So far this year, Is Virginia Tech’s Buzz Williams having the best coaching season of his career? | @MattZemek answers

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ACC QUESTION of the WEEK : So far this year, Is Virginia Tech’s Buzz WIlliams having the best coaching season of his career?

When a question begins with the words “so far,” it has to be dealt with on its own terms, not in anticipation of what might happen in the future. What the Virginia Tech Hokies will do in the next two months will ultimately determine how this season stacks up to Buzz Williams’ other great coaching seasons.

Right now, this 2018-2019 performance belongs in the conversation — let’s put it that way — but it needs to achieve one basic goal before being elevated to the top spot.

Let’s start with the one season which — in the eyes of most college basketball observers — would likely rate higher than this current one: the 2012-2013 season at Marquette.

Buzz guided the Golden Eagles to a No. 3 seed and an Elite Eight berth. Williams led Marquette to a 3 seed the previous year in 2012, but MU was blitzed by seventh-seeded Florida in the Sweet 16. 2013 gets the nod over 2012. In the 2013 Sweet 16, Marquette faced Miami — which had won the ACC regular season and ACC Tournament titles that year — and comfortably handled the Hurricanes, 71-61.

So far this year, Virginia Tech doesn’t appear to have the bodies, the size, or the length near the basket needed to make an especially deep run in March. However, when adjusted for circumstances, this doesn’t have to be an Elite Eight season for it to be considered the best in Buzz Williams’ coaching career. If he can merely get close to the 2013 standard at Marquette, this season could be his best one yet.

Here’s the reason why Virginia Tech doesn’t have to make the Elite Eight (or get a No. 3 seed) for this to be Buzz’s ultimate shining moment: He has few healthy and available bodies… and he just keeps managing to coach around those limitations.

No Chris Clarke for the WHOLE season. No Landers Nolley for the WHOLE season.

No Justin Robinson this Saturday against North Carolina State on the road.

No problem. Buzz has gotten his players to max out on defense and put Virginia Tech in position to get a double-bye in the ACC Tournament. Virginia Tech should certainly get a relatively high seed — maybe not as high as 3, but certainly in the 4-5 range, which should translate to an NCAA Tournament win. Getting any NCAA Tournament victory is a rare and precious thing for Virginia Tech, which means that Buzz is in the process of forging one of the great seasons in school history despite a rotation of essentially six players and hardly any bench, plus injuries to important players.

It has been a special season, no doubt. However, one thing must reasonably be asked of the Hokies if this is to be Buzz’s best season ever: Beat one of the big boys: Duke or Virginia, take your pick. UVA and North Carolina whacked the Hokies earlier this season, so it only stands to reason that Tech needs to strike back in order to lift this season past 2013 Marquette.

Whether that happens or not, however, Virginia Tech fans should enjoy the ride and know that their program is in very good hands, the best hands this program has had since the late 1960s.

Palpable Buzz? Jon Rothstein knows that’s the weather forecast in Blacksburg.

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