The Virginia Tech Hokies Buzzketball Review Preview: Devin Wilson

The first season of the Buzz Williams experience is over, and now's a time not just to look back at Virginia Tech basketball, but look forward at what's to come. To do this, Brian and Pierson have decided not to write a single extensive review on Buzzketball. Instead, they'll examine the past and future by looking at the individuals that make it up. The series will start with one of the only people on the planet who is both under 21 and can be described as a "grizzled vet": point guard Devin Wilson.

Brian: I figured that there'd be no better place to start than with Wilson, not just because he's the guy you and I analyze the most, but also because he's literally the most experienced person on this roster.

Let that sink in.

No one else on this roster has played two seasons in a Hokie uniform, which makes everyone's favorite former high school wide receiver (read that straight off the ESPN U's telecast notes) the most tenured player on the team.

He had this weird, yo-yo of a season with looooong stretches of ineffectiveness. We even saw him come off the bench at times, which would've seemed inconceivable in November. While some people saw his performance and thought sophomore slump, I think you and I are both in the camp that he may just not be the best fit for what this team is right now.

Pierson: I'm in a rather salty mood, which means it is the perfect time to write an article about the much maligned Devin Wilson. It feels like only yesterday that you and I were geeking out over the potential two-headed ball-handling monster of Devin Wilson and The Umlaut. Here we are six months later and they're the top two names on the "Who's Next to Leave Blacksburg" list.

I have a confession to make: I had to constantly fight the urge to talk about Devin throughout the entirety of the basketball season. He's just that fascinating to me. He's like the Joe Carroll to my Ryan Hardy, except without the whole serial killer thing. When he's in the game, I'm always keeping an eye on where he is on the floor and how he's inserting himself into the game (if at all). When he's on the bench, I'm wondering if the team is better with him riding the pine, or if he somehow could provide the ballhandling presence this past season's squad so desperately needed.

Maybe it was just the timing of the transition into the conference slate, but looking back on this season, didn't it feel like there was a precipitous drop following the departure of his pick-and-roll mate JVZ? Take away a competent roller, and suddenly his inability to confidently keep and threaten the drive or pull-up was frighteningly obvious. Sure, he tied his career high in assists late in the conference slate against Duke (11); and yes he was his usual steady self this season, dishing out 4.2 assists per game (9th best in the ACC). But that was all that he really was. A one-dimensional, distributing point guard.

Two years into Devin Wilson's career and we're faced the following questions:

• Has Devin essentially met his ceiling? It's easy to say, "Well he's a rising Junior, and has time to improve his jump shot and finishing at the rim."
• Does his style of play make those around him better, or does it turn the game into more of a 4-on-5 matchup?
• Does Devin fit the style of play and team identity Buzz is trying to build?

Brian: First of all, I'm going to be honest. That Carroll/Hardy reference went over my head, didn't even bother Googling it.

There are two things a college basketball team needs to be successful, rim protection and ball handling. Everyone has been so focused on the team's lack of size as the sole reason for its struggles, but to be honest they really didn't have either.

There's a reason Mueller made the move from the point to forward. There's also a reason that Buzz tried everyone on his roster short of Satchel Pierce as a primary ball handler at some point in the season. Justin Bibbs is running the offense! Now it's Adam Smith! Hey, let's watch Jalen Hudson bring the ball up!

He didn't do that do mix things up, or keep opposing coaches on their toes. Buzz was desperately searching for a difference maker at the point guard spot, and more often than not he came up empty.

Now, what kind of reflection is this on Wilson? I'm not sure. He definitely needs to play fewer minutes, something that his coach started telling the media on day one. It was clear that as the playing time piled on, the efficiency dipped. But due to said lack of anything close to a backup, we saw the good old number 11 run up and down the court extensively.

Starting this piece I was inclined to say that he met his ceiling, but I don't know if it's necessarily fair to jump to that conclusion just yet. Can he be a productive player 20 minutes a night, when his detriments can be exposed less? He can see the court well, and can still do fun little things like post other guards up or operate from the elbow.

Are those the best qualities you want from a guy playing 38 minutes? No, you need more. But is it so crazy to think that all of that little stuff can scrape together a productive role off the bench? He's scrappy and can run, two very important things for this team.

I think we both agree that he's not going to be the player fans wanted him to be, the one who made freshman All-ACC a year ago. But is there any way that you and I have underrated him?

Pierson: You may have understood the reference if they didn't have you holed up in that panic room they call a production booth down there in Richmond. But I digress...

I think you hit the nail on the head: Devin's ideal role moving forward may be coming off the bench at select moments to dictate pace, provide leadership and exploit any mismatches that favor his skillset. On a team full of youngsters, he can provide veteran leadership at a minimum. Best case scenario is that he develops some semblance of a mid-range game to keep defenders honest, an attribute that could serve this team well if potential starter Justin Robinson goes down or hits the dreaded "freshman wall."

Speaking of Robinson, this all goes to hell if the incoming freshman struggles against college opponents. I would like to believe that won't happen, but who knows with 18 year old kids. He's got a strong, low dribble; he's a good ball handler in traffic; he knows when to shoot and when to pass; and most importantly, by all accounts he makes those around him better. Ideally, Robinson arrives on campus and proves to be the real deal, pushing for immediate impact minutes and enabling Buzz to deploy Wilson in advantageous scenarios.

My biggest question is this: If you're Devin Wilson, are you interested in becoming more of a role player after experiencing personal success and accolades early in your career? He seems like a stand-up guy, but I wouldn't blame him one bit if he yearned for something more out of his remaining two years of eligibility.

We've talked privately about how he might be a better fit at a mid-major school. I would hate to see a guy that has given so much to this team over two challenging seasons walk away as this program is turning the corner. At the same time, I want Devin to enjoy his college experience and maximize his potential. If his career continues somewhere other than Blacksburg, you can be sure I will be cheering for him in the NCAA tournament along with the Ben Emelogus and Robert Browns of the world.

Brian: One person neither of us has brought up is Seth Allen. He left Maryland because the addition of Melo Trimble meant a change of position away from the point. So now with Allen, Wilson and Robinson, Buzz has a collection of floor generals.

Statistically speaking one of them won't get a ton of minutes this season, and logic says that it'll be Wilson. But if one year of Buzz Williams has taught us anything it's that we can't assume a damn thing, other than Wilson will get his shot. What he makes of it is anyone's guess.