Virginia Tech is off to a strong start this season and the Hokies will try to keep it going against Colorado State on Wednesday in the first round of the Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament in Paradise Island, Bahamas.
Virginia Tech (5-0) is averaging 92.2 points a game this year and is coming off a 78-61 over Bryant on Nov. 19 despite missing Amani Hansberry, who was out with an ankle injury.
Hansberry leads the Hokies in scoring with 16 points per game and is second in rebounds (8.3) in addition to his contributions on defense. His absence was especially felt in the first half of the win over Bryant.
“Hansberry is the best communicator we’ve got,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. “We really miss that without him on the floor, and he masks some mistakes that others may make just by sheer basketball IQ.”
Hansberry is one of four Hokies averaging double figures in scoring. Neoklis Avdalas (15.2), Tobi Lawal (14.8) and Jailen Bedford (12.6) are the others. Avdalas leads the team in assists at 5.8 while Lawal pulls down a team-high 12 rebounds per contest.
Colorado State (4-1) is coming off a tough loss to Denver on Friday night, which snapped a 12-game home winning streak. The Rams, like Virginia Tech, have gotten balanced scoring at the top. Kyle Jorgensen leads Colorado State at 17.8 points per game followed by Josh Pascarelli (14.0) Carey Booth (13.6) and Brandon Rechsteiner (13.2).
Booth also leads the team in rebounds with 9.2 per game.
The Rams have laid the foundation for a competitive program after reaching the NCAA Tournament in three of the last four seasons. They were a Maryland buzzer-beater away from the Sweet 16 last March and have turned over their roster and coaching staff since. Only Jorgensen, Rashaan Mbemba and Nikola Djapa remain from that squad, while former assistant Ali Farokhmanesh replaced Niko Medved as head coach when he left for Minnesota.
In the loss to the Pioneers on Friday, Jorgensen had 27 of his 29 points in the second half but it wasn’t enough.
“Stuff like this happens and you have to come with a ‘next game’ mentality,” Jorgensen said.
