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Guys, I spoke just a few minutes ago with Huntington (WV) three-star OL Billy Ross, who tweeted he had a VT offer earlier today. That puts him at 19 offers total, others most recently from Rutgers, Mississippi State, Nebraska, Oklahoma and Maryland.

The funny thing is that Ross has had an offer from the Hokies and didn't know it. He told me he and a few of his coaches visited about a month ago and though the VT coaches said how much they liked him, Ross and his coaches never heard anything about an offer. Ross said assistant coach Vance Vice looked at his Twitter today, saw no mention of a Hokies offer and DM'd him on Twitter. Ross called him back and Vice told him he had an offer since his visit.

I get the sense Ross has some good interest in VT. He told me he liked the visit and touring campus. He also said, "Virginia Tech will always have a great defense. If their offense comes along they’ll be a national contender." Vice is a big reason why he likes the Hokies because he said he feels like Vice doesn't bullshit at all.

So far, Ross has visited Louisville, NC State, North Carolina, Auburn and West Virginia. I get the sense he also really likes Florida State. He told me the Seminoles offer he got really started his recruitment in taking off. Ross had planned to visit FSU and Tennessee next week for his spring break but said that fell through. He told me he now wants to visit"closer" schools, like Louisville of UNC. It would make sense for him to stop by VT, but no indication of that yet. That would be a better showing of his interest, so that's worth keeping an eye on. And of course, West Virginia being his home state school will always be firmly in the mix.

Also keep an eye on three-star OL Riley Locklear, who is from Huntington but goes to Spring Valley. Still, they're friends and have at least discussed going somewhere together.

Guys, Kelly and I are headed to VT for pro day coverage. We'll be posting updates here, as well as on our Twitter page, @Hokie_Haven and through our Periscope page. Link will be on Twitter.

Hopefully Whitt b. Can keep him here for years .

Guys, VT basketball is back in the post-season and will host the NIT Wednesday. Max and I will be there for full coverage, but in the meantime, here's our story:
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Guys, three new offers sent out today, but one of them was already in place.
Huntington (WV) three-star OL Billy Ross tweeted an offer from VT, but it turns out, he had one for a month and didn't know it. He told me the Hokies verified it today, so he tweeted it.
Login to view embedded media Also, Mallard Creek (NC) three-star OL Eric Douglas:
Login to view embedded media And for 2018, South County (Va.) WR Dillon Spalding:
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I paid a little more attention to ACC tournament this year than in years past.

I do not like the Top 4 teams getting a double bye. I actually do not like anyone getting a bye at all.

Notre Dame in ACC is a disgrace to the ACC. NCAA should have forced ND into Big 10 years ago. ACC gains nothing with ND being a part time member.

I hope Miami beats UVA.

Where would be the best place to stay over night for the Bristol game?

We've changed things up a bit for this episode, so we can include everything with VT basketball. The Hokies are back in the post-season, the NIT, for the first time since 2011 after winning one of two games at the ACC Tournament. How big is this for the program? What will VT need to do to get past Princeton in the NIT? And with football pro day Wednesday, what are we looking forward to see?

That and more as publisher Jason Stamm, editor Max Esterhuizen and former Hokies DT Derrick 'Skip' Hopkins go over the latest in VT sports. on episode No. 50 of our weekly podcast! Skip also shares his experience from participating in the Hokies' pro day a couple of years ago, when Jim Harbaugh and Chip Kelly were on hand.
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Guys, for those of you who missed it earlier, Glen Allen (Va.) three-star ATH Alex Faniel had set an announcement date for tomorrow. But he's now changed his mind:
Login to view embedded media I still don't think this changes VT being in the lead, but it's never a good thing when a guy you think is a lock backs off a bit from announcing. Sounds like he has some conflicting stuff either he's dealing with internally or hearing from family, friends, etc. I still expect Faniel to visit VT sometime this spring, perhaps even the spring game. But no immediate commitment.

As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, I spoke a bit earlier with Concord (NC) four-star ATH Hamsah Nasirilideen, No. 226 in the Rivals250, VT offered a few weeks ago and he now has 16 offers. Alabama and Georgia have also offered since VT did.

