Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Mike Young and freshman forward joined Tech Talk Live on Thursday night to recap the Hokies’ come-from-behind win over NC State — Young’s 100th at Tech.
Tech trailed by 15 points against the Wolfpack but rallied in its 79-76 victory. It’s now won back-to-back games in the league and three of the last four. Wake Forest awaits on Saturday in Cassell Coliseum (2 p.m. ET, ACCN).
Mike Young
Coach, how are you?
A lot better after last night. Glad to see our team hang in there and compete. They enjoy playing with one another and found a way to get another ACC win.
That was win No. 100 for you at Virginia Tech. You came here with one player firmly on the roster when you were hired. Was that Wabissa Bede?
Bede was in the portal, just about everyone was when I got hired. Sitting right here, the first night after the introductory press conference, I can remember looking at this very ceiling and thinking, “What have I gotten myself into?” This has been a magic carpet ride, I’ve loved every minute. My six years here have been a joyride. The people of Virginia Tech, Blacksburg and all of Southwest Virginia. To be home and coach in Cassell Coliseum and leading the Hokies, I can’t tell you what an incredible experience and unbelievable chapter of my life this has been.
Are there any wins that stand out to you right away?
A bunch of them. Winning that first game in our first year, I wasn’t sure we could beat anybody. So many young people. Landers Nolley had not yet played a college basketball game. Tyrece Radford had not yet played a college basketball game. I’m starting a 6-5 center in P.J. Horne, who was terrific for us. We rattled off five with four that we were supposed to win. We head off to Maui and draw Michigan State in the first round. To win that game was a mountain-top experience. Villanova the next year during COVID, nobody there. There’s a story behind that. We beat North Carolina in Year 1. All three Duke wins, including to rattle off the consecutive wins to win the 2022 ACC Tournament, a tournament that I grew up watching and still remember teachers rolling the televisions in to watch the ACC Tournament. To be a part of that, and for the Hokies to win and climb that ladder to cut down the net, it was certainly gratifying.
First game was Clemson on the road. Didn’t Landers Nolley go off for 30 points?
He scored 30. I can remember a lot of plays in that game, I’m weird that way. I can remember a lot of plays from most of my games. Landers was terrific, Bede had an unbelievable blocked shot late in that game. We knocked something down, and P.J. Horne, all 6-5 of him, goes to the other end and dunks the fire out of it to put the game away. Clemson had a good team that year, and to go down in there Game 1. The ACC wanted to kick off basketball with league games and we drew Clemson. That was a heck of a win.
How different is it to have those two West Coast teams in the ACC?
It’s certainly different. I’m glad to have them as a part of our league. Classy programs and schools. It’s a part of it. The travel is not easy, that’s a long haul. We left out of Roanoke because of the snow and refueled in Denver. Then it was to Oakland. On the way back out of Oakland, we refueled in Kansas City and then back into Blacksburg. I can’t imagine it with any other flight delays and weather related issues. I’m glad we only have to do that once every two years.
What was it like for the players coming back?
I was worried about it. I wasn’t going to mention it to you or anybody else. If we lose that game last night, I certainly wouldn’t attribute it to the travel. You play the schedule you’re dealt. Disregard the travel and slow ramp up as we returned, I think they acquitted themselves quite well. I thought they moved well and played hard. We showed very little, if any, ill effects of the long travel. We went out Monday and didn’t come back until Sunday. That’s a lot of busses and hotel meals. We took good care of them as we always do.
How was visiting Alcatraz and the Golden Gate Bridge?
I’ve done Alcatraz before. We needed to get right into California, so Stephanie [Ballein] and Ace [Custis] took them right into Alcatraz. I’ve done that with another team, 2015 or so. It’s a remarkable experience. I don’t want to be caught on that island for any length of time. Players enjoyed it and the Fisherman's Wharf. Historical spots there in San Fran, one of the world's great cities. They were able to enjoy that a bit before coming back to Berkeley and beginning our preparations on Thursday. All of that went very well.
