Buzz Discusses Reality of Hokies Current Situation

Blacksburg (WSLS)  Coach Buzz Williams wandered down the hall into the media room of Cassell Coliseum and he admitted he'd never been in there before.

The self-admitted work-a-holic hasn't come up for air much since he landed in Blacksburg in March. Monday he discussed the exodus of five players from the program since he's arrived.

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His general answer was most telling--he admitted his opinion probably wasn't politically correct, but he didn't believe in holding players to the fact that they signed a piece of paper--when he wasn't an employee at Virginia Tech at the time they signed--and that opinion included not just signees, but players that have been in Blacksburg.

Williams says the loss of players will have a big impact, and that it's something of an epidemic around college basketball---based on the number of players leaving programs--it works out to roughly two per team every year.

He admits that after coaching changes that number will be higher. In Virginia Tech's case, the loss of Ben Emelogu was something Buzz says was best for Ben 'to be closer to home." Senior C.J. Barksdale's injury situation appears to have weighed heavily on his decision to finish his schooling at Virginia Tech but cease playing basketball.  In all, Buzz has attracted a pair of transfers, a JUCO transfer, and five freshman to join the remaining players. He's got nine scholarship players eligible and available to play this season--at this point.