Virginia Tech has been picked 8th in the annual ACC men's basketball preseason media poll, and Tech guard Malcolm Delaney has been selected as a first-team All-ACC preseason pick. Duke and North Carolina share the #1 spot in the media poll, with the Blue Devils getting 25 first-place votes to 20 for the Tar Heels.

Here are the results of the media poll, released yesterday.

This is the third time the Hokies have been picked #8 in the preseason. Tech has never been tabbed higher than sixth, which has happened twice.

The Hokies return four of their top five scorers from a year ago, but the only loss is a big one: A.D. Vassallo, who led the Hokies in scoring at 19.1 ppg and was the second leading rebounder at 6.2 rpg.

The Hokies also lost post player Cheick Diakite (3.8 ppg, 3.9 rpg) to graduation and point guard Hank Thorns (2.7 ppg, 2.4 assists per game) to transfer (TCU). Little-used Terrance Vinson chose not to return to the team this season.

The good news is that the Hokies boast the top returning scorer in the ACC in Malcolm Delaney (18.1 ppg). Delaney finished 6th in scoring in the ACC last season, and with the ACC gutted heavily by graduation and early departures for the NBA, Delaney is one of just three returning top-ten league scorers. Maryland's Greivis Vasquez (#7 at 17.5 ppg) and Virginia's Sylven Landesberg (#10 at 16.6 ppg) are the other two.

The 2009-2010 Hokies are still a young team, with four true freshmen (F Cadarian Raines, G Erick Green, G Ben Boggs, and G/F Manny Atkins) joining a roster that has just one scholarship senior, F Lewis Witcher. The Hokies' top four returning scorers are juniors.

Duke's Kyle Singler (16.5 ppg, 7.1 rpg in 2008-09) was named the preseason ACC Player of the Year, and Singler, Delaney and Vasquez were named preseason All-ACC, along with Clemson's Trevor Booker and UNC's Ed Davis.

The Hokies open the season November 15th at home against Brown as part of the Philly Hoop Group Classic. TechSideline.com will have a full basketball preview Friday.

Hokies Picked 8th (hokiesports.com)
Virginia Tech men's basketball 2009-2010 roster (TechSideline.com)