“We have to get more talented and we are going to quick.”
Those were the words of Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Mike Young following a first round ACC tournament loss to California on March 11th that ended the Hokies' season.
Fast forward a bit over six months for Media Day, and Young boasts a completely revamped roster which many players suggested can compete at the top of the ACC.
Here are some takeaways from the opening press conference.
(1) There has been a notable jump in intensity during practice.
“I feel like our competitiveness is on a different level,” said sophomore wing Tyler Johnson. “Every day in practice there’s a certain intensity that all the coaches bring - especially (Chester) Fraz(ier).”
Chester Frazier was on Mike Young’s staff from 2019-2021 and most recently was the associate head coach for West Virginia. Frazier was a hard-nosed guard in his playing days at Illinois and seems to bring the same attitude to the sidelines.
“(He has) Unbelievable energy and passion,” Young said. “I’ve had a lot of good ones (associate head coaches). He’s as good as I’ve had.”
Besides the mentality Frazier brings to this team, there’s something to be said for having more talent across the board and having more competitive practices because of it. Last year’s roster was incredibly inexperienced and while this team is largely new, it’s made up of guys who have played all around the country and even internationally.
