Virginia Tech women 'haven't hit the ceiling yet'
Virginia Tech point guard Mackenzie Nelson is one of four starters who could be back next season.
Virginia Tech forward Carys Baker (10), shown in the team's ACC Tournament loss to North Carolina, is one of four starters who could be back next year. The junior averaged 14.3 points this season.
AUSTIN, Texas — When the Virginia Tech women's basketball team fell in the second round of the NCAA Tournament two years ago, it was the end of an era.
That was the fifth and final season at Tech for Elizabeth Kitley, who had suffered a season-ending injury in the regular-season finale, and Cayla King. Coach Kenny Brooks left for Kentucky two days after that NCAA loss, and Georgia Amoore followed him there.
But the Hokies' loss in the NCAA Tournament on Friday could be a stepping stone to an even better season next year.
Eight of the 10 Hokies who saw action in Friday's loss to Oregon could be back next season, including starters Carleigh Wenzel, Carys Baker, Mackenzie Nelson and Leila Wells and key backup Samyha Suffren.
"Every single person on this team is going to grow, and we're going to add new pieces," Nelson said after Friday's game.
"We haven't hit the ceiling yet. We're going to keep growing."
Virginia Tech point guard MacKenzie Nelson (left) shoots in the Hokies' NCAA Tournament loss to Oregon on Friday. Nelson is one of four starters who could be back next season.
The future seems bright for the Hokies, assuming Tech does not lose any valuable players to the transfer portal.
"We're super excited," Baker said.
Does coach Megan Duffy feel the season has given the Hokies something to build upon for next year?
"I hope so," Duffy said. "This is an interesting world with college basketball. We know all the external things that are going around us.
"We have a lot of good pieces back. … There's another step we can get to with their individual games. But we've got to keep them together. Our coaching staff and that core will hopefully work hard to do that."
This was Duffy's second season in Blacksburg. Tech had to settle for a WBIT bid last year.
The Hokies were a No. 9 seed in the NCAA Tournament this year. Eighth-seeded Oregon beat the Hokies 70-60, taking the lead for good in the first quarter and leading by as many as 22 points in the third quarter.
The next step for Tech would be to win even more games next year so the Hokies could reap a better seed and have a better chance of advancing in the NCAAs.
"That's always been the thing as a coach — you want to get in the tournament and then you want to get your seeding right," Duffy said. "But this is a different time in college basketball. You have no guarantees the next year of what your roster's going to look like, who's going to be back. There's a financial piece in all this.
"I want to get to a Final Four and win a national championship, but there (are) minute details that have to … be in place to build your roster the right way.
Virginia Tech guard Carleigh Wenzel (left) drives to the basket during the Hokies' NCAA Tournament loss to Oregon on Friday. The fourth-year junior averaged 15.1 points this season.
"We've got the right people in the … locker room. We've got the right leaders. … We're going to take the positive things that happened and keep that momentum and then … I'm going to try everything I can to fix the things that didn't go well."
Wenzel (15.1 ppg) is currently a fourth-year junior, while fellow All-ACC second-team pick Baker (14.3 ppg) is a junior. Baker had 21 points and 14 rebounds Friday.
Nelson (8.0 ppg, 5.7 apg) and Suffren (8.8 ppg) are third-year sophomores, while Wells (3.5 ppg) is a sophomore.
Three others who played in Friday's loss could also return. Kayl Petersen is a sophomore. Aniya Trent is a freshman. Purdue transfer Sophie Swanson is a junior.
"What you saw this past year, me, Carys, Carleigh, Leila, Kayl, Samyha all grew," Nelson said. "We grew a lot from one season to the next."
Three players who did not see action Friday could also return. Amani Jenkins and Spela Brecelj are freshmen. Kate Sears, who sat out this season as a medical redshirt, is also a freshman.
The Hokies will have to replace senior starting forward Kilah Freelon, a Texas Tech transfer who averaged 9.5 points and a team-high 8.5 rebounds in her lone season in Blacksburg.
Tech will also have to replace Northwestern graduate transfer Mel Daley, who averaged 8.1 points in her lone season in Blacksburg. She had eight points off the bench Friday.
"It's not going to look the same (next year) because I can't promise you we're going to find another Kilah, who runs the floor as hard as she does, (or) another Mel, who has that … mid-range shot," Nelson said. "We're not going to replace those people, but we're going to find new people. New freshmen are going to step up.
"And the freshmen that you didn't really get to see this year are going to step up. We've got Kate coming back and I think that's just something to look forward to."
Virginia Tech senior forward Kilah Freelon (left) shoots in the Hokies' NCAA Tournament loss to Oregon on Friday. She is the lone Tech starter who must be replaced.
Daley, Nelson, Petersen, Freelon and Suffren scored in the second quarter of Friday's loss, when Tech got back in the game even though Wenzel and Baker were on the bench because of foul trouble.
"Carleigh and Carys are our go-to scorers, but when they're not scoring, other people step up. I think it was cool to see that today," Nelson said. "Obviously Mel won't be here next year, but you see people like Kayl, like Leila, like myself step up in those moments when the lights are shining."
Duffy will no doubt look in the transfer portal to find replacements for Freelon and Duffy.
Tech signed recruits Kaleo Anderson and Arianna Harris-Mott last fall. Anderson is rated the No. 70 high school senior in the nation by ESPN.
The Hokies tied for fifth place in the ACC with a 12-6 record. They lost in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals.
"They way each one of them (has) grown … from the summertime to now has been a joy," Duffy said. "Really, really excited about what they've done this season.
"This has been such a fun group to coach."
Mark Berman (540) 981-3125
