Zabian Dowdell was a pivotal member of Virginia Tech’s first ACC men’s basketball team. He helped the Hokies surprise many in the league during their transition from the Big East and led Tech to the 2007 NCAA Tournament.
The ‘Hokie from Pahokee’ as Bill Roth liked to call him, Dowdell starred at Pahokee High School in Pahokee, Fla. He was named all-state his junior and senior seasons and earned multiple player of the year honors from The Palm Beach Post.
He averaged 23 points, eight assists, and seven rebounds per game as a senior and drew the attention of Seth Greenberg, then the head coach of South Florida.