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College Basketball -- The Acc

VIRGINIA TECH

Coach: Seth Greenberg, second season at Virginia Tech (15-14), 15th overall (228-184).

2003-04 record: 15-14, 7-9 (tied for eighth in Big East)

Starters lost: One

Top returners: Coleman Collins, Soph, F; Carlos Dixon, Sr., G/F; Zabian Dowdell, Soph., G; Jamon Gordon, Soph, G.

Key question: Will the Hokies be completely overmatched in their first ACC experience? Virginia Tech only lost one player from a team that surprised the Big East last year, but that one player was also the conference's leading scorer.

Outlook: Greenberg is building some momentum in Blacksburg, though his team will have to make giant progress to be competitive in the ACC. And Greenberg no longer has guard/forward Bryant Matthews at his side. Matthews was one of the Big East's best players last year, quietly leading the league in scoring (22.1 ppg.) to go along with grabbing about nine rebounds a contest. The task of replacing Matthews likely will fall on Dixon, the team's only senior. Dixon led the Hokies in scoring two years ago, but sat out last year with a foot injury. Virginia Tech's backcourt, the team's strength, should get plenty of help from 6-3 freshman point guard Marquie Cooke, who was a unanimous Top 100 recruit. Question marks, however, litter the front line. Realistically, Virginia Tech is a couple of more good recruiting classes away from fighting out of the league basement.

COURTSIDE: The Hokies are in the process of sprucing up Cassell Coliseum, but there's no getting around the fact that it was built in 1961. The Hokies went 11-4 there in their Big East farewell, and coach Seth Greenberg has said, "We've got to create an ACC environment."