If you are around the state of North Carolina, you certainly remember hearing the name Jalen Cone from Walkertown, as he continuously was a bucket-getter for the program each year. In 2017-18, Cone averaged 35 points per game and follow that up with averaging 26 points per game in 2018-19.
After reclassing and heading to Blacksburg, Cone has continued to shine early as a freshman for the Hokies.
Some may look at his 5’10 frame and have doubts but he has no issue in stepping up in big moments and on Tuesday night, Cone had his best performance on the road in the Carrier Dome.
In just 19 minutes of play, Cone stepped up big with a career-high 19 points as the Hokies used a strong second half to secure the 67-63 victory on the road vs. Syracuse. Cone was a big part of the second-half comeback, scoring 16 of his 19 points in the second half and knocking down a big three at the 1:41 mark.
Cone is now averaging 6.5 points per game this season for Virginia Tech but has shown how big of a threat he can be from deep. Going 5-for-7 from three vs. Syracuse, he is now shooting 55.8 percent from behind the arc (24-for-43), which ranks 1st in the conference by a wide margin (behind him is Cassius Stanley at 44.4 percent).
The freshman guard has really stepped up to the challenge and it won’t be the last time you hear his name around the ACC. Cone absolutely knows how to score the ball; it is in his DNA. So, you may want to start jumping on board early because he will be a big part of Virginia Tech’s future in the coming years.