Roth Report
Television & Radio
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Duke the heavy favorite, but ACC tournament always competitive
The 
Roth Report
Roth Report
March 2, 2006
By Bill Roth Once again this year, our ISP Sports network will provide live coverage of each and every game in the ACC tournament. This year, because of the league's expansion, there will be a total of 11 games spanning four days from the Greensboro Coliseum, and every minute of each game will be broadcast on radio stations throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is, of course a major undertaking for our entire radio network crew, and again in 2006, we'll combine efforts of the various ISP crews. When the Hokies are playing, you'll hear Mike Burnop and me on your regular Tech radio affiliate. However, for other games, you might hear Burnop paired with Georgia Tech's Wes Durham, Wake Forest's Stan Cotton, or Boston College's Ted Sarandis. Similarly, I might be joined on a broadcast by Wake's Mark Friedinger, BC's Bill Ebben, Georgia Tech's Randy Waters, or another one of our talented ISP analysts. We do this for a number of reasons, but most notably, to keep our broadcast crews fresh throughout the week. When combined, there are hundreds of radio stations throughout the region which will carry ISP Sports' coverage of the 2006 tournament from Atlanta to Boston and the last thing we want is our broadcasters staggering to the finish line for the championship game. The good news for fans: you'll be able to hear the tournament on the same station that carries Virginia Tech's regular-season games. And for those of you heading to Greensboro, you'll be able to hear the game broadcasts at 89.5 FM inside the Greensboro Coliseum. Our coverage begins Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m. from the Greensboro Coliseum and continues through the championship game on Sunday. While Duke is the clear favorite to repeat as ACC champion, don't be surprised if there's an upset or two along the way. Here's a primer:
TEAM: Duke Blue Devils
COACH: Mike Krzyzewski
KEY PLAYERS: J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.
DID YOU KNOW?: Duke has won six of the past seven ACC tournaments and has played in the championship game eight consecutive seasons. Duke is 20-1 in ACC tournament games since 1999.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 2005.
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Duke is the team to beat. They have two unanimous All-Americans in J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. The only hope anyone has is if J.J. has an off night shooting during the same game Shelden gets in foul trouble.
TEAM: N.C. State Wolfpack
COACH: Herb Sendek
KEY PLAYERS: Cameron Bennerman, Engin Atsur, Elian Evtimov
DID YOU KNOW?: N.C. State played in the first ACC Championship game in 1954. Tickets for the entire tournament cost $9. The Wolfpack has won 10 ACC tournament championships.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1987
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "They have great balance and pass the ball extremely well. They're an excellent 3-point shooting team. You really got to guard them past the 3- point-line. Cedric Simmons is one of the real improved players in the ACC."
TEAM: North Carolina Tar Heels
COACH: Roy Williams
KEY PLAYERS: Tyler Hansbrough, Reyshawn Terry.
DID YOU KNOW?: UNC has won 15 ACC tournaments, including seven titles in Greensboro. UNC is 31-12 in ACC tournament games played in Greensboro, the best record of any ACC team. The Tar Heels have won at least one game in the ACC tournament a league-high 38 times.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1998
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "The defending national champs lost their top-seven players, but Roy Williams did an incredible job. They could certainly win the tournament. Tyler Hansbrough is one of the best freshman big men to come into the ACC in a long, long time. Reyshawn Terry would've been starting for a lot of teams over the past few years, but was overshadowed by great talent at UNC. Now, he's rising to the top.
TEAM: Boston College Eagles
COACH: Al Skinner
KEY PLAYERS: Craig Smith, Jared Dudley.
DID YOU KNOW?: BC will try to become the first ACC expansion team to win its first ACC tournament game since Florida State in 1992. Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Miami all lost their first ACC tournament games.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 2001 (won Big East tournament in New York).
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Craig Smith and Jared Dudley are among the best one-two punch of any team in the country. If those two stay out of foul trouble, BC can challenge anybody. Al Skinner did a great job keeping them together after an 0-3 start to conference play. They do a great job running their flex offense."
