Virginia Tech (3-0) defeated a solid, experienced mid-major team in Winthrop (2-1) 58-52 in Cassell Coliseum behind strong defense and rebounding to remain undefeated.
“That was a good team,” Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young said of Winthrop. “We were going to have to play better than we did against Delaware State and Upstate.”
While the Hokies “couldn’t throw one in the New River” according to Young, they played a strong enough game on the other end, allowing them to overcome their shooting woes.
Defense was apparently a major focus after the Hokies allowed 74 points in their 93-74 victory over USC Upstate on Friday.
“I was discouraged when I left here Friday,” Mike Young said of the Hokies defensive efforts a few days ago. “We had to take a quantum leap forward defensively, and we did.”
Virginia Tech held the Eagles to 35% shooting, and a staggering 16% from long range. While some of that can be attributed to missed shots they’d normally knock down, the Hokies' rotations looked smoother than ever. They hedged on-ball screens and doubled the post, and were still able to recover defensively to close out on perimeter shooters.
They also did a great job getting back on defense to slow Winthrop down. They only allowed five fast break points and better yet, they stopped the Eagles from scoring off of “secondary breaks,” unlike a few instances from their first two games. Tobi Lawal continued to be a major difference maker on the defensive end, blocking two shots and getting two steals.
“He shot out of a cannon,” Young said of one of Lawal’s sky-walking blocks.
Whether or not he can sustain the offensive production he enjoyed in his 23-point outing against Delaware State, he should contend for an All-ACC Defensive team spot as he completely transforms this Hokies' defense with his explosiveness.
A defensive possession isn’t over until someone grabs the rebound, and the Hokies were able to both limit the Eagles to one shot, and give themselves multiple opportunities due to their work on the glass. Virginia Tech won the rebounding battle 43-32, grabbing 16 offensive rebounds which led to 15 second chance points. Every basket is even more important in a low scoring game, and the Hokies' rebounding margin may have been the deciding factor.
Lawal once again dominated on the glass with 10 rebounds, and he was joined in double figures by freshman Tyler Johnson. Johnson only shot 2/7 from the floor, but he made his minutes felt with strong defense and six offensive rebounds from the guard position. After the game, Tobi Lawal dubbed Johnson “a super freshman,” as he entered college completely filled out and game ready unlike the vast majority of players his age.
In a difficult shooting night for almost everyone involved, Duke transfer Jaden Schutt proved to be the exception. Schutt knocked down two shots right out of the gate to start both the first and second half.
“It’s the best feeling in the world,” Schutt said of making his first shot.
With his shooting touch on point from the get go, Schutt led the team in scoring with a career high 17 points on 5/10 from long range.
Schutt continued the trend of the Hokies having a new leading scorer in every contest thus far, with that reality not surprising Mike Young either.
“I think we’ve got a number of kids who can ring the bell,” said Young. “It certainly could be somebody else on Friday against Penn State.”
To knock off Penn State in the Hall of Fame Series, the Hokies likely need more than one “somebody” to step up and knock down some shots. Virginia Tech has a multitude of players who can go for big games, but they’ll need more of a collective shooting effort to beat a power five opponent.
Brandon Rechsteiner, fresh off of his career high, struggled offensively for just four points in 21 minutes. Jaydon Young knocked down a couple big threes at the end to close the game, but he finished just 2/8 from downtown.
Most concerning is Ben Burnham, who figured to play a featured role in this Hysier Miller-less Hokie offense, remaining quiet offensively, this time scoring two points in just 11 minutes of action. Burnham proved to be a more than capable shooter at Charleston, but he has passed up quite a few three-point looks and seems to be too timid to launch from behind the three-point line.
Virginia Tech needs more from Burnham to be successful this year, and there is no better place for him to come alive than a showdown against the Nittany Lions.
While a Virginia Tech versus Winthrop game should never come down to late game free throws and clutch shots, it is encouraging that the Hokies were able to pick up a win in a game against a veteran team on a night where they were shooting so poorly.
Mike Young gets a few days for practice and adjustments before taking his team on their first big roadtrip of the year to Baltimore, for a game where they will learn a lot about themselves.
The Hokies will likely need to combine the offensive efforts of their USC Upstate game, and their defensive efforts from this Winthrop game, in order to leave Baltimore undefeated later this week.
