Collegiate Times

Marquis Rankin (10) dives to recover a loose ball in the second half.

The high-powered offense that had propelled Tech to a great start had stalled right before they would need it most. ACC play started for the Hokies on December 5 in College Park, Maryland. The Terrapins proved too much to for Tech, who was outscored by 16 points in the first half.

The Hokies returned home four days later, only to drop their ACC home opener by 11 points to a struggling Boston College team. 

Two hard-fought victories — the first coming at Georgia Tech in overtime, and the second at home against Wake Forest — have put the Hokies at .500 in the ACC. Tech won both games by a total of six points against teams that, prior to competition, had a combined conference record of 2-6. 

Though perhaps the wins did not come as easily as they should have, the winning streak may be just what the Hokies needed to get back on track.

If the Hokies are to continue their recent successes, Brown — who has struggled mightily over the past few weeks — will need to be a viable second option for the Hokies to compliment senior guard Erick Green. Brown has been battling flu symptoms for a major portion of the season, but he's still missed 22 of 24 shots from behind the arc during Tech's struggles.

The season thus far has been a roller coaster ride, but the 11-6 Hokies (2-2) have a constant source of points in Green. 

Many were pleased to hear the news that Green had decided to return to Blacksburg for his senior year after Seth Greenberg had been fired in the offseason, but few predicted the level of success he had experienced thus far. 

Green leads the nation in points-per-game at 24.6 and leads the team with more than four assists per game. While Green’s success is not surprising, the extent of it is truly astonishing. He has been a steady port for a Tech team going through rocky waters, and will look to be such all year long.

The Hokies will continue ACC play on Thursday with a matchup against in-state rival Virginia in Blacksburg. The Cavaliers are 12-5 (2-2), and will be coming into Cassell Coliseum hot off of a 56-36 rout of the Florida State Seminoles.

You can follow the writer on Twitter at @JacobEmert

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A version of this article appeared in the Jan 22 issue of the Collegiate Times.