Alex Koma
In a town where the football coach has been a fixture for the past 25 years, coaching uncertainty is an unusual feeling for Virginia Tech fans.
Yet after the men’s basketball team’s poor start to this season, people have started to wonder about head coach Seth Greenberg’s future at the university.
For a team projected to be on the rise in the ACC this year, the squad’s 12-8 overall record and 1-4 mark in the conference has been seen by some as a disappointment.
No one was expecting the Hokies to win the league, but the hype surrounding incoming freshmen, like Dorian Finney-Smith, has made some wonder if a change in leadership would be appropriate.
It is hard to dispel some of the criticism surrounding the team. The team’s best non-conference wins are a pair of victories over Oklahoma State, and its lone ACC win was a low-scoring affair against University of Virginia.
Greenberg’s teams have only made one NCAA tournament in his seven years as coach. And this team doesn’t seem to be on track for recognition. It is undeniable that the team has deserved to be included certain years, but one for seven doesn’t look great on a resume, regardless of the circumstances.
However, these critiques can only go so far. Greenberg may not have tournament victories to show off, but he is still the best man for the job.
The latest recruiting class has been among the best Tech has ever brought in. Finney-Smith has had his ups and downs, but he can really fill up the stat sheet when he gets going, and many of his struggles can be attributed to freshman jitters and playing out of position.
Robert Brown has started to find his way recently, averaging eight points per game and earning starting opportunities. C.J. Barksdale has shown similar flashes and only needs to find more consistent playing time to hit his stride.
The team’s record does not necessarily indicate its quality of play either. Several of these losses have been extremely tight — the Florida State, Boston College and BYU defeats — and can be attributed to a lack of veteran presence on the team.
A dearth of veterans — often due to injury — has proved to be the team’s undoing the last several years.. J.T. Thompson is the most notable player who has struggled with injuries, and both Dorenzo Hudson and Cadarian Raines have been beat up over the course of Greenberg’s career.
Greenberg’s critics are also quick to overlook how well he can motivate the team for big games.
The big rivalry win over U.Va. on the road this year certainly represents Greenberg’s fine job of inspiring the team.
He even deserves credit for the team’s excellent first half against North Carolina. The Hokies weren’t able to pull out the win, but to contend so well against the Tar Heels’ superior talent speaks to his coaching ability.
More than anything, Greenberg is the face of the program. He’s always animated at press conferences, and his charisma has undoubtedly been part of putting Tech basketball on the national stage.
Even if people only know the Hokies for Greenberg’s sarcastic comments about another tournament disappointment, they still know them. Another coach can’t necessarily command that kind of attention.
It’s been said by some that Greenberg will remain coach as long as Jim Weaver remains athletic director, and it’s hard to disagree.
But those calling for his job should consider what he’s already done for this program and what he can do in the future.
Zack Conway
One.
That is the number — just one NCAA tournament appearance in the last seven seasons. Virginia Tech basketball head coach Seth Greenberg began his head coaching career here in 2003.
Since becoming the head coach, Greenberg has had only one NCAA tournament appearance in the last seven seasons. Need I say more? Any other college basketball coach would be fired by now due to the immense lack of production.
March Madness comes at the same time every year, and it always seems to be straight madness for the Tech basketball team. Tech has been left out of the tournament the last four seasons. There is only one person at fault — Greenberg.
Greenberg has flat out been unable to produce at Tech. We all understand that the ACC has some of the toughest competition in college basketball, but by the way the seasons have gone, the Hokies are not cutting it.
Last year the Hokies knocked off No. 1 Duke, but then followed that with two straight losses to Boston College and Clemson. The team has just not looked good game in and game out.
Consistency has been a huge problem for the Hokies, and the head coach is to blame. It is Greenberg’s responsibility to have the team ready each and every game. When you play hard one game and lousy the next, you do not deserve to play in the big dance.
Not only have the Hokies been left out of the big dance for the past four years, but their play on the court is questionable. At times it looks like a high school team is playing an NBA team.
If you look at the teams Tech plays and how they defend them, there is one common denominator — zone defense. Tech is unable to beat the zone. Some of that falls on the players, but if the players don’t know what to do, then you have to look at the coach.
The game against North Carolina is a prime example of this. The Hokies were living and dying by the three. In the first half, Tech made some ridiculous shots, and UNC knew the Hokies couldn’t keep it up, so in the second half they played a 2-3 zone. Tech couldn’t make the shots, and no adjustments were made.
This has happened continuously — when the Hokies make shots, they look great, but when they start missing, no alterations are made and they spiral out of control. This all falls on Greenberg.
He has to be the one to pull his players aside and tell them what to do to break the zone. It is the coach’s job to make adjustments both in the locker room and on the floor.
Greenberg has made Hokie basketball relevant, but without any NCAA tournaments to show for it, he needs to go. The Hokies need a proven, veteran coach who can lead a team to the NCAA tournament.
Tech is without a doubt a football school, but that is no excuse for a basketball team that, at times, is uninspired and lacks coaching. All nice things need to come to an end, and Greenberg is a nice thing.