# 2017–18 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team

The 2017–18 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University during the 2017–18 NCAA Division I men's basketball season. The Hokies were led by fourth-year head coach Buzz Williams and played their home games at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia as members of the Atlantic Coast Conference. They finished the season 21–12, 10–8 in ACC play to finish in seventh place. They lost in the second round of the ACC tournament to Notre Dame. They received an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament where they lost in the first round to Alabama.

## Previous season

The Hokies finished the 2016–17 season 22–11, 10–8 in ACC play to finish in a tie for seventh place. They defeated Wake Forest in the second round of the ACC tournament before losing in the quarterfinals to Florida State. They received an invitation to the NCAA tournament as the #9 seed in the East region. There they lost to #8 Wisconsin in the first round.

## Offseason
### Departures

| Name | Number | Pos. | Height | Weight | Year | Hometown | Reason for departure |
| Khadim Sy | 2 | F/C | 6'10" | 240 | Freshman | Dakar, Senegal | Transferred (later re-enrolled) |
| Seth LeDay | 3 | F | 6'7" | 200 | Junior | The Colony, TX | Transferred to East Carolina |
| Seth Allen | 4 | G | 6'1" | 190 | RS Senior | Woodbridge, VA | Graduated |
| Greg Donlon | 14 | F | 6'8" | 230 | RS Senior | Midlothian, VA | Walk-on; graduated |
| Johnny Hamilton | 22 | C | 7'0" | 230 | Senior | Rio Claro, Trinidad and Tobago | Graduate transfer to UT Arlington |
| Zach LeDay | 32 | F | 6'7" | 235 | RS Senior | Dallas, TX | Graduated |
| Matt Galloway | 33 | G | 6'3" | 205 | RS Senior | Sterling, VA | Graduated |

### 2017 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for high school athletes :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Nickeil Alexander-Walker #3 SG | Toronto, ON | Hamilton Heights Christian Academy | 6 ft 5 in (1.96 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | May 5, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Wabissa Bede #17 PG | Ashburnham, MA | Cushing Academy | 6 ft 1 in (1.85 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Sep 28, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Preston Horne PF | Tifton, GA | Tift County High School | 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m) | 215 lb (98 kg) | Feb 6, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: ||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NA Rivals: NA 247Sports: 23 ESPN: 19 ||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Virginia Tech Commit List for 2017". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017. "2017 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017. ||||||

### Future recruits
#### 2018 recruiting class

US college sports recruiting information for 2018 recruits :
| Name | Hometown | High school / college | Height | Weight | Commit date |
| Isaiah Wilikins SF | Wake Forest, NC | Mount Tabor High School | 6 ft 4 in (1.93 m) | 180 lb (82 kg) | Jul 30, 2016 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: N/A 247Sports: ESPN: N/A |||||||
| Landers Nolley SF | Fairburn, GA | Langston Hughes High School | 6 ft 7 in (2.01 m) | 195 lb (88 kg) | Oct 15, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Jon Kabongo PG | Toronto, ON | Putnam Science Academy | 6 ft 3 in (1.91 m) | 160 lb (73 kg) | Oct 22, 2017 |
| Recruiting star ratings: Scout: Rivals: 247Sports: ESPN: |||||||
| Overall recruiting rankings: Scout: NA Rivals: NA 247Sports: 23 ESPN: 19 |||||||
| Note: In many cases, Scout, Rivals, 247Sports, and ESPN may conflict in their listings of height and weight. In these cases, the average was taken. ESPN grades are on a 100-point scale. Sources: "Virginia Tech Commit List for 2018". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017. "ESPN". ESPN.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017. "2018 Team Ranking". Rivals.com. Retrieved October 5, 2017. |||||||

