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With under four seconds left on the clock in the first half against Pittsburgh, Storm Murphy drew two defenders toward him. He quickly swung the ball to Keve Aluma at the top of the key and in less than a second, Aluma shot it over the outstretched hand of the Pitt defender.

The buzzer-beater gave Virginia Tech a 35-17 lead at halftime, and Aluma’s 18 points lifted the Hokies to their fourth straight win, a 27-point blowout over Pittsburgh.

“The shot that Aluma hit was enormous,” VT head coach Mike Young said. “(It was a) big momentum swing.”

When Aluma arrived at Wofford in 2017, he was a skilled but out-of-shape player, assistant coach Kevin Giltner said. But at Virginia Tech, he’s the team’s leading scorer, averaging over 15 points per game. Aluma’s become a versatile and selfless option for a Hokies team still fighting for a spot in the NCAA Tournament.

“Keve would rather score four points and win than score 20 and lose,” Giltner said.

At Wofford, a Southern Conference school in South Carolina, Aluma averaged 2.5 and 6.9 points per game, respectively, in his first two seasons before transferring to Virginia Tech. With the Terriers, Aluma assumed a role as the “Dennis Rodman type,” Giltner said — somebody who focused on rebounds and defense to help his team.

As a freshman in 2017-18, Aluma saw minimal action, playing just over 13 minutes a game while averaging 2.5 points. But Aluma became a starter as a sophomore, averaging 26 minutes per game. He recorded almost seven points a game as well as almost seven rebounds.

Following two years at Wofford, Aluma made the decision to transfer to Virginia Tech, reuniting with Young – his head coach with the Terriers. Upon arriving at VT, Aluma spent time in the gym becoming stronger and more athletic, and the resources at a bigger, power conference school like Virginia Tech allowed for Aluma to advance his game, he said.

“I don’t know if I’d be in this position if it weren’t for VT,” Aluma said.

Since arriving at VT, Aluma has developed his game to become more balanced all around. Virginia Tech frequently has the 6-foot-9, 235-pound Aluma guard the opposing team’s best player, even if they play different positions because of his versatility and overall defensive ability, Giltner said. This allows the Hokies to “switch the action” so they can switch defenders after ball screens.

Aluma has become a great shooter, screener and is one of the hardest players to guard in practice, Murphy said.

Keve Aluma has become one of the ACC’s leading scorers this season. Courtesy of Virginia Tech Athletics

“His all-roundness is special,” Murphy said. “He does the hustle things and makes the winning plays.”

Off the court, Aluma’s demeanor makes him a unique person, Murphy said. Teammates look up to him because of his work ethic. Aluma is very disciplined, too, and solely focused on playing basketball.

“Keve is a wonderful person, a person you’d let your daughter date. No issues off the court,” Giltner said. “He’s awesome and sometimes we take it for granted.”

Aluma said he is focused on improving a Virginia Tech team that has won its last four games but has just a 12% chance to make the NCAA Tournament, according to teamrankings.com. The Hokies aren’t where they want to be in terms of record, but they are close, Aluma said.

As one of Virginia Tech’s top players this season, Aluma hasn’t shied away from calling out teammates if something needs to be said, Murphy added. Aluma also makes the hustle plays when needed and is one of the smartest players on the team, Murphy said.

“He’s the guy who’s hyper-focused, dialed into the coverage (and) what to run,” Murphy said. “He has an extremely high IQ and sees the game incredibly well.”

Published on February 9, 2022 at 8:25 pm

Contact Michael: mdphilip@syr.edu