TEAM: Florida State Seminoles
COACH: Leonard Hamilton
KEY PLAYERS: Alexander Johnson, Al Thornton.
DID YOU KNOW?: The Seminoles are 1-6 all time in games played at the Greensboro Coliseum.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1991 (won Metro Conference Tournament in Roanoke).
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "They have a great one-two punch in Alexander Johnson and Al Thornton. They have a lot at stake in this tournament and clearly Leonard Hamilton has done a great job building on a disappointing 2005. Like the Hokies, five of their losses have been in the final minute or in overtime."
TEAM: Virginia Cavaliers
COACH: Dave Leitao
KEY PLAYERS: J.R. Reynolds, Sean Singletary
DID YOU KNOW?: First year coaches are 10-32 (.238) in their ACC tournament debuts. UVA lost nine consecutive ACC tournament games from 1995-2003 before winning a game in '04.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1977
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Clearly, the Cavs have a great backcourt in J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary. Dave Leitao did a tremendous job with a team that was picked last in the pre-season. When they hit their outside shots, look out. But they play much different when they're outside University Hall.
TEAM: Miami Hurricanes
COACH: Frank Haith
KEY PLAYERS: Robert Hite, Guillermo Diaz, Anthony Harris
DID YOU KNOW?: Diaz scored 20 points in a first-round loss to Virginia last year. The 'Canes were just 6-22 from 3-point range in that loss.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: None.
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "It's all about the perimeter. Incredibly talented backcourt. Guillermo Diaz is more than a high-flying dunker. He's refined his game. Anthony King does a nice job blocking shots. They're fast, but sometimes turn it over too much for Coach Frank Haith's liking."
TEAM: Maryland Terrapins
COACH: Gary Williams
KEY PLAYERS: Nik Caner-Medley, Mike Jones
DID YOU KNOW?: Maryland has finished 7-9 in the ACC the past two seasons. But in 2004, the Terps made a run in the ACC tournament, winning three straight games to claim the title. Maryland later won a game in the NCAA Tournament that season.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 2004
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Different team without Chris McCray. This is the second straight season Maryland hasn't performed as well as Gary Williams would've liked. Got to guard the flex and not let Nik Caner-Medley go off. Mike Jones can step up and have a big game any night."
TEAM: Clemson
Tigers
COACH: Oliver Purnell
KEY PLAYERS: Vernon Hamilton, Shawan Robinson, Akin Akingbala.
DID YOU KNOW?: Clemson lost 11 straight opening-round games from 1964-74, which is still an ACC record. The four Mahaffey brothers hold all ACC tournament records for brother participation. Tom (1960-62), Donnie (1962-64), Randy (1965-67), and Richie (1967-68) all played in the ACC Tournament. All four are among Clemson's top-10 rebounders.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: None.
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "They've played so many close games and would've won more if they'd made more free throws. They're the worst free-throw shooting team in the league, even though they have the best free-throw shooter in the league in Shawan Robinson. Akin Akingbala is good enough inside to give anyone in the league trouble and has played well over the last eight weeks."
TEAM: Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets
COACH: Paul Hewitt
KEY PLAYERS: Jeremis Smith, Ra'Sean Dickey.
DID YOU KNOW?: Georgia Tech has won two ACC tournaments: 1985 and 1990.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1990
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "It's been a really tough year for the Yellow Jackets. Losing their top six players off last year's team really hurt. They're the spoiler of this tournament. They've been close but can't close out close games, which happens with a young team. They've been in position to win games, but haven't cleared that hurdle."
TEAM: Wake Forest Demon Deacons
COACH: Skip Prosser
KEY PLAYERS: Eric Williams, Justin Gray.
DID YOU KNOW?: Tim Duncan had 22 rebounds to lead Wake to the 1996 ACC Championship in a victory over Georgia Tech. The Deacons are 4-9 in the tournament since then.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1996
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "This team was ranked in January and has two very talented players in Justin Gray and Eric Williams. Biggest disappointment in the league. They lost more than just Chris Paul. They lost all those supporting guys like Downey, Levy and Danilus, which really hurt more than people realized."
