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Men's Basketball

Virginia Tech coach Johnson says Smith, Barksdale, Wood questionable for Syracuse game

Virginia Tech guard Adam Smith and forwards C.J. Barksdale and Marshall Wood are questionable for the team’s game against Syracuse on Tuesday at 9 p.m., Hokies head coach James Johnson said Monday on the Atlantic Coast Conference coaches’ teleconference.

Smith, a redshirt sophomore, is still being hampered by a calf injury that’s held him to 10 games this season. Johnson said Smith has been limited to just shooting drills in practice. If he can’t play, the Hokies will be without their second leading scorer at 13.1 points per game. Smith also shoots 42 percent from 3-point range.

Barksdale, a junior, is working through ankle and knee injuries. After starting 30 of his 31 games last season, he has yet to find a rhythm this year. Barksdale was suspended for Virginia Tech’s first three games of the season due to a violation of team rules, and is averaging 8.9 points and 5.3 rebounds in nine games this season. Johnson said Barksdale has missed the team’s last three practices and is also suffering from the flu.

Wood, a sophomore, also has the flu. He’s averaging 6.7 points and 4.9 rebounds in 20.5 minutes as one of only four Hokies players to see action in all of the team’s 13 games this season.

Entering Tuesday’s game against Syracuse, Virginia Tech has already had more players miss games to injury than any other ACC team, so a shorthanded roster against the Orange would be nothing new.



Said Johnson: “I’m not sure what this team is capable of. We haven’t had everybody together yet.”





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