And Wilky Izzet Commits to... - _-King-_'s Blog

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_-King-_'s Blog

And Wilky Izzet Commits to...

Posted on March 18, 2012 at 12:49 AM.

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Press Conference

"After giving a few schools a lot of serious consideration, I finally decided that Virginia Tech was the right school for me. I'll have ample opportunities to play, so long as I work hard, and I'm on a team that has great potential. I'm proud to forever call myself a Hokie."

It was a lot to take in, moving onto the campus. While his new friends were obsessed with finding the best party spots and extracurricular activities, Wilky was admiring the beauty of the campus. Simple things that the others took for granted were new luxuries for him.

Adjusting to the college life was easy. Wilky, for the first time, felt right at home. He was nervous about basketball season, though. By the time classes started, the Hokies and Coach Greenburg were already comfortable with the gym and weight room. The college game was different, Wilky could already tell from the practices. Where as in high school he was used to being able to slack off and get by on being taller and more athletic than his teammates, here he had to fight every second. He realized he wasn't a highly touted recruit, and would have to impress coach during these hard hours to earn each minute he was going to get during the games.

Though competitive on the court, the players had a tight relationship off the court. Veteran Jeff Allen was the team prankster. Star point guard Malcolm Delaney, while cocky on the court, was easy going and fun to be around off it. Izzet's fellow freshman in particular developed a special bond, as they were all new and looking for new friends.

As the Hokies got ready for their first game of the season against Elon, the starting line-up was posted. It could already be assumed through practice, but this confirmed it. Wilky would be coming off the bench, at least for the first part of the season. Likely as the 7th man.

November 16 rolled around and the season tipped-off.

Wilky sat nervously on the bench, when midway through the 1st half Coach Greenburg called his named. He jogged to the scorer's table and tore off his warm-up, unveiling the maroon #15. When the buzzer sounded and he stepped onto the court, basketball instincts took over and the butterflies disappeared.

On the first VT possession, Izzet fired a pass to the wing for a 3. His first assist. The game was close, being a one or two possession contest at all times. The Hokies were even finding themselves behind the undermatched Phoenix at times. Izzet was contributing with solid defense, and notching a few boards and assists. He was afraid he would never get his first shot to fall. After starting 0-3, he knew he had to not force shots. But he found himself with a wide open jumper 16 feet out, just to the right of the key. He took the shot and closed his eyes. Swish. The first 2 points of his NCAA career.

Shortly after, the starting SF checked back in and Wilky held his spot on the bench through the end of the half. The Hokies were tied in a game that shouldn't be close, 31-31.

Coming out of the half, the Hookies were hot. Delaney and Bell were stroking it from long range, and the defense was forcing turnover after turnover. The Hookies were on what would eventually be an 18-0 run. Izzet checked in during this run and contributed a few buckets of his own. He got a nice feed to finish inside, and even hit a three of his own. Izzet came back to finish the game along with other reserves, long after the outcome had been determined. Izzet's first game was a solid one, though he knew there was room for improvement.