With the Hokies, Nasirilideen said he hasn't heard anything bad, but also didn't say much else. He did tell me that special teams coordinator James Shibest is his primary recruiter. Nasirilideen said they've talked about him possibly visiting VT and how he could be a big asset there.

The school to watch here is Alabama. Nasirilideen visited there this past weekend, his first time there. He told me he liked the atmosphere and "the whole vibe" with the Crimson Tide. He also thought coach Nick Saban treated him like family. Nasirilideen has also visited Florida State, South Carolina, North Carolina, Charlotte and NC State since the first of the year, but Bama sounds like the one to beat right now.

Nasirilideen has no other visits planned right now, but said he wants to see Florida, Georgia, Ole Miss, Penn State, Notre Dame and Virginia Tech this summer. If he does get to VT, that will change things, but right now, until he does, the Hokies have plenty of work to do.

As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, I know I posted that VT had offered Plain Dealing (La.) four-star athlete Keldrick Carper, but I just had the chance to speak with him a little while ago. Carper said he now has 26 offers, with other recent ones coming from South Carolina, Arkansas and Arizona State.

Carper is definitely a talker. He had a lot to say about every question I asked. With VT, he said the Hokies are recruiting him as a cornerback. He loves the amount of DBs that they've put into the league over the years and thinks new assistant coach Brian Mitchell will keep that going. Carper said he loves the competition that VT plays, including having a big non-conference game every season.

Assistant coach Galen Scott is actually the one recruiting Carper and they spoke for the first time Thursday. Carper said Scott told him the staff loved his film and talked about him today in the staff meeting. Scott has also told him he could be an All-American at VT.

But the two the Hokies will have to catch up with are Texas A&M and Miami. A&M and Louisiana Tech, which is only minutes away, are the only two schools Carper has seen this year. And the Aggies impressed him with the staff, the facilities, the way they sold how they can help him network after college and the fact that they have No. 1 QB Tate Martell committed right now. The Canes have stood out because of the tradition and it sounds like, the location. Carper said he's leery of the hurricanes and storms there, but he likes about everything else he's seen.

Carper has spring break in two weeks and plans to swing through Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Georgia for quick visits. He also wants to visit Miami, VT and South Carolina later this spring or summer. No plans on any type of decision, but another target that needs to visit. This one might have a good chance of visiting, though, by the way he talked of the Hokies.

As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, I talked a little earlier with Pittsburgh Central Catholic (Pa.) three-star defensive tackle Kurt Hinish, whom VT offered March 3. Hinish said he's now up to 22 offers, with the other recent ones coming from Nebraska and Maryland.

With VT, Hinish said he's talked to assistant coach Charley Wiles. It's likely that Wiles won't stay his primary recruiter, but with the coaching changes, he's the one who reached out to Hinish. With the Hokies, Hinish said he knows about the tradition with Frank Beamer and how Michael Vick played there. Hinish also told me, "They’ve been down, but they’re solid."

With Wiles, Hinish told me they've only talked a couple of times, but it's been about how Hinish could help VT and how he would fit in. He also said he has been told about how good the academics are, but overall, he told me he doesn't know a lot right now.

It's clear that Penn State is his leader, even if he won't name any favorites. Hinish visited a couple of weeks ago and said he loves the school and the campus. He also likes the coaching staff and I've gotta think that being in-state can only help, too. But this is the quote that really made Penn State jump out: "It’s always so nice when I go up there. I guess that’s why they call it Happy Valley."

Hinish is headed to Notre Dame at the end of the week and Tennessee next week on his spring break. It sounds like there's a chance he could swing by VT, but he didn't say a lot about that. But the Hokies have zero chance if he doesn't visit, so we'll see if he does visit at some point this spring.

I am planning of attending the spring game this year. It will be my first. My question is, do people tailgate and get after it before the game, similar to regular season games? Thanks!

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We've changed things up a bit for this episode, so we can include everything with VT basketball. The Hokies are back in the post-season, the NIT, for the first time since 2011 after winning one of two games at the ACC Tournament. How big is this for the program? What will VT need to do to get past Princeton in the NIT? And with football pro day Wednesday, what are we looking forward to see?

