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2018 ACC preview: Notre Dame, Louisville battle for top

By Arielle Chambers

COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
COLUMBUS, OH - APRIL 01: Notre Dame Fighting Irish head coach Muffet McGraw and her team pose for photos after winning the National Championship game between the Mississippi State Lady Bulldogs and the Notre Dame Fighting Irish on April 1, 2018 at Nationwide Arena. Notre Dame won 61-58. (Photo by Adam Lacy/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /
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(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Virginia Tech Hokies

Projected finish: 10th

Last year’s record: 23-14, 6-10 ACC

Key returners (last season’s stats):

G-Taylor Emery, 5’10, (Tampa, FL), SR-  18.5 PPG, 4.6 RPG, 33.3 MPG; 667 points in first season at Virginia Tech.

F- Regan Magarity, 6’3, (Norrköping, Sweden), R-SR- 13.2 PPG, 9.6 RPG, 34.4 MPG; holds Virginia Tech’s rebounding record (864).

(Photos by Brian Bishop/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photos by Brian Bishop/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Biggest losses:

None-  The Hokies will return every single player from last year’s team, who had the most successful post-season in program history.

Newcomers:

G- Dara Mabrey, 5’7, (Mansfield, TX), FR – Won four New Jersey state titles in high school; 2017 and 2018 New Jersey Gatorade Player of the Year.

G- Chloe Brooks, 5’10, (Harrisonburg, VA), FR- 2016 and 2017 All-District and All-Conference player; 2016 Virginia State Champion.

Head Coach

Kenny Brooks, 3rd season

  • Back-to-back 20-win seasons since his arrival
  • First year, recorded 15 straight wins good for strongest start in 18 years
  • Overall 43-28 record at Virginia Tech
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images)
(Photo by Richard C. Lewis/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

Key games:

Nov. 28 – Rutgers: 7 pm ET; ACC/Big Ten Challenge

Dec. 21– Ohio State: 12:15 pm ET; West Palm Invitational

Jan. 16–Notre Dame: 7 pm ET (ACCN); Mabrey sister matchup

Outlook:

Things are looking up for Coach Kenny Brooks.  This is a Virginia Tech team with heart and passion that showed last season, especially in the ACC Tournament.  Last year, the Hokies notched a 24-13 record and went on to a lengthy postseason. Ultimately losing in the WNIT finals, the 2017-18 team went farther in March Madness than any team in Virginia Tech Women’s Basketball history.

The rock of the Hokies is Taylor Emery.  Emery shot 47.7 percent from the field, while averaging 19.8 PPG during the WNIT Championship run. As a result, she received All-Tournament honors. Similar to the WNIT, the team relied on Emery a month earlier for her efficiency in the ACC Tournament, where she had back-to-back 27-point games against Syracuse and Louisville.

Between the guard Emery is, and Regan Magarity snatching rebounds at a program-record rate, the Hokies have plenty of star power. Also, if Dana Mabrey has the feistiness of what we know to be a Mabrey trait,  she can join Emery in a killer backcourt combination.

Best case scenario:

A team that has made strides and set records since the hiring of Coach Kenny Brooks, Virginia Tech will be competitive in conference play. The Hokies show great effort on the court and we saw much of that reflected in the WNIT. This Virginia Tech team is capable and ready to enter the NCAA Tournament this year.

Worst case scenario:

Because they haven’t lost any players and added a Mabrey, the Hokies mirror last season and reach the WNIT. After getting snubbed from the NCAA Tournament, they have a deep run in the WNIT, much like last year.

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