BLACKSBURG -- Class is in session at Virginia Tech -- on the basketball court, too.

Tech men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg is getting an early jump on preseason practice because his team will play three exhibition games in Canada from Sept. 1-2. The Hokies began practicing for the exhibitions Monday.

The two weeks of extra work will be invaluable for the Hokies, who lost seven players from the 2007 NCAA tournament team. There are as many scholarship freshmen on the roster (six) as returning players.

Only four of the returning players saw meaningful minutes last season.

"This isn't a time to panic. It's a time to fact-find, to kind of figure out who we are," Greenberg said.

Instead of having to wait until October, Greenberg will be using these two weeks to learn the strengths and weaknesses of his freshmen and get a feel for the "team personality."

"Coming out of this, we should be well ahead of knowing how we need to play to be successful," he said. "Our style of play will emerge from this."

Most teams that go on foreign exhibition trips do so during the summer, but Greenberg wanted to wait so his freshmen could play. He wouldn't have been able to field much of a team if he hadn't.

Tech lost five players to graduation, including a trio of four-year starters. All-ACC point guard Zabian Dowdell has signed with a team in France and center Coleman Collins has signed with a team in Germany. Third-team All-ACC guard Jamon Gordon said he will be participating in the Washington Wizards' preseason camp.

Two players who could have come back did not. Nigel Munson, who was supposed to succeed Dowdell at point guard, decided to transfer. Backup center Robert Krabbendam signed with a team in his native country, The Netherlands.

Greenberg will get an early look at the three freshmen vying for the starting point guard job -- Hank Thorns from Valley High School in Las Vegas; Malcolm Delaney from Towson (Md.) Catholic; and Darrion Pellum from Massanutten Military Academy in Woodstock, Va.

Greenberg considers Delaney and Pellum able to play either backcourt position, with Thorns "more of a pure point guard who can score."

The 5-foot-9, 175-pound Thorns averaged 28 points and 7 assists last season.

He is the shortest Hokie, but he also played for his high school football team.

"The kid is tough. He can take a pounding," Valley coach Brian Farnsworth said. "People didn't recruit him because of his size."

Tech didn't sign Thorns until May. He also was wooed by Old Dominion and Nevada.

"He's going to be a fan favorite," Farnsworth said. "I would be very surprised if he's not the starting point guard for Virginia Tech."

Delaney played both guard spots at Towson Catholic, averaging 19 points last season. Indiana, Maryland and Wake Forest were among those courting him.

"He's going to make a tremendous impact ... in the ACC," Towson Catholic coach Josh Pratt said. "He can really shoot the ball."

After transferring from Hampton High to Massanutten, Pellum repeated his junior year in 2005-06.

He played for Massanutten's postgraduate team that season and as a fifth-year senior last winter. He averaged 18 points as a point guard last season.

Miami, Cincinnati and Providence were among his suitors.

"He can shoot the ball and he can get to the basket," Massanutten coach Richard Moore said.

"He has the total game."

The other freshmen are forwards -- Jeff Allen from Hargrave Military Academy's postgraduate team; Terrell Bell from Stone Mountain (Ga.) High School; and J.T. Thompson from Hope Christian Academy in Kings Mountain, N.C.

"Allen is probably the most accomplished frontcourt player on paper that we've had here in a long time," Greenberg said.

The 6-7, 220-pound Allen averaged about 18 points and 10 rebounds at Hargrave.

"He's got a well-rounded game, especially for a kid of his size," Hargrave coach Kevin Keatts said.

"Half the time he would post [up] and then half the time he would play outside on the perimeter."

Thompson is practicing with Tech but might not play in the exhibitions because the school hasn't yet heard from the NCAA on whether he will be eligible this season.

A seventh freshman, Dorenzo Hudson, won't join the Hokies until after the fall semester.

Tech had an extra grant because of Munson's exit, so Blacksburg graduate Marcus Travis has been given a scholarship for his senior year.