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The Virginia Tech basketball season ended in the first round of the ACC Tournament with a double overtime loss to Cal. After the game, transfer Tobi Lawal was asked his thoughts on the campaign.
While the season didn’t go as he’d hoped, he found bright spots in the Hokies‘ play. Despite finishing well below .500, they exceeded expectations in certain areas.
Virginia Tech was picked to finish 14th in the ACC after going 19-15 last year. They finished in a tie for ninth with an 8-12 mark in league play.
Lawal also exceeded personal expectations in what was his first season in the ACC. He came in from the Atlantic 10 having started one game in two years. At VCU, he averaged 5.2 points and 4.0 boards.
He wasn’t sure how his game would translate after transferring to Virginia Tech. As it turns out, it did quite nicely.
Tobi Lawal recorded career highs in scoring and rebounding. He started all 30 games in which he played. He reflected on his ACC debut at season’s end with an incredible perspective.
“My team, I’m proud of how far we came. What did they have us in the preseason? Maybe 14th or 15th? They thought we were going to be a–. I mean, we were still a–, but we weren’t that bad.
“About myself, I’m just happy I improved. I had no idea I was going to have the season I had. I didn’t think I had a good season, but I had no idea I was going to improve, coming from the A-10, because I didn’t do nothing [at VCU]. I ain’t never done anything.”
-Tobi Lawal
It wasn’t good, but it could’ve been worse! In the end, Tobi Lawal found positives in a 13-19 campaign.
Those positives will be something he and the Hokies can build upon moving into next season. He should return to the roster as a key contributor after recording a number of career-bests.