Virginia Tech coach Kenny Brooks passes 500-victory mark
FILE - Virginia Tech head coach Kenny Brooks, left, and Georgia Amoore (5) confer in the first half of an NCAA basketball game against Radford in an NCAA basketball game in Blacksburg Va., Dec. 10, 2023. Brooks earned his 500th career victory on Sunday, Dec. 17, 2023, in a win over Rutgers. His players were wearing shirts after the game in honor of their coach, who last year guided the team to its first-ever Final Four. (Matt Gentry/The Roanoke Times via AP, File)
PISCATAWAY, N.J. (AP) — Virginia Tech players showered coach Kenny Brooks with water when he returned to the locker room after the Hokies’ gave him a milestone victory Sunday.
The win over Rutgers was the 500th of his 22-year career. He’s already looking ahead to the next 500.
“This one is pretty big as you know you’ve had to be doing it for a very long time,” Brooks said after the 84-59 victory. “And to be able to do it in a time where you adore your team and to be able to share in that with them is very special.”
Brooks, who got his first win while coaching James Madison on Dec. 15, 2002, has led the 15th-ranked Hokies to new heights after joining the program in 2016. He guided the team to its first Final Four last season and has helped the team to at least 20 wins four times so far.
“This program is astronomically better than my freshman year. I’m proud of him,” said Hokies star guard Georgia Amoore, who was wearing a commemorative shirt in the postgame press conference that celebrated Brooks’ 500th victory.
One just had to look around the crowd at Rutgers to see the development in the program. There were Hokies fans everywhere. About 45 minutes after the game Brooks was walking to do a radio interview and nearly a hundred fans chanted his win total.
The Hokies have high expectations for this season with most of the core back from last season’s Final Four run, including Amoore and forward Liz Kitley. The team had two early losses with one coming against Iowa on a neutral court and the other at LSU in a Final Four rematch.
“I like where we are. It’s kind of crazy. Control what we can control, focus on us,” Brooks said. “We can put ourselves in position to win another ACC championship. When you challenge for the ACC championship you give yourself a chance at a national championship.”
The Hokies have just one game this week on Thursday against William and Mary before tipping off ACC play on Dec. 31 against Wake Forest.
FACING FRED
South Carolina will see a familiar face on the sideline Tuesday when the No. 1 Gamecocks visit Bowling Green. Former assistant coach Fred Chmiel leads the Falcons now.
He was on coach Dawn Staley’s staff for 247 victories, six Southeastern Conference tournament titles and national championships in 2017 and 2022.
It’s a busy week for the Falcons, who also play at No. 16 Indiana on Thursday.
GETTING READY FOR THE HOLIDAYS
All of women’s college basketball will take a break from Dec. 23-27 with no games schedule because of the Christmas holiday. There is only one matchup left this week between Top 25 teams as No. 23 Washington, which entered the poll this week for the first time since 2017, visits No. 19 Louisville on Wednesday.
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AP women’s college basketball: https://apnews.com/hub/ap-top-25-womens-college-basketball-poll and https://apnews.com/hub/womens-college-basketball