The Virginia Tech Hokies haven’t had the best injury luck this season. Star forward Tobi Lawal injured his lower leg in late November and missed six weeks of action. When Lawal was injured, he was averaging a double-double and it also meant the Hokies would be without their best interior defender.
Freshman center Antonio Dorn has also missed time with a back injury. While not a big scorer, Dorn has proven to be an excellent rotational interior player for the Hokies, along with fellow freshman Christian Gurdak.
Virginia Tech has been without sophomore guard Tyler Johnson since a December 20 win over Elon. Johnson also suffered a lower leg injury, and his condition has mostly been kept quiet. However, on Monday, head coach Mike Young offered a positive update on the talented 6-foot-5 wing.
The Hokies host Georgia Tech on Tuesday. So, while he is definitely out on Tuesday, he has a chance to play on Saturday when the Hokies host No. 4 Duke. If Johnson can play on Saturday, it would be the first time since November that Virginia Tech is completely healthy. And it would come at the perfect time as the Blue Devils, behind superstar freshman Cameron Boozer, look like a national title contender.
Johnson averages 9.5 points and 5.3 rebounds per game in 13 games. He’s Tech’s most underappreciated player, and he excels on both ends of the court. The Hokies have essentially lost three games at the buzzer; some of that is due to bad defense in the closing seconds and also an inability to finish games at the free-throw line. Johnson would have helped in both areas. Johnson shoots 53% from the floor and almost 42% from 3-point range.
The Hokies are currently 15-6 on the season, including a 4-4 record in ACC play. Tech remains firmly on the NCAA Tournament bubble and needs to pick up a few big wins over the regular season’s final six weeks. Johnson’s return would be a huge boost.
