How will the Hokies replace JT Thompson?

It seems like Virginia Tech basketball just can’t catch a break. The school announced Thursday that 6-6, 218 pound forward J.T. Thompson will be out for the year due to a torn right ACL. This after Thompson missed all of last season with a torn left ACL. First and foremost, you cannot help but to feel for Thompson. A little over a year ago, he and cousin/teammate Dorenzo Hudson were planning on helping classmates Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen get Virginia Tech back to the NCAA Tournament for the first time since 2007, but Thompson tore his ACL and Hudson suffered a foot injury. The Hokies once again fell agonizingly short of the NCAA Tournament. Thompson and Hudson both returned for a fifth year this season but now Thompson is out again. Like I said, you can’t help but to feel for the kid. Needless to say, this will have a significant impact on the Hokies’ upcoming season.

The question that comes up with J.T. Thompson out is who will replace him in the starting line-up. As Cvillehoops13 pointed out on Twitter, it wasn’t a given that Thompson would start this season. Seth Greenberg could (would?) have brought him off the bench to provide that spark and energy that only J.T. Thompson can provide. While he may not have started, he certainly would have finished a lot of games. So, who replaces J.T. Thompson in the crunch-time five? Here are the options:

• Jarell Eddie. Even though Eddie is more of a 3, this seems like the best option for Virginia Tech. If you are listing the top five players on Virginia Tech’s roster, Eddie would be on it. Eddie is 6-7, 218 pounds, making him a better option to slide to the 4 than freshman Dorian Finney-Smith (6-8, 192 pounds). There would be concerns as to how the Hokies would defend the post from the PF spot, but the hope would be that Eddie’s offense offsets the defensive shortcomings. Also, how incredibly fortunate is it now that Eddie is eligible to play the first semester?
• Cadarian Raines. Defensively, this makes some sense as Raines provides some size at 6-9, 238 pounds. Offensively, this makes zero sense. The only times I can envision Victor Davila and Cadarian Raines on the court at the same time would be in late game defensive situations when the Hokies are making offense/defense substitutions. It just wouldn’t work having two players on the court who can’t handle the ball.
• C.J. Barksdale. He is kind of the wild card. Barksdale’s role certainly will expand in his true freshman season. He has good size at 6-8, 232 pounds, but is he ready to play at this level? You have to think he’ll certainly have the opportunity to show he can. If Barksdale is not ready, this could mean that the Hokies will be forced to go even smaller with Dorenzo Hudson seeing some minutes at the 3 if either Finney-Smith or Eddie gets into foul trouble.

J.T. Thompson averaged 7.3 points and 4.6 rebounds in just over 20 minutes a game back in the 2009-10 season. He had some memorable performances (17 points in an overtime win at Virginia) and made some clutch plays (3 pointer to tie against Maryland late in regulation), but it is hard to quantify what Thompson brings to the table. He brings energy and toughness. Whenever Seth Greenberg needed a spark, he would simply insert Thompson into the game, and he would elevate the team more often than not. Last year, the Hokies never adequately replaced what they lost in Thompson. Unless one of the freshmen can step in, I doubt Virginia Tech will be able to replace him this year, either.