That and more as publisher Jason Stamm, editor Max Esterhuizen and former Hokies DT Derrick 'Skip' Hopkins go over the latest in VT sports. on episode No. 50 of our FREE, weekly podcast! Skip also shares his experience from participating in the Hokies' pro day a couple of years ago, when Jim Harbaugh and Chip Kelly were on hand.
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As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, I talked earlier with St. Joseph's (NJ) three-star OL Robert Martin, whom VT offered Wednesday. Martin is now up to 12 offers, with other recent ones coming from Nebraska and Maryland.

Martin said since the first of the year, he's taken visits to Penn State, Pittsburgh, Rutgers and Maryland. The most recent was two weeks ago when he was at Maryland. It sounds like the one that's stood out, among that group and his recruitment has been Penn State. He talked first and a little more about the Nittany Lions than the others. But Martin also talked about Maryland and how "they treated me like a king."

With VT, Martin said the offer was "a surprise." He told me he'd spoken on Twitter a few times before the offer came, like when his primary recruiter, Brian Mitchell, asked if he was interested in the Hokies. Martin said he also has since spoken with assistant coach Vance Vice and said "they're really nice guys. They knew what they were talking about, and they seemed like they've been there a while, even though they haven't."

Martin's interest is also enough that he plans to visit VT in April. He has a trip planned April 27-29 where he plans to stop at VT first, then see Wake Forest, Duke and NC State. Martin said he's waiting to see if North Carolina offers before he decides whether or not to visit there.

For now, Martin said he has a top list, but doesn't want to put it out. He told me he plans to release one around when his season starts in August, take all his officials and then commit mid to late season. So a little early to tell how the Hokies stand, but that will change after he visits later this spring.

Wednesday against Princeton. Just Win Baby!!

Couldn't happen to a better guy. Even the UVA haters have nothing bad to say about Tyrod.

Nice video on him. Keep killing it Tyrod

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Why does the ACC seem to have a Love Affair with Big 10. It seems that ACC schools play Big 10 more than Big 12 or SEC in all sports (regular season).

If I were Athletic Director, I would not schedule a Big 10 school in any sport.

The guy at Miami won ACC coach of Year. VT coach finished 2nd. I believe Miami guy had 24 votes, Williams 22.

There may be more integrity in the Democrats Presidental race than in ACC basketball. Williams should have won COY easily. I guess the same pundits that voted for COY were same ones that picked VT for 14th place,

Guys, sitting here courtside at the Verizon Center at the ACC Tournament in Washington, DC as I type this. But wanted to post the link for this week's chat. I've got it tentatively set for 3:30 pm ET tomorrow (Friday). But that could change depending on itraffic, as Max and I will be traveling back to the NRV. But either way, I'll be answering all your VT questions, on the tournament, recruiting, football and anything else Hokies. So come take advantage of and get the very most out of your subscriptions and chat with us!

Chat link: http://bit.ly/1QHnqnL

The Hokies posted the first wire-to-wire victory in the 2016 ACC Tournament, proving Vegas - and myself - wrong in the process. Virginia Tech was sharp throughout, setting school records for points scored in an ACC Tournament game and longest ACC win streak.

Vegas isn't looking too favorably on the Hokies tonight, with the line fluctuating between 7 and 10 points in favor of the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech has consistently proved me wrong the last few games, and they keep seeming to do the impossible: post more impressive victories. I'm just not sure how much longer the Hokies can keep this up - but six wins in a row is impressive and shows how much this program has turned around in just Buzz's second season. With revenge on their minds, I see Miami winning in a close game tonight - much closer than the line. Miami 72-70 in a late-night thriller.

Keys to the Game:

Virginia Tech:

Rebound margin. Virginia Tech kept it close here against Miami just a few days ago and they'll need a repeat effort again today. Of course, if the Hokies keep shooting like they have, rebounding won't play a huge factor.

Foul trouble. Virginia Tech must stay out of foul trouble. They got lucky that the fouls last night came while they had a huge lead.