TEAM: Virginia Tech Hokies
COACH: Seth Greenberg
KEY PLAYERS: Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon, Coleman Collins.
DID YOU KNOW?: The Hokies shot just 37 percent from the floor (19/51) in their 73-54 loss to Georgia Tech in the quarterfinal round of last year's ACC tournament, one of their worst outings of the 2004-2005 season.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1979 (won Metro Tournament at Memphis).
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "This is the ACC's hard-luck team because it's endured so many off-court distractions. The three juniors, Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon, and Coleman Collins, are all capable of taking the Hokies a long way in the tournament. They haven't gotten consistent play this season from the three-spot at either end. After a disappointing season, it's a chance for this team to get a second chance in Greensboro. They'll be ready for the atmosphere of the ACC tournament after last year's one-and-done. The Voice's Mailbag
Bill,
Last year, we went 11-2 with a pretty tough schedule. This year, we have a tougher one with visits to Miami, Boston College, and home games with Clemson and Virginia. Do you think we can make an even better run this year? Last year's team was very talented, but this year's team seems to have more NFL talent, do you agree? Eric, Norfolk. Eric,
We'll have a better picture of this team upon the conclusion of spring practice in April. While the Hokies do have eight home games this season, they've got a lot of big holes to fill at quarterback, tight end, running back, and defensive tackle. Leadership and chemistry will play a key role on the success of the 2006 team. With a new-look to its coaching staff, and new players at key roles (especially quarterback), the team has a lot of work to do this spring. But yes, there is a lot of talent on that roster, make no mistake about it.
First off, I wanted to say thanks for the job you and Mike do on the coverage of VT games. I was wondering as far as disciplining athletes such as Marcus Vick and others, what is the reasons for why VT will suspend, dismiss, etc. before an athlete has even gone to a court trial in a criminal offense? I understand that even just being in or around a situation is considered poor conduct, but what about a situation where the charge is completely dropped and the athlete is not guilty in any way? Say he was wrongly identified and not even around the situation, yet the university has already disciplined him. Why, at least, wouldn't the university await a trial verdict or at least take the athlete out of playing but allow them to practice until the trial is complete to prevent punishing an innocent person? Thanks. Kyle, Roanoke. Kyle,
Discipline regarding athletes at Virginia Tech is governed by the University's Comprehensive Action Plan. That plan ensures due process to a student athlete. However, coaches may suspend or dismiss players for 'violation of team rules,' and in most cases, an athlete will admit his or her misstep to a coach. There have been situations where athletes dismissed from teams at Tech were later exonerated by the legal system. However, a coach and the athletics department can always hold athletes to a higher standard and require them to adhere to stricter standards.
I was sorry to hear that Tech would not be playing Kent State here in Ohio this coming season. I think you are doing a disservice to fans here in Ohio by not agreeing to play games in Ohio. We are recruiting more in Ohio. Guys like Aaron Brown on this year's team, and who could forget Ben Taylor! We have great high school football here and playing Kent would've helped our recruiting for next year. Between Cincinnati, Ohio State, Kent State, Miami, Akron and Toledo, Tech could play one game in Ohio each year. Us Hokies in Ohio would appreciate it! Scott, East Liverpool, Ohio. Scott,
Scheduling can be tricky and this is confusing to follow, but Tech was actually scheduled to play at Ohio this fall until that school's administration asked for a change for a variety of reasons. Ohio will come back to Lane Stadium for a game in 2007. The game with Kent State is a one-shot deal, scheduled for Lane Stadium this fall. As of now, Tech's only scheduled game in Ohio is at Cincinnati in 2009.
