Irreplaceable Bede ignores teammates’ pleas to shoot

BLACKSBURG — Wabissa Bede is used to the abuse. He hears unsolicited critiques on his shooting and reluctance to shoot in games almost every day in Virginia Tech’s practices from whippersnappers like Landers Nolley.

Here’s the thing: Bede couldn’t care less what they think about his shooting ability, or lack thereof. He’s on the floor for Tech coach Mike Young for so many other imperative reasons — passing, ball-handling, leadership, defense.

So, until Bede hears from Young he needs to do something else to better supplement his 3.7 points

Inside

per game and 40.7 fieldgoal percentage career averages, Bede isn’t changing.

“People know I can’t score,” said Bede, a 6-foot junior from North Andover, Massachusetts. “My teammates make fun of me. It doesn’t affect me. They can tell me I can’t score, I can’t shoot. I’m still going to look at you and be like, ‘Cool. What else do you want me to do?’

“That doesn’t faze me. I see it. I don’t care about it as long as we keep getting the most valuable thing — the (win).”

Before Tech’s 80-70 win Tuesday night at Wake Forest in which he made 3 of 5 shots from the floor and scored six points, Bede had missed all 10 of his field-goal attempts in his previous four games and scored a total of four points. Other numbers demonstrate why he’s so important.

He also had 32 assists and just nine turnovers in 141 minutes during his past five games. Tech’s 72-58 win Saturday against North Carolina State provided a perfect example of the impact he makes on the defensive end.

N.C. State guard Markell Johnson came into the