Who would’ve thought that the two top scorers in the ACC would be playing for Stanford and Cal?
Pretty interesting. [Maxime] Raynaud, the guy for Stanford. I got to meet [Andrej] Stojakovic’s dad. They’re both as good as advertised. I thought a lot of Peja as an NBA player, a great NBA player. His son may very well be an NBA player too. He’s got the size and he moves fluidly, he didn’t shoot great against us, but finished with 22, 24 points. He played very well.
Stojakavic had two in the first half and 22 in the second. What was the difference?
The big thing with him is to keep him off the foul line. He gets fouled constantly on a lot of his drives. A lot of his drives have a sole purpose of finding a body and getting into that defender and getting fouled. I don’t think he took a foul shot in the first half, but he got there seven times in the second. I can’t tell you how many times I saw him go to the line 10, 12 times in a game. That kind of thing would beat us. We did a good job at not letting him beat us. We knew he’d score and take a lot of shots, but we can’t let him score 30 or 40.
How about the defense in the first half against Cal? The Golden Bears started 1-of-18.
Limited them to 32 percent for the game. We did a really good job at following through with the scouting report and diving into that with two days of preparation after Stanford. That game still sticks with me and bothers me. We played a pretty good game, tied around the under-four media timeout. We wilted a little bit, which surprised me. It’s encouraging to see them come right back and prepare to beat Cal.
You guys got off to a great start against Cal and were up 22 before they stormed back. What’s the mindset and feeling as a coach on the sideline when that’s happening?
You can feel it. The momentum starting to shift when you’re on the road. Certainly not a boisterous crowd, but the home crowd gets behind the Bears. Shots fall that weren’t going down in the first half. They start to beat you up on the glass. You get back on your heels a little bit instead of staying aggressive. You start playing to not lose instead of playing to win. They came all the way back to tie the game, and then we score nine consecutive to stretch it out again a little later in the game. I think Tobi Lawal hit a three, he’s really shooting the ball well right now. Tobi hit a three right in front of me in the second half when the game was tied, that gave us a big boost of momentum that helped get a few good defensive stops and finish the game strong, all things considered.
What’s your philosophy when you’re up three late and they have the ball? You could have fouled to make sure they don’t get the three up, and they ended up getting a pretty good look all in all.
A lot goes into it. I’ve done it both ways and got burned. I fouled Xavier in 2011. We were up three, he made the first, missed the second intentionally off the iron and sent it way up above the board and both of our biggest guys are way up there battling for it. It got bounced back in the air and into the basket, we lost in overtime. It’s really a feel thing. I don’t have a rule. If you made me say something, I’d say to foul. Cal rebounds very well on the offensive end, not the defensive. The two big kids, Mady Sissiko and Rytis Petraitis, are tough, physical guys. I was concerned about keeping them off the glass. Dodged a bullet, thank goodness.
At Cal, you’re up 19 at the break. You were down 11 at the half to NC State. What’s the difference in your messages at halftime?
It’s pretty even. I don’t peel a lot of paint. It’s a trust thing. The first situation, up 19, in the dark recesses of your mind, you know that if they’ve got anything, they’ll make a stab at you. We were on the road. Once some of the other guys can get a couple shots down and revved up, it can be hard. Human nature, especially with young people, tells you that you can let your foot off the gas. It can be hard not to. You can talk to them and say the basics, “Let’s play like it’s 0-0. Let’s extend our lead.” And that all sounds good, but they’ve got some good players too.
It’s tough. I’d much rather be up 19 than down 11, though. It’s rare that I chew on them. They’re great kids and they understand that they didn’t play well. We need to find what we need to do to get back in the game. We found it against Miami, we had it last night. We want to get it within six at the under-10. We climbed out of our hole and played better basketball. NC State made eight threes in the first half and didn’t make one in the second half. Take care of the ball, I mentioned that a couple of times. We turned it over 10 times in the first half and twice in the second. There’s a correlation between sound ball-handling and passing and winning. Much better job on that front against NC State
What have you seen from Tyler Johnson’s progression so far as a freshman?