Why do the postgame conversations with Coach Greenberg occur so quickly following the game? For example, tonight against FSU, I left the game right at the buzzer and made it to my car just in time to hear the very end of the interview. Is there any way to delay the interview for another 5-10 minutes in order for folks to hear it in its entirety? I know Coach was asking for folks to pack the Cassell against Clemson, but I doubt very many actually heard it. Thanks for the great reporting and reading my request. Kenny, Blacksburg. Kenny,
We interview Coach Greenberg as soon as he concludes his postgame meeting with his team. Some times, that meeting can take longer than others. Following his radio show, Coach Greenberg meets with the press in the media room at Cassell Coliseum, or on the road. We don't want to hold up the reporters who are often working on a tight deadline, particularly following 9 p.m. games, so we always try to get to the coach as soon as possible. Thanks for listening.
The ACC compiles the football schedule, not Tech's coaching staff. You can see the complete ACC schedules through the next decade on the conference's web site.
I played on the 1960-61 freshman basketball team and remember the futility of trying to guard Howard Pardue in practice. Radar became a honorable mention All-American at VT. Has he been lionized at any ceremony or indoctrination into the VT Hall of Fame? I believe he was from North Carolina along with Barry Benfield. Thanks for any info on Pardue. Steven Slack, Atlanta, Ga. Steven,
Howard Pardue was inducted in to Virginia Tech's Hall of Fame in 1992. You're right, he was one of the best players ever to wear a Tech jersey.
Great job this season, as always. Listening to the postgame interview last night with Coach Greenberg and holding my breath as he finished saying that they will fix this ship. I was just wondering - ever had a slip-up on air? Ever thought about using a couple of seconds delay during the broadcast? Thanks, and GO HOKIES! Stephanie, Blacksburg. Stephanie,
No, we don't delay the broadcast for home games. That would make the listening experience for fans in the stands a bit miserable. We're careful - as is the coach - not to make a slip of the tongue. Thanks for listening.
Have a question for Bill? Submit it on-line
The Roth report appears weekly in hokiesports the newspaper and is
posted for the general public on hokiesports.com.
The opinions expressed here are solely those of the writer and do not
necessarily reflect the views of the Virginia Tech Athletics
Department, hokiesports.com, or it's advertisers.
By Bill Roth Once again this year, our ISP Sports network will provide live coverage of each and every game in the ACC tournament. This year, because of the league's expansion, there will be a total of 11 games spanning four days from the Greensboro Coliseum, and every minute of each game will be broadcast on radio stations throughout the Commonwealth of Virginia. This is, of course a major undertaking for our entire radio network crew, and again in 2006, we'll combine efforts of the various ISP crews. When the Hokies are playing, you'll hear Mike Burnop and me on your regular Tech radio affiliate. However, for other games, you might hear Burnop paired with Georgia Tech's Wes Durham, Wake Forest's Stan Cotton, or Boston College's Ted Sarandis. Similarly, I might be joined on a broadcast by Wake's Mark Friedinger, BC's Bill Ebben, Georgia Tech's Randy Waters, or another one of our talented ISP analysts. We do this for a number of reasons, but most notably, to keep our broadcast crews fresh throughout the week. When combined, there are hundreds of radio stations throughout the region which will carry ISP Sports' coverage of the 2006 tournament from Atlanta to Boston and the last thing we want is our broadcasters staggering to the finish line for the championship game. The good news for fans: you'll be able to hear the tournament on the same station that carries Virginia Tech's regular-season games. And for those of you heading to Greensboro, you'll be able to hear the game broadcasts at 89.5 FM inside the Greensboro Coliseum. Our coverage begins Thursday morning at 11:30 a.m. from the Greensboro Coliseum and continues through the championship game on Sunday. While Duke is the clear favorite to repeat as ACC champion, don't be surprised if there's an upset or two along the way. Here's a primer:
TEAM: Duke Blue DevilsCOACH: Mike Krzyzewski
KEY PLAYERS: J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams.
DID YOU KNOW?: Duke has won six of the past seven ACC tournaments and has played in the championship game eight consecutive seasons. Duke is 20-1 in ACC tournament games since 1999.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 2005.
