were the biggest X-Factors to the Hokies' disappointing season?
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The 2024-25 season was one to forget. The Hokies' inexperience was quickly exposed during a 74-64 loss to Jacksonville in their second game, part of what turned out to be a six-game losing streak. From then on, head coach Mike Young and his team never strung together more than two wins from Nov. 11 on. Most expected this team to struggle, yet the more games played, the more evidence emerged as to why.
Youth
Last spring saw eight of Virginia Tech’s 10 biggest point contributors leave the squad, either through graduation or the transfer portal. The Hokies were forced to recruit heavily in the portal, and while they added a senior (Ben Burnham) and a junior (Tobi Lawal), the roster featured just four players ranked as juniors or above.
Offensive efficiency
Virginia Tech tallied the second-worst offense in the ACC last year, statistically speaking. With just one player (Tobi Lawal) averaging over 10 points per game, the Hokies struggled all season to find consistent scoring. They posted the fifth-worst offensive field goal percentage in the ACC (44.2%) and surpassed the 70-point mark only 10 times in ACC play, including the ACC Tournament—twice coming in overtime games. Just the year prior, the Hokies reached 70 points 15 times in the 2023-24 season and 16 times the season before that.
Turnovers
Throughout Young's tenure, Virginia Tech finished at least seventh in the ACC in assist/turnover ratio in all but one year (you can probably guess which year that was).
The Hokies ranked second-to-last in the ACC this season with a .94 ratio. The lowest before this season was a 1.23 ratio in the COVID-19-ridden 2020-21 season.
Of course, the reasons listed above do not tell the entire story of why Tech failed to meet its preseason expectations. The Hokies posted a home record of just 8-9 while also dealing with injuries and other factors. However, when looking at the main reasons for Virginia Tech’s struggles, age, offense, and turnovers are a good place to start.
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Connor is a recent graduate from the esteemed Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech. He first found himself writing for recruiting database Rivals.com for just about two years before moving to Virginia Tech On SI. Connor has interviewed some of the highest-ranking members of Virginia Tech Athletics and looks to one day be a full-time writer covering Manchester United, his favorite soccer team.