He’s getting more and more comfortable and coming into his own. He’s a good defender and he’ll be a great defender. I wish he could be a great defender today. Had 11 rebounds at Cal. Had a man’s rebound last night, too. Knocked the fire out of the guy that was trying to box him out. He’s tenacious and hard-nosed, well-coached in high school. He made another three last night, which he’s working on. He’s a good ball player, one we hope is in a Hokie uniform for years to come.
How about Jaden Schutt stepping up off the bench?
Thank goodness. He was 0-for-California. He didn’t score up there. Nothing abnormal about him, he just didn’t play great. I take responsibility in that and not being able to find a way to help him. Put Jaydon Young in the lineup to give Jaden Schutt a new perspective on the game. Got him relaxed and playing to the best of his ability. He worked, didn’t hang his head, he continued to work and practice very well. Once his number was called against the Wolfpack last night, he responded and was really good. Had 17 points and was competitive defensively. He put together a nice game.
You’ve found ways to win games late this year. Do you feel like this team is getting to a point where it knows how to close out games?
I’m not going to go that far yet. I’m not ready to announce that. They don’t get down on themselves or one another. A season is a lot of peaks and valleys. The more you’re in those situations, the more you Mylyjael Poteat has a chance to go to the line to beat Miami. Jaden Schutt has to hit two to beat NC State. Lawal has to make pivotal plays. You’re coming down the stretch with a cluster of possessions left where you have to execute. The more comfortable you are, the more comfortable you’ll become. I’m proud of this team’s grit and resolve.
How good was Tobi against NC State?
He was the best player on the floor, no denying that. Had 22 points, his first double-figure rebounding game. Three first-half turnovers, but zero in the second. Two assists, 5-of-6 from the line, 3-of-3 from beyond the arc. He’s getting to the point where that’s a threat for him and they have to guard that. Now he’s going to be able to shot fake and do something off the dribble. He’s playing great, proud of him.
What can you tell us about how Ben Hammond is coming along?
Good news only. He didn’t do a lot today, but he’s been cleared. We will closely monitor his progress in the lead up to the Wake Forest game. That communication will be with our team doctors. We’ll see how he does tomorrow morning and tomorrow after practice. If everything goes well, I intend to start him. It’s been my policy throughout my career that a person doesn’t lose his starting role while he’s hurt. Ben was playing good ball and really coming into his own as a freshman.
How about Ben Burnham? Have you ever seen a game end like that?
I don’t think I have. He’s a tough kid. The game is important to him. He wants to get better and learn. He will do anything he can to help the team win. He’s shooting the ball very well and creating real matchup issues. He’s a great fella and I’m thrilled that he’s in a Hokie uniform.
What have you seen out of the Demon Deacons?
A lot of the same cast as last year, not real deep. They’ve got a nice four man, a transfer from Appalachian State. They may come in here and only play seven guys. The starting five could all be in the 32-38 minute range. Not a great shooting team, but they are capable. We have a lot more film to watch.
You and Steve Forbes go way back, don’t you?
Way back. I don’t remember the first time I met him. I admire him, he’s a great friend. His wife has had some health issues, I think about them a lot. I think the world of him as a basketball coach, too. He’s about the right things. He knows what he’s looking at and how to coach a ball team.
You mentioned the crowd at the end of the broadcast Wednesday. What can you say about the crowd that may be there Saturday?
Well, it’s sold out. I hope that means that there are rear ends in the chair. This Hokie fanbase knows the game and what they’re looking at. I do think this team has played well enough of late to garner some attention. Six home games left to finish up the regular season. There’s nothing like being in the building when it’s full. I hope we have that kind of showing on Saturday. I think our team has proved themselves worthy of that.