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Duke is the team to beat. They have two unanimous All-Americans in J.J. Redick and Shelden Williams. The only hope anyone has is if J.J. has an off night shooting during the same game Shelden gets in foul trouble.
TEAM: N.C. State WolfpackCOACH: Herb Sendek
KEY PLAYERS: Cameron Bennerman, Engin Atsur, Elian Evtimov
DID YOU KNOW?: N.C. State played in the first ACC Championship game in 1954. Tickets for the entire tournament cost $9. The Wolfpack has won 10 ACC tournament championships.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1987
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "They have great balance and pass the ball extremely well. They're an excellent 3-point shooting team. You really got to guard them past the 3- point-line. Cedric Simmons is one of the real improved players in the ACC."
TEAM: North Carolina Tar HeelsCOACH: Roy Williams
KEY PLAYERS: Tyler Hansbrough, Reyshawn Terry.
DID YOU KNOW?: UNC has won 15 ACC tournaments, including seven titles in Greensboro. UNC is 31-12 in ACC tournament games played in Greensboro, the best record of any ACC team. The Tar Heels have won at least one game in the ACC tournament a league-high 38 times.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1998
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "The defending national champs lost their top-seven players, but Roy Williams did an incredible job. They could certainly win the tournament. Tyler Hansbrough is one of the best freshman big men to come into the ACC in a long, long time. Reyshawn Terry would've been starting for a lot of teams over the past few years, but was overshadowed by great talent at UNC. Now, he's rising to the top.
TEAM: Boston College EaglesCOACH: Al Skinner
KEY PLAYERS: Craig Smith, Jared Dudley.
DID YOU KNOW?: BC will try to become the first ACC expansion team to win its first ACC tournament game since Florida State in 1992. Virginia Tech, Georgia Tech, and Miami all lost their first ACC tournament games.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 2001 (won Big East tournament in New York).
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Craig Smith and Jared Dudley are among the best one-two punch of any team in the country. If those two stay out of foul trouble, BC can challenge anybody. Al Skinner did a great job keeping them together after an 0-3 start to conference play. They do a great job running their flex offense."
TEAM: Florida State SeminolesCOACH: Leonard Hamilton
KEY PLAYERS: Alexander Johnson, Al Thornton.
DID YOU KNOW?: The Seminoles are 1-6 all time in games played at the Greensboro Coliseum.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1991 (won Metro Conference Tournament in Roanoke).
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "They have a great one-two punch in Alexander Johnson and Al Thornton. They have a lot at stake in this tournament and clearly Leonard Hamilton has done a great job building on a disappointing 2005. Like the Hokies, five of their losses have been in the final minute or in overtime."
TEAM: Virginia CavaliersCOACH: Dave Leitao
KEY PLAYERS: J.R. Reynolds, Sean Singletary
DID YOU KNOW?: First year coaches are 10-32 (.238) in their ACC tournament debuts. UVA lost nine consecutive ACC tournament games from 1995-2003 before winning a game in '04.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1977
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Clearly, the Cavs have a great backcourt in J.R. Reynolds and Sean Singletary. Dave Leitao did a tremendous job with a team that was picked last in the pre-season. When they hit their outside shots, look out. But they play much different when they're outside University Hall.
TEAM: Miami HurricanesCOACH: Frank Haith
KEY PLAYERS: Robert Hite, Guillermo Diaz, Anthony Harris
DID YOU KNOW?: Diaz scored 20 points in a first-round loss to Virginia last year. The 'Canes were just 6-22 from 3-point range in that loss.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: None.
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "It's all about the perimeter. Incredibly talented backcourt. Guillermo Diaz is more than a high-flying dunker. He's refined his game. Anthony King does a nice job blocking shots. They're fast, but sometimes turn it over too much for Coach Frank Haith's liking."
