The Tech Lunch Pail is excited to announce the launch of the new TLP Insider subscription. Sign up for an account and get the best news, inside scoops, and analysis on the Hokies! Learn more

All-Time Virginia Tech Basketball Draft Round 2

Round2
Photo Credit: Liam Sment

Round 1 of the All-Time Virginia Tech Basketball Draft saw a pair of players who have their numbers retired go with the top 2 picks in Dell Curry and Bimbo Coles. They were followed by two of Virginia Tech's best point guards during the 21st Century in Justin Robinson and Erick Green.

Now, we're on to Round 2 of the draft and after a round full of backcourt stars, this round has much more of a frontcourt emphasis with only one guard being selected. There's also some symmetry from Round 1 to Round 2 as the second round also includes a pair of Hokies who have had their jerseys retired plus another player who is a great candidate to have their jersey retired soon.

The first players from the Don DeVoe, Bill Foster, and Seth Greenberg eras are represented while the Charlie Moir era sees its best big man get selected after its best player went #1 overall yesterday. So with that, here's Round 2 of the All-Time Virginia Tech Basketball Draft.

5. Team Grant: Dale Solomon

This pick may come as a surprise for some, but it has a lot to do with position. As many star guards as the Hokies have had over the years, they haven’t seen too many big men have great success. Solomon is an exception to that rule.

During his career at Virginia Tech from 1978-82, he averaged 18.4 points and 7.4 rebounds a game. He helped lead the Hokies to back to back NCAA Tournaments for the first time in school history. He’s fourth on Virginia Tech’s all-time scoring list, and the three players ahead of him are all guards. He will provide an important front-court presence for my team.

6. Team David: Malcolm Delaney

Yes, I took two guards in a row. Malcolm was one of my favorite players to watch in the days of Seth Greenberg and when he was on, he was unstoppable. He’s continued to wow spectators in his professional days, playing overseas since 2011 with a two-season stint with the Atlanta Hawks in 2016-18.

He’s won numerous awards in Europe: All-EuroLeague First Team in 2016, the MVP of the German League in 2014, and the MVP of the Ukrainian League in 2013. Though he never made an NCAA Tournament, Delaney was always enjoyable to watch. A two-time First Team All-ACC nominee, he’s another fan favorite and is third all-time on Tech’s scoring list and Tech’s assist list.

7. Team Robert: Allen Bristow

Here at the seventh pick, I have to say, I was pretty stoked to see Allan “Disco” Bristow still available. It was a no-brainer for me to take him. Bristow played for VT from 1970-73. He led the Hokies to an NIT Championship his senior season.

Bristow’s career numbers are insane. He averaged 23 points and 13 rebounds per game while shooting just under 48% from the field. Those are pretty much the only viewable statistics, as assists, turnovers, steals, blocks, and all advanced metrics were not recorded during his time.

When it comes to VT’s all-time scoring list, Bristow comes in at seventh. However, it is important to note two things about the era he played in: there was no three-point line, and freshmen were not allowed to play for the varsity team (they would play on their own “freshman team”).

Had Bristow played the same number of games as Bimbo Coles (115 compared to 78) and maintained his 23 point average, he would have been number one on the list by nearly 200 points. Obviously, this is a bit of a reach but the point still stands that Bristow was arguably the most productive scorer in school history.

At 6’7'', 210 lbs, Bristow will serve well as a stretch forward on my team. He can be used in the post or on the wing, making him a versatile asset for Team Robert. Also, if you are keeping track, two of the four players with banners in the Cassell Coliseum rafters are on my team. That is tough to beat.

8. Team Tim: Ace Custis

After eight picks, all four Hokies with their jerseys retired as I happily add Ace Custis to form a dynamic star duo with Dell Curry. Custis was rock solid throughout his career earning three All-Conference First Team honors (Metro-1995, Atlantic 10-1996 & 1997). He was consistent averaging more than 10 points and 9 rebounds per game in each of his seasons including 3 seasons of 13+ points per game, finishing his career averaging 13.9 points, 9.6 rebounds, and 1.6 steals per game.

Custis also helped lead the Hokies to one of their best two-year stretches in program history winning the NIT Championship in 1995 followed by reaching the Second Round of the 1996 NCAA Tournament. My team needs a star frontcourt player to pair with Curry and what better way to do that than by drafting Virginia Tech's biggest star of the 1990s.

Round 1

Round 3 (5/20)

Round 4 (5/21)

Round 5 (5/22)

Round 6 (5/23)

Head Coach Round (5/24)

Advertisement
You must login in order to comment on this post.
Loading Indicator