Chapter Two of Kenny Brooks at Virginia Tech begins in less than a week. Our series is winding down. The others so far: …W&M, ODU, Liberty, JMU, Virginia, George Mason, VCU, Richmond … Radford, Hampton, NSU and Longwood, we’re coming for you!
Goings
Sidney Cook: 6-2 forward who started every game last season graduated; averaged 12.7 ppg and 8.7 rpg;
Samantha Hill: 5-10 guard from Toronto who started every game and averaged 10.4 ppg graduated
Vanessa Panousis: the Australian graduates as the Hokies’ all-time leader in triples (269); scored 1,379 points for her career; started every game
Genesis Parker: played just five games last season; transferred to Cincinnati after the first semester.
Tara Nahodil: the 6-5 center who played in 20 games last year with one start has graduated
Comings
Taylor Emery: 5-10 junior guard started her career at Tulane before attending Gulf Coast State College last season where she led the team to a national championship (19 ppg); National Tournament MVP; WBCA Player of the Year and a third-team All-American; at Tulane, selected to the AAC all-freshman team; Parade All-American in high school; holds Hillsborough County scoring record (2,689 points)
Michelle Berry: 6-1 forward is eligible after sitting out last year due to transfer from Cal State Fullerton where she started 29 games; averaged 14.5 ppg and 9.1 rpg; won a pair of state titles at Miami County Day High School
Alexis Jean: 6-1 junior forward played at Palm Beach State last season, starting 26 games and averaging 19.6 ppg and 9.8 rpg; first-team All-American; played for Kennesaw State in previous year, averaging 3.3 ppg and 2.7 rpg.
Aisha Sheppard: the 5-10 guard from St. John’s College High School is a 5-star ESPN HoopGurlz recruit; played AAU ball with the Virginia Diamonds
Sierra Votaw: the 6-2 forward from Harrells, N.C., is a three-star ESPN HoopGurlz recruit; will redshirt the season for developmental purposes
Celeste Akoro: the 6-3 center/forward from O’Fallon, Illinois, is a three-star recruit by ESPN HoopGurlz; had 14 blocks in a high school playoff game; tore her ACL and did not play as a high school senior; will continue to rehab this season as a redshirt
The Hokies won their first 15 games last season, a stellar enough start that we joked with new coach Kenny Brooks that he should retire so he could remain undefeated in his Tech career. Then a sledgehammer, or rather the ACC hit — same letters as the CAA, but those are about the lone similarities — and the Hokies didn’t have the horses to contend. Tech won just four of 16 conference games, bowed out in the second round of the ACC Tournament and advanced to the WNIT quarters.
Brooks in Blacksburg is among the most exciting hires in the history of the state, and we’re eager to see what his second year brings. Tech is still a work in progress, but the Hokies have more pieces this year and some much needed depth to compete in the ACC.
Let’s not forget the Hokies have Chanette Hicks, slowed somewhat by resting her foot over the summer due to a ligament sprain. Hicks is arguably the best player in the state. The Norfolk native averaged 16 points last year along with 5.2 assists. Her 123 steals last season, fifth in the NCAA, eclipsed the program mark she set as a freshman. With more weapons around her, she has the potential to have an All-American season.
Regan Magarity also returns, and we think she’ll be even better as a junior. The 6-3 Swedish forward set a program record with 316 rebounds during the season Along with 15 double-doubles (23rd in the NCAA and second in the ACC), she added 51 blocks, starting every game. Also, imagine what a healthy Rachel Camp could bring to the table. She sat out all of last season with shin splints.Brooks hasn’t had a chance to coach her in season. The 5-10 redshirt junior averaged 11.4 points as a freshman. Let’s hope for a year on par or better with that.
Of the newbies, Emery is the most intriguing. She’s an outspoken poet who Brooks compares to JMU’s Ashley Perez. If you’re not familiar with the JMU spark plug, she was dubbed instant offense, a sparkplug who started her career at St. John’s and had enough energy to share with over to her teammates.
Sheppard has the pedigree most coaches dream of. Brooks will play freshmen when he can, and he likes her ability to score. “It’s not uncommon for her to take the most shots in practice,” he said. “So we try to temper that enthusiasm a little bit, but we try to do it the right way so she doesn’t lose her aggressiveness.”
Jean will contribute right away. When she’s confident, she’ll be the Hokies best back-to-the-basket post player and a complement to Magarity. Berry, too, will look to regain her confidence and given her athleticism, she will be key once she’s comfortable.
Brooks’ daughter, Kendyl added muscle over the summer and will continue to be a threat from the outside. She will continue to spread the floor and no doubt will have some off nights but she won’t be deterred from what she does best: draining 3s..
The learning curve aka as the ACC taught Brooks that, “If you want to make some chicken salad, you’ve got to have a whole lot of chicken. We had a little bit of chicken last year, but not enough to make a really good meal. We just weren’t deep enough.”
An 11-game ACC losing streak made for a long conference season.
Of course, after spending all those years in the CAA, where one league loss means you drop out the AP poll if you ever got in it in the first place and winning the conference tournament is your only ticket to the NCAAs, the ACC is a different world.
“You’ve got Louisville on Thursday and maybe Notre Dame on Sunday and Florida State the next Thursday and then Duke,” Brooks said. “Those are tough teams and we aspire to be one of those teams people fear to play. But you have to be able to build it. You can’t have a Jazmon Gwathmey and a Muff Mickens and expect to win the whole thing. You’ve got to have eight or nine of them.”
Brooks said a year in, he respects even more the arsenal of talent that comprises just about every ACC roster. “Everyone can hurt you,” he said. “We can take away option one and two. At this level option three, four and five can beat you.”
The Hokies open with four at home starting with Wagner on Friday followed by Auburn on Nov. 13.