TEAM: Maryland TerrapinsCOACH: Gary Williams
KEY PLAYERS: Nik Caner-Medley, Mike Jones
DID YOU KNOW?: Maryland has finished 7-9 in the ACC the past two seasons. But in 2004, the Terps made a run in the ACC tournament, winning three straight games to claim the title. Maryland later won a game in the NCAA Tournament that season.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 2004
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "Different team without Chris McCray. This is the second straight season Maryland hasn't performed as well as Gary Williams would've liked. Got to guard the flex and not let Nik Caner-Medley go off. Mike Jones can step up and have a big game any night."
TEAM: Clemson
TigersCOACH: Oliver Purnell
KEY PLAYERS: Vernon Hamilton, Shawan Robinson, Akin Akingbala.
DID YOU KNOW?: Clemson lost 11 straight opening-round games from 1964-74, which is still an ACC record. The four Mahaffey brothers hold all ACC tournament records for brother participation. Tom (1960-62), Donnie (1962-64), Randy (1965-67), and Richie (1967-68) all played in the ACC Tournament. All four are among Clemson's top-10 rebounders.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: None.
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "They've played so many close games and would've won more if they'd made more free throws. They're the worst free-throw shooting team in the league, even though they have the best free-throw shooter in the league in Shawan Robinson. Akin Akingbala is good enough inside to give anyone in the league trouble and has played well over the last eight weeks."
TEAM: Georgia Tech Yellow JacketsCOACH: Paul Hewitt
KEY PLAYERS: Jeremis Smith, Ra'Sean Dickey.
DID YOU KNOW?: Georgia Tech has won two ACC tournaments: 1985 and 1990.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1990
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "It's been a really tough year for the Yellow Jackets. Losing their top six players off last year's team really hurt. They're the spoiler of this tournament. They've been close but can't close out close games, which happens with a young team. They've been in position to win games, but haven't cleared that hurdle."
TEAM: Wake Forest Demon DeaconsCOACH: Skip Prosser
KEY PLAYERS: Eric Williams, Justin Gray.
DID YOU KNOW?: Tim Duncan had 22 rebounds to lead Wake to the 1996 ACC Championship in a victory over Georgia Tech. The Deacons are 4-9 in the tournament since then.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1996
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "This team was ranked in January and has two very talented players in Justin Gray and Eric Williams. Biggest disappointment in the league. They lost more than just Chris Paul. They lost all those supporting guys like Downey, Levy and Danilus, which really hurt more than people realized."
TEAM: Virginia Tech HokiesCOACH: Seth Greenberg
KEY PLAYERS: Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon, Coleman Collins.
DID YOU KNOW?: The Hokies shot just 37 percent from the floor (19/51) in their 73-54 loss to Georgia Tech in the quarterfinal round of last year's ACC tournament, one of their worst outings of the 2004-2005 season.
LAST WON TOURNAMENT: 1979 (won Metro Tournament at Memphis).
MIKE BURNOP'S TAKE: "This is the ACC's hard-luck team because it's endured so many off-court distractions. The three juniors, Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon, and Coleman Collins, are all capable of taking the Hokies a long way in the tournament. They haven't gotten consistent play this season from the three-spot at either end. After a disappointing season, it's a chance for this team to get a second chance in Greensboro. They'll be ready for the atmosphere of the ACC tournament after last year's one-and-done. The Voice's Mailbag
Bill,
Last year, we went 11-2 with a pretty tough schedule. This year, we have a tougher one with visits to Miami, Boston College, and home games with Clemson and Virginia. Do you think we can make an even better run this year? Last year's team was very talented, but this year's team seems to have more NFL talent, do you agree? Eric, Norfolk. Eric,
We'll have a better picture of this team upon the conclusion of spring practice in April. While the Hokies do have eight home games this season, they've got a lot of big holes to fill at quarterback, tight end, running back, and defensive tackle. Leadership and chemistry will play a key role on the success of the 2006 team. With a new-look to its coaching staff, and new players at key roles (especially quarterback), the team has a lot of work to do this spring. But yes, there is a lot of talent on that roster, make no mistake about it.