## Schedule and results

| Date time, TV | Rank$^#$ | Opponent$^#$ | Result | Record | High points | High rebounds | High assists | Site (attendance) city, state |
| Exhibition |||||||||
| November 5, 2017* 2:00 pm | | at South Carolina Hoops 4 Hurricane Relief | W 86–67 | – | 18 – Alexander-Walker | 8 – Blackshear Jr. | 8 – Robinson | Colonial Life Arena (N/A) Columbia, SC |
| Non-conference regular season |||||||||
| November 10, 2017* 6:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Detroit 2K Sports Classic | W 111–79 | 1–0 | 24 – Alexander-Walker | 9 – Hill | 6 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| November 12, 2017* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | The Citadel 2K Sports Classic | W 132–93 | 2–0 | 29 – Alexander-Walker | 15 – Blackshear Jr. | 8 – Blackshear Jr. | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| November 16, 2017* 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Saint Louis 2K Sports Classic semifinals | L 71–77 | 2–1 | 26 – Hill | 12 – Clarke | 4 – Robinson | Madison Square Garden (6,104) New York, NY |
| November 17, 2017* 5:00 pm, ESPN2 | | vs. Washington 2K Sports Classic 3rd place game | W 103–79 | 3–1 | 30 – Bibbs | 7 – Tied | 5 – Robinson | Madison Square Garden (6,173) New York, NY |
| November 21, 2017* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Houston Baptist | W 99–73 | 4–1 | 25 – Bibbs | 7 – Hill | 7 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (4,951) Blacksburg, VA |
| November 25, 2017* 1:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Morehead State | W 96–63 | 5–1 | 18 – Alexander-Walker | 9 – Blackshear Jr. | 5 – Clarke | Cassell Coliseum (5,390) Blacksburg, VA |
| November 28, 2017* 9:15 pm, ESPN2 | | Iowa ACC–Big Ten Challenge | W 79–55 | 6–1 | 18 – Hill | 10 – Blackshear Jr. | 6 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (7,101) Blacksburg, VA |
| December 2, 2017* 2:00 pm, SECN Plus | | at Ole Miss | W 83–80 $^{OT}$ | 7–1 | 17 – Blackshear Jr. | 12 – Clarke | 8 – Robinson | The Pavilion (6,297) Oxford, MS |
| December 6, 2017* 6:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Radford Rivalry | W 95–68 | 8–1 | 20 – Tied | 6 – Tied | 9 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (7,265) Blacksburg, VA |
| December 10, 2017* 3:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Maryland Eastern Shore | W 93–40 | 9–1 | 18 – Clarke | 8 – Tied | 5 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (6,578) Blacksburg, VA |
| December 16, 2017* 2:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at No. 8 Kentucky | L 86–93 | 9–2 | 20 – Hill | 11 – Clarke | 9 – Robinson | Rupp Arena (22,690) Lexington, KY |
| December 19, 2017* 7:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | Presbyterian | W 63–55 | 10–2 | 12 – Hill | 8 – Clarke | 4 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (5,043) Blacksburg, VA |
| December 28, 2017* 12:00 pm, ACCN Extra | | North Carolina A&T | W 76–59 | 11–2 | 14 – Hill | 8 – Alexander-Walker | 4 – Blackshear Jr. | Cassell Coliseum (6,979) Blacksburg, VA |
| ACC regular season |||||||||
| December 31, 2017 6:00 pm, ESPNU | | at Syracuse | L 56–68 | 11–3 (0–1) | 19 – Alexander-Walker | 10 – Clarke | 5 – Robinson | Carrier Dome (20,688) Syracuse, NY |
| January 3, 2018 9:00 pm, ACCN | | No. 8 Virginia Commonwealth Classic | L 52–78 | 11–4 (0–2) | 14 – Blackshear Jr. | 6 – Clarke | 3 – Clarke | Cassell Coliseum (5,945) Blacksburg, VA |
| January 6, 2018 12:00 pm, ACCN | | Pittsburgh | W 81–67 | 12–4 (1–2) | 31 – Blackshear Jr. | 7 – Clarke | 10 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (5,478) Blacksburg, VA |
| January 10, 2018 7:00 pm, RSN | | at Wake Forest | W 83–75 | 13–4 (2–2) | 21 – Hill | 6 – Tied | 7 – Robinson | LJVM Coliseum (8,260) Winston-Salem, NC |
