GAME NOTES: Buzz Williams looks to stay perfect at Virginia Tech as his Hokies welcome the Appalachian State Mountaineers to Cassell Coliseum for non- conference action.

The arrival of Williams in Blacksburg may be the turning point for Virginia Tech, which has struggled to compete with its league rivals in the ACC on a consistent basis for quite some time. The former Marquette coach has guided the Hokies to wins over Maryland-Eastern Shore (71-46) and Liberty (73-63) in his first two appearances on the bench. The Hokies returned four of five starters from last season's squad which finished last in the ACC for a third consecutive campaign and ranked 326 in the nation at scoring.

Virginia Tech has used a balanced attack on the offensive end to remain unbeaten. Freshman guard Justin Bibbs is leading the pack with 12.5 ppg on 58.8 percent efficiency from the floor and fellow rookie Malik Muller is adding 12 ppg to go along with 2.5 spg. Joey Van Zegeran showed he might be the most vital piece of the puzzle of the Hokies in their triumph over Liberty. The 6-foot-10 forward recorded a double-double with 17 points and 10 rebounds, while making seven of his nine attempts from the field. Junior guard Adam Smith is dangerous to the opposition when left open beyond the arc. The former UNC Wilmington standout has made this evident by draining 50 percent of his 3-point field goal tries.

The Hokies are 7-1 all-time against Appalachian State, with all games being played in Cassell Coliseum. Virginia Tech has earned six straight wins over the Mountaineers in the series, including the most recent meeting, an 87-76, victory in Cassell Coliseum on Nov. 23, 2012.

The Mountaineers hope to end their season-opening three-game road trip on a positive note after dropping lopsided decisions to Ohio University (73-47) and Furman (84-65) in their first two outings. ASU went 9-21 overall in 2013-14, its final season as a member of the Southern Conference. The Mountaineers are in their first year as a member of the Sun Belt Conference. ASU is also in its inaugural season under first-year head coach Jim Fox, who joined the program last April. Fox spent the past 12 seasons as an assistant on Bob McKillop's staff at Davidson.

ASU has shown a lack of scoring ability so far. The Mountaineers are producing just 56 ppg on 36 percent shooting from the floor, including a 25-percent clip from 3-point range. Senior forward Tommy Spangnolo and junior guard Frank Eaves are tied for the team scoring lead at 13 ppg, with the former also accounting for 9.5 rpg. Chris Burgess is chiming in with 10 ppg.

A noticeable characteristic of all of Williams' Marquette teams was hard-nosed and energetic play regardless of the opponent. If Virginia Tech gives a strong effort for a full 40 minutes, ASU will need a miracle to escape with its first win.