First off, I wanted to say thanks for the job you and Mike do on the coverage of VT games. I was wondering as far as disciplining athletes such as Marcus Vick and others, what is the reasons for why VT will suspend, dismiss, etc. before an athlete has even gone to a court trial in a criminal offense? I understand that even just being in or around a situation is considered poor conduct, but what about a situation where the charge is completely dropped and the athlete is not guilty in any way? Say he was wrongly identified and not even around the situation, yet the university has already disciplined him. Why, at least, wouldn't the university await a trial verdict or at least take the athlete out of playing but allow them to practice until the trial is complete to prevent punishing an innocent person? Thanks. Kyle, Roanoke. Kyle,
Discipline regarding athletes at Virginia Tech is governed by the University's Comprehensive Action Plan. That plan ensures due process to a student athlete. However, coaches may suspend or dismiss players for 'violation of team rules,' and in most cases, an athlete will admit his or her misstep to a coach. There have been situations where athletes dismissed from teams at Tech were later exonerated by the legal system. However, a coach and the athletics department can always hold athletes to a higher standard and require them to adhere to stricter standards.
I was sorry to hear that Tech would not be playing Kent State here in Ohio this coming season. I think you are doing a disservice to fans here in Ohio by not agreeing to play games in Ohio. We are recruiting more in Ohio. Guys like Aaron Brown on this year's team, and who could forget Ben Taylor! We have great high school football here and playing Kent would've helped our recruiting for next year. Between Cincinnati, Ohio State, Kent State, Miami, Akron and Toledo, Tech could play one game in Ohio each year. Us Hokies in Ohio would appreciate it! Scott, East Liverpool, Ohio. Scott,
Scheduling can be tricky and this is confusing to follow, but Tech was actually scheduled to play at Ohio this fall until that school's administration asked for a change for a variety of reasons. Ohio will come back to Lane Stadium for a game in 2007. The game with Kent State is a one-shot deal, scheduled for Lane Stadium this fall. As of now, Tech's only scheduled game in Ohio is at Cincinnati in 2009.
Why do the postgame conversations with Coach Greenberg occur so quickly following the game? For example, tonight against FSU, I left the game right at the buzzer and made it to my car just in time to hear the very end of the interview. Is there any way to delay the interview for another 5-10 minutes in order for folks to hear it in its entirety? I know Coach was asking for folks to pack the Cassell against Clemson, but I doubt very many actually heard it. Thanks for the great reporting and reading my request. Kenny, Blacksburg. Kenny,
We interview Coach Greenberg as soon as he concludes his postgame meeting with his team. Some times, that meeting can take longer than others. Following his radio show, Coach Greenberg meets with the press in the media room at Cassell Coliseum, or on the road. We don't want to hold up the reporters who are often working on a tight deadline, particularly following 9 p.m. games, so we always try to get to the coach as soon as possible. Thanks for listening.
The ACC compiles the football schedule, not Tech's coaching staff. You can see the complete ACC schedules through the next decade on the conference's web site.
I played on the 1960-61 freshman basketball team and remember the futility of trying to guard Howard Pardue in practice. Radar became a honorable mention All-American at VT. Has he been lionized at any ceremony or indoctrination into the VT Hall of Fame? I believe he was from North Carolina along with Barry Benfield. Thanks for any info on Pardue. Steven Slack, Atlanta, Ga. Steven,
Howard Pardue was inducted in to Virginia Tech's Hall of Fame in 1992. You're right, he was one of the best players ever to wear a Tech jersey.
Great job this season, as always. Listening to the postgame interview last night with Coach Greenberg and holding my breath as he finished saying that they will fix this ship. I was just wondering - ever had a slip-up on air? Ever thought about using a couple of seconds delay during the broadcast? Thanks, and GO HOKIES! Stephanie, Blacksburg. Stephanie,
No, we don't delay the broadcast for home games. That would make the listening experience for fans in the stands a bit miserable. We're careful - as is the coach - not to make a slip of the tongue. Thanks for listening.