X-Factor: Justin Robinson. He's not playing like a freshman anymore, nor should he be this late in the season. He's making the right decisions at the right times and it's playing huge dividends for the Hokies.

Miami:

Play to their strengths. Miami was out of sorts in the last matchup with Virginia Tech and just couldn't figure themselves out. They need to control the tempo and not let what could a pro-Hokie crowd rattle them.

Rebound margin. Miami should outbound Virginia Tech and they need to have a major advantage on the glass if they want to control this game. That means they'll need to lead in second chance points and offensive rebounds.

X-Factor: Ja'Quan Newton. He didn't play against the Hokies in either of their first two games this season, but he is their fourth leading scorer on the roster. If he's rusty, it could hurt the Hurricanes. But if he's ready to play, he gives Miami a much deeper bench.

is all over Facebook in my area. Everybody is sharing it. It was on the local news last Summer I think.

A real positive image of VT BB.

As always, what's posted here, STAYS HERE. Don't de-value your own subscription by giving away information to others who don't pay like you do. It's also a violation of our terms of service and will result in the termination of your subscription.

Guys, I spoke just a few minutes ago with Indian River (Va.) safety Devon Hunter, No. 42 in the Rivals100. Hunter has recent offers from Notre Dame, West Virginia and UCLA and visited VT last weekend for junior day.

Hunter said the visit was all about getting to know the coaches. He made the trip with his mom, which for anyone who knows him, is probably the most important person any school will have to convince. Hunter told me, "They’re very serious about changing the program turning back to the old Virginia Tech." He said he sat down and talked at length with coach Justin Fuente and got a feel for him as a person, as well as a coach. After the visit, Hunter told me his feelings towards VT are a bit more positive now. He told me, "It was very impressive knowing they care about me, not just about football, but life after football."

I also asked Hunter about getting the tweets from Kam Chancellor. Hunter said he has never spoken to Chancellor before and doesn't know him, but that Chancellor is his favorite NFL player. Hunter said it also meant a lot because Chancellor is also from the 757. Hunter was actually in class when he noticed his Twitter account 'blowing up' and saw the tweet from Chancellor:
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"I saw it was legit, so I was like, 'Wow that’s crazy,'" he told me. "It was special to me and I wanted to show my appreciation." So obviously, that tweet went over well with Hunter.

So far, Hunter has been on junior days to North Carolina and Maryland, other than VT. It sounds like both went well, but his mom did not go on either trip, which is a pretty telling sign. As I've said and continue to say, Clemson is still the one to beat here for the Hokies. "I really like Clemson a lott," Hunter said. "They're my top school."

No visits planned right now, nor a decision date or any cuts. But it's safe to say that Clemson is still on top, with VT behind that.

In their first-matchup of the season, Virginia Tech beat Florida State 83-73 to kick off their current 5-game win streak. In that game, Virginia Tech trailed by 10 in the first half and by 8 at the break. The Hokies managed to use some hot-shooting to pull themselves back into the game and eventually pull away in the closing minutes.

Florida State easily beat Boston College yesterday to advance to the second round of the ACC Tournament. FSU won 88-66 on a strong second half. Boston College kept the game close for the first 15 minutes of the first half. The Eagles even held a lead over FSU with 9:25 left in the fist half - but Florida State took over with a little over 5 minutes remaining in the half.

Keys to the game: Hokies vs Seminoles

For VT:

Spread the floor. That's easier said than done against the much bigger Seminoles, but the Hokies must space out the floor some either a midrange game or some three's.

Keep rebounding close. The Hokies managed to be tied with Miami in rebounding at halftime - and effort the Hokies must duplicate against the Seminoles tonight.

For FSU:

Use the height advantage. The Seminoles have the advantage in height compared to the much smaller Hokies. They need to limit layups and make every close-range shot contested or a poor look, something they did well in the first half of their first meeting with the Hokies, but failed to enforce in the second.

Force poor long-range shots. Virginia Tech shoots 35.6% from long-range as a team. Florida State must limit open looks from beyond-the-arc and move the Hokies into the paint, where the Seminoles have the advantage.