| January 13, 2018 4:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Louisville | L 86–94 | 13–5 (2–3) | 23 – Robinson | 12 – Blackshear | 5 – Clarke | KFC Yum! Center (16,798) Louisville, KY |
| January 20, 2018 12:00 pm, ESPN2 | | Florida State | L 82–91 | 13–6 (2–4) | 26 – Robinson | 5 – Tied | 6 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| January 22, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN | | No. 10 North Carolina | W 80–69 | 14–6 (3–4) | 19 – Robinson | 8 – Clarke | 4 – 3 tied | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| January 27, 2018 8:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Notre Dame | W 80–75 | 15–6 (4–4) | 20 – Bibbs | 14 – Clarke | 7 – Robinson | Edmund P. Joyce Center (9,149) South Bend, IN |
| January 31, 2018 9:00 pm, RSN | | at Boston College | W 85–80 $^{OT}$ | 16–6 (5–4) | 20 – Blackshear Jr. | 9 – Clarke | 12 – Robinson | Conte Forum (6,297) Chestnut Hill, MA |
| February 3, 2018 2:00 pm, ESPN | | Miami (FL) | L 75–84 | 16–7 (5–5) | 22 – Robinson | 7 – Tied | 4 – Tied | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 7, 2018 9:00 pm, RSN | | NC State | W 85–75 | 17–7 (6–5) | 32 – Robinson | 4 – Tied | 4 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 10, 2018 6:15 pm, ESPN | | at No. 2 Virginia Commonwealth Classic/College Gameday | W 61–60 $^{OT}$ | 18–7 (7–5) | 20 – Robinson | 7 – D. Wilson | 7 – Robinson | John Paul Jones Arena (14,623) Charlottesville VA |
| February 14, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at No. 12 Duke | L 52–74 | 18–8 (7–6) | 15 – Bibbs | 4 – Blackshear | 5 – Robinson | Cameron Indoor Stadium (9,314) Durham, NC |
| February 17, 2018 12:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Georgia Tech | W 76–56 | 19–8 (8–6) | 18 – Robinson | 8 – Blackshear Jr. | 4 – 3 tied | Hank McCamish Pavilion (8,600) Atlanta, GA |
| February 21, 2018 7:00 pm, RSN | | No. 15 Clemson | W 65–58 | 20–8 (9–6) | 14 – Robinson | 6 – Tied | 5 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 24, 2018 1:00 pm, CBS | | Louisville | L 68–75 | 20–9 (9–7) | 16 – Robinson | 5 – Blackshear Jr. | 4 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| February 26, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN | | No. 5 Duke | W 64–63 | 21–9 (10–7) | 17 – Alexander-Walker | 6 – Blackshear Jr. | 5 – Robinson | Cassell Coliseum (9,275) Blacksburg, VA |
| March 3, 2018 12:00 pm, ESPN2 | | at Miami (FL) | L 68–69 | 21–10 (10–8) | 18 – Robinson | 5 – Tied | 6 – Robinson | Watsco Center (7,164) Coral Gables |
| ACC tournament |||||||||
| March 7, 2018 7:00 pm, ESPN2 | (7) | vs. (10) Notre Dame Second Round | L 65–71 | 21–11 | 15 – Tied | 8 – Blackshear Jr. | 7 – Robinson | Barclays Center (17,732) Brooklyn, NY |
| NCAA tournament |||||||||
| March 15, 2018* 9:20 pm, TNT | (8 E) | vs. (9 E) Alabama First Round | L 83–86 | 21–12 | 19 – Robinson | 4 – Horne | 7 – Robinson | PPG Paints Arena (18,715) Pittsburgh, PA |
| *Non-conference game. $^#$Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses. E=East. All times are in Eastern Time. |||||||||
Source

## Rankings

Ranking movements Legend: ██ Increase in ranking ██ Decrease in ranking — = Not ranked RV = Received votes :
| | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week | Week |
| Poll | Pre | 1 | 2 | 3 | 4 | 5 | 6 | 7 | 8 | 9 | 10 | 11 | 12 | 13 | 14 | 15 | 16 | 17 | Final |
| AP | RV | RV | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | — | — | — | — | RV | RV | RV | RV |
| Coaches | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | RV | — | — | — | RV | — | RV | RV | RV | RV |
*AP does not release post-NCAA Tournament rankings