Seth Greenberg offers high praise of Allan Chaney

http://www2.timesdispatch.com/sports/2010/oct/19/vtbb19-ar-571613/

BLACKSBURG — Seth Greenberg looked down at the piece of paper on his desk last Wednesday, two days before his Virginia Tech  basketball team began formal practices. The paper was covered in notes he had written in red pen — his plans for the first week of practice.

But these were revised notes, as Greenberg had to scrap his initial practice plan during the past month, when his front court continued to lose depth.

Greenberg already knew that 6-9 sophomore Allan Chaney, who sat out last season after transferring from Florida, probably wouldn’t play in 2010-11 because of a viral inflammation of his heart. This alone was a disappointing development for the Hokies, because Chaney might have been their best player this season. "He’s a first-round [NBA] draft choice," Greenberg said.

Then, on Sept. 13, Tech lost 6-6 junior J.T. Thompson to a season-ending knee injury. Greenberg also learned that 6-9 sophomore Cadarian Raines, a Petersburg High graduate, would spend the first 10 days of practice wearing a protective boot. Raines had a second surgery on his left foot in April. Greenberg doesn’t expect to have an accurate reading on his progress until early next month.

That left Greenberg with just 6-7 senior Jeff Allen and 6-8 junior Victor Davila — his returning front-court starters from last season — as the Hokies began preparing for a season in which they are widely expected to make the NCAA tournament for the first time since 2007.

Before Friday’s practice, Greenberg held a Chalk Talk forum with students at a Tech dining hall. As he prepared to begin the forum, a dining hall manager asked him if he needed anything.

"Could use a couple post guys," Greenberg joked.

He knows his problems with front-court depth won’t ruin the season. He still has all five starters back from last season, including Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson — one of the ACC’s best guard combinations. And if Raines can be healthy and productive by the time the season starts Nov. 12, then the lack of depth is "not an issue," Greenberg said.

It will, however, change the way Tech practices. To keep the players fresh, Greenberg won’t have two consecutive days of full-contact practice. And the depth concerns could affect Greenberg’s strategy during the season, especially if Raines isn’t ready to contribute. Greenberg might have his backup wing player, freshman Jarell Eddie, slide into the post and play power forward on defense — a challenge for Eddie, who is 6-7 and 209 pounds.

But the absence of Chaney and Thompson means, at the very least, that Tech has 10 fewer fouls to give in the post. So the Hokies will have to play "contain-oriented" defense and avoid getting "stretched out too far," which would put his post players in position to get cheap fouls, Greenberg said.

Allen, too, must stay out of foul trouble, something he failed to do at times last season. Greenberg said he won’t have Allen run out to defend ball screens as aggressively, "which is against the way we like to guard them," Greenberg said. But Allen simply can’t put himself in position get a foul. "Especially now," Greenberg said.

Offensively, Chaney would’ve complemented Allen, who averaged 12 points last season, third on the team. Chaney being sidelined puts more scoring responsibility on Davila, who averaged 5.3 points last season. Greenberg needs Davila to put himself in better position to catch passes in the post, by keeping defenders behind him. His teammates also need to "take some risks to get him the ball," Greenberg said.

Greenberg emphasized that point last week during an informal practice. He stopped the workout and directed his players’ attention to Davila. "We’ve got to get this guy the basketball," Greenberg told them.