Temple game canceled + Virginia Tech vs. USF - Preview & How to Watch

The Hokies opened the season with a 77-62 win over neighboring Radford University on Wednesday with a strong second half performance. Tech saw impressive debuts for experienced transfer Keve Aluma and Cartier Diarra along side the continued progression of sophomores Hunter Cattoor, Tyrece Radford and Nahiem Alleyne. Next up is a trip to Connecticut for an early season non-conference tournament.

However the plans for the Hall of Fame Tip-off Tournament were altered on Thursday when Temple University announced they had paused basketball operations and pulled out of the competition following a positive COVID-19 test. Which now means the Hokies next game will not be until Sunday when they take on South Florida in what may end up being the trip’s only contest for Tech. The Bulls opened their season with a 10-point win over Florida College on Wednesday.

It’s been 25 years since the Hokies faced off against South Florida, but the two programs share a common history. For four seasons in the early 90s both were members of the Metro Conference playing home and away series. While Virginia Tech moved on to the Big East conference, USF would welcome in a familiar face to lead their program in the later half of the 90s - Seth Greenberg.

Greenberg would coach Bulls for seven years before heading north to take over the Virginia Tech program. Seth’s time in charge in Blacksburg saw the Hokies move into the ACC and 170 wins, second in school history.

Sunday, November 29, 2020

Matchup: Virginia Tech (1-0 | 0-0) vs. USF (1-0 | 0-0)

Venue: Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, CT)

Time: 8 PM ET

TV: ESPN2

Radio: TuneIn Radio

Live stats: HokieSports

ESPN Favorite: 65.6% odds of a Hokies win

All-time series: 4-4 with Virginia Tech winning the last contest 74-64 back in 1995.

Stat Leaders

Scoring: Aluma (VT - 19.0) & Collins (USF - 17.0)

Rebounds: Bamisile (VT - 7.0) & Chaplin (USF - 7.0)

Assists: Radford (VT - 5.0) & Murphy (Radford - 7.0)

At the moment the Hokies have an extra day of rest and practice before their next game on Sunday. A last minute addition by a nearby college with an opening in their schedule this weekend is unlikely, but not out of the realm of possibilities this season. Mike Young will be looking forward to testing his new roster and depth against another quality opponent.