• Tech will wear all maroon on Thursday. They will wear maroon jerseys, maroon pants and maroon undersleeves. The socks will be black.
• Orion Martin and Coach Beamer get together each week to decide on Tech's uniform combination.
• The Maryland game will be Lester's 366th consecutive Tech game.
• There is a chance of getting some maroon throwback jerseys. They would be like the white throwbacks the Hokies wore against Furman and Nebraska.

• The women's soccer team beat Duke on Sunday, and that will help their chances for the NCAA Tournament quite a bit.
• Weaver thinks the Alabama situation is going to work itself out. There is still one hurdle to get over. Some finances have to be worked out as well. Until Tech knows what the financial proposal is, they can't make any commitments.
• The floor in Cassell Coliseum will be replaced when the new practice facility is completed. The only difference on the court this year will be the new three-point line.
• Weaver asked the fans not to enter the parking lots until 5pm on Thursday. That will give all the faculty and staff a chance to leave and clear the lots.
• Tech will have fireworks on Thursday night.
• The charter trip to Nebraska cost about $25,000 more than was originally budgeted because of escalating fuel costs.

• Tech has been practicing well this week. The team understands that they have to work hard to beat Maryland.
• Tyrod Taylor and Sean Glennon are getting limited work in practice. They are both listed as questionable for Thursday's game.
• Beamer feels like Tech can win the game with Cory Holt. He's practiced very well, he's thrown it very well, and he's competitive.
• Maryland has a lot of seniors up front on both sides of the ball. They have a lot of experience, and that makes them a good team.
• It's a four game season right now. Tech controls their own destiny, just like last season.
• Beamer has put some veteran players back on the pride and joy team, such as Kam Chancellor and Cam Martin. Special teams could be the key down the stretch.
• There are a lot of fairly equal ACC teams. The ones that play the best over the next month will have the best chance to win the conference.
• Tech is going to get Maryland's best shot on Thursday night. They are the only team with one ACC loss, and they are at the top of their division for a reason.
• Cory Holt has height, and he can see the receivers on those quick slants.
• The Hokies need a little pop at tailback right now, and Beamer is hopeful that Jahre Cheeseman can give them that pop. Hopefully we'll see it against Maryland on Thursday.
• Darrius Heyward-Bey is a big time player for Maryland. They can get him the ball in a lot of ways. He has a big body and he's fast.
• Kam Chancellor has gotten a lot better at free safety over the last couple of games. He hasn't made the same mistake twice.
• Tech can't give up big plays to Maryland. They have good receivers who can make you pay for mistakes. They are good at screens and reverses.
• Offensively, Tech has to move the football and play efficiently. The special teams have to be good across the board. This will be a major challenge for the Hokies.

• Saturday's scrimmage against Georgetown was good for the Hokies. They are much more beneficial than a regular exhibition game. They learned exactly what they need to do to get better.
• This is a more mature basketball team, but there are some different roles for some of the players this year. Deron Washington has to be replaced defensively and on the boards. Also, who will start on the inside next to Jeff Allen?
• Tech doesn't have a versatile defender like Deron Washington. They have to do it by committee at this point.
• Jeff Allen will be a good rebounder, and so is A.D. Vassallo. The Hokies need another guy to emerge there to replace Washington.
• Victor Davila had a good weekend. As a freshman, he's like a computer that's locked up. He's got tremendous potential.
• Cheick Diakite has had a terrific preseason. He is starting to play within himself. He can have a good senior year. Lewis Witcher is a guy who Tech needs to play well.
• Greenberg is really pleased with the willingness of J.T. Thompson and Dorenzo Hudson, especially Thompson. They have to find ways to get him on the court because he can do so many things.
• Tech has changed their offense around a bit, and the team has picked it up fairly well. They will have to establish an offensive identity and a flow. They didn't have flow to their half court offense against Georgetown.
• Coach John Thompson spoke to the Tech team after the Georgetown scrimmage, and he gave them a terrific talk.
• A.D. Vassallo is out of his protective boot, but he's going to be fine. He's got to get back into basketball shape though, and he needs to drop a few pounds.
• The new three-point line should be good for college basketball. Not everyone can take that shot now. Greenberg thinks the new line will shrink the court, because not everyone will need to be defended beyond the new line.
• A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney will still have the green light. They are great shooters. Dorenzo Hudson is on the border. Bell is still developing, but he's gotten better.
• Tech has shot fewer three-pointers than anyone in the league over the past few years, but that's by design. Not everyone can shoot the three-pointer.
• Tech has a very challenging out-of-conference schedule. Wisconsin is a major program from the Big Ten, and the Hokies are going to Puerto Rico as well.
• A 9-7 ACC record didn't keep Tech out of the NCAA tournament last year. Their out-of-conference record kept them out.
• None of the challenging games this year should hurt Tech. Instead, it could really help them in the RPI.
• Cheick Diakite has perhaps been the biggest surprise of the preseason. He isn't great at passing the ball, and Tech simplifies their zone offense because of that, but he brings a shot blocking and rebounding presence.
• Terrell Bell didn't have a great weekend at Georgetown, but overall he's had a good preseason. He had a very good practice on Sunday.
• Tech has one more scrimmage, this time against American. After that scrimmage, Greenberg will start to set the roles of some of the players and get ready to start the regular season.

Monday was Day 1,437 of Virginia Tech's continuous possession of the Commonwealth Cup.