Atlantic 10 Conference report

SportsLine.com Report
March 30, 2000

Well, Ricky Stokes got what he really wanted in his first year as coach of Virginia Tech. The former guard at arch-rival Virginia said all year that he hoped the Hokies would finish with a .500 record.

They did even better. They finished with a 16-15 mark.

But is it really what Stokes was hoping for? Wasn't there more in this, the last season in the Atlantic 10 Conference for Virginia Tech? Couldn't there have at least been an NIT bid?

Next year, the school will join the Big East as a full-fledged member, when a winning record should carry a little more weight.

Inconsistency was a problem, though. Stokes' team just wasn't able to sustain a winning streak.

Playing without sophomore forward Dennis Mims, suspended for breaking team rules, Virginia Tech assured itself of a winning season by beating Fordham in a sloppily played game, 51-48, in the first round of the A-10 Tournament in Philadelphia.

But the Hokies closed the books on the season, losing predictably to Temple, 71-52, in the second round.

Mims, the Hokies' leading scorer (14.2 ppg.) and rebounder (7.6 rpg.), did not accompany the team to the tournament, and Stokes has not elaborated on the nature of the suspension.

A third-team all-conference selection, Mims was suspended indefinitely a day before the team departed for Philadelphia.

A glance at 2001

Virginia Tech is likely to struggle in its first season in the Big East. Just adjusting to the venues will be a major undertaking. Instead of heading to Olean, N.Y., the Hokies will find themselves in New York City much more often. Trips to places such as Kingston, R.I., and Amherst, Mass., will be replaced with flights to such destinations as Miami and Hartford, Conn.

Mims is a quality player to build a program around, that is if he actually is around in light of his recent suspension.

The coach

Stokes did a decent job with a team that struggled to find chemistry. While at Virginia, Stokes was a point guard for a team that went to the Final Four in 1981 and '84, the Elite Eight in 1983 and the Sweet 16 in 1982, so it's a safe bet he has basketball on the brain.

Who'll be back

Expect Mims, a 6-foot-9 sophomore, to return, along with a host of other Virginia Tech players, including burly forward Rolan Roberts and slick guard Brian Chase.

Who's gone

Guard Brendan Dunlop played a lot of minutes but was inconsistent. At one point, he landed in Stokes' doghouse because of his erratic play. There won't be any Dunlop-Stokes encounters next season. Fellow guard Jermaine Kimbrough also is finished, as are forwards Andre Ray and Russ Wheeler.

Key newcomers

The incoming recruits include two of whom averaged big-time numbers during their senior seasons in high school. The question that must be answered is, are these kids A-10 or Big East recruits?

• F Keith Willis, Norfolk (Va.) Norview: Averaged 27 points and 12.7 rebounds as a senior.
• G Tony Dobbins, Mitchellville (Md.) Maret: Averaged 26 points and 10 rebounds as a senior.