Collegiate Times

Tom Amalfe has had two showings in the Hokies first two games of the NIT.

Even though freshmen such as Jeff Allen, Malcolm Delaney and Hank Thorns will probably get more than 12 minutes of playing time in the first half of tonight's game against Ole Miss, it's the soft-spoken freshman who has seen 12 minutes of action all season who has become a fan favorite in Cassell Coliseum.

And for Tom Amalfe, life at the end of Virginia Tech's bench isn't so bad.

"Tom is the most popular person in this school," Thorns said. "That's my man right there. I love Tom, he brings a lot of energy even though he's quiet."

If the Hokies hold a comfortable lead toward the end of a game, the "TOM A-MAL-FE, TOM A-MAL-FE" chants can be heard ringing throughout the stands in Cassell Coliseum, and in seven games this season head coach Seth Greenberg has brought the six-foot guard in off the bench.

"I just hope I can get in there and have some fun," Amalfe said. "Once we start getting up by 20 or 25, I start thinking maybe I'll get in."

Even though it took until the final minutes of Tech's first round NIT game against Morgan State for Amalfe to score his first points of the season, it was quite a different story in high school for the Mountainside, N.J. native.

Amalfe left Governor Livingston High School as the school's all-time leading scorer, and he was a two-time all-conference and all-area selection while averaging over 23 points and four assists per game during his senior season.

When it came time to pick a college, Amalfe found Tech to be an ideal fit.

"I've always wanted to go to a bigger school where sports are a big part of student life," Amalfe said. "I visited here in the summer and I really liked it, so that's why I came."

Amalfe spoke with Greenberg during the spring of his senior year and earned a walk-on spot when he arrived on campus in the fall. In his first year as a walk-on, he's adjusted to the college lifestyle of a Division I basketball player.

He shares a suite in Cochrane with the other freshmen on the team and wakes up to eat breakfast at 7:30 each morning, then goes to a study hall for one or two hours each morning.

After a nap and session of classes, it's time to hit the weight room and go to practice. While at practice, Amalfe helps mimic the Hokies' next opponent to give the starters a feel for what they'll be facing in the upcoming game.

"He has a jumper that nobody probably knows about because he really doesn't shoot, but Tom comes and just practices hard and does whatever coach tells him to do and tries to help us prepare for other teams," Thorns said.

In every other respect, he's just like most other Tech students. His favorite campus meal is the London Broil at West End, and he counts Madden and Wii Bowling as his favorite video games. Amalfe said he's unbeatable at Wii Bowling and has rolled a perfect 300 before.

With the Hokies' recent streak of NIT success, Amalfe has noticed the increased attention around campus and has gotten what he describes as "a billion" friend requests on Facebook in the last few days.

"Even if I don't get to really play, you can't beat playing in front of 9,000 people, and just being a part of the team is a lot of fun," Amalfe said.

"It's pretty amazing; I never thought I'd be in this situation. I don't think it's totally hit me yet, but later I'll look back on it and it's been pretty crazy."