Georgia Tech (12-16, 4-11) at No. 2 Virginia (24-2, 12-2), 7 p.m. ESPN2
Hey everyone. There's been an exciting development over the past couple weeks. I've been recruited to write for a UVa sports website, HoosPlace.com. The guys over there seem like great dudes, and I'll have freedom to write what I want, but the main things I will help with are basketball recaps and football recaps and previews. I'll be writing as Hooamp over there (which is also my Twitter handle, @hooamp, so give me a follow if you are on Twitter). I encourage you to check out the website and follow the Twitter account @HoosPlace. The site's goal is to provide honest, unfiltered analysis of Virginia sports, so it could be very positive or the opposite. That's mostly what I've always tried to do here. I give you guys facts and stats, and then I provide my commentary as well, though I try to remain balanced under most circumstances. Sometimes, coworkers or friends will rag on me for being pro-UVa, and I am undoubtedly a huge fan, but out of anyone, you guys should know I am capable of being a harsh critic, too. Fans can sometimes be the hardest to please. :)
As of now, not much is going to change here. This blog will live on. I am still going to publish my full basketball previews here, because Hoos Place has previews written by StLouHoo, and I encourage you to check those out as well. The recap situation here is a work in progress. I will still probably provide something, though maybe not as much as I will there. And as you've noticed if you
are a regular, I don't have separate recaps for basketball anyway, usually, so that's not really a big change.
So, long story short, I'm embarking on a new blogging adventure (I'll hopefully also be involved in
podcasts over there), but the Amped Up blog will mainly be business as usual. Thank you for your readership and interest over the years! My readership has grown since 2010 when I started, and if I was continually just writing into a chasm, I don't know if I'd still be doing it and getting such a great opportunity. So thanks for being on the receiving end of my writing.
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| Mamadi Diakite had a great game against Louisville, but look at that hair. |
With that out of the way, at this late hour, I am actually just going to say, hey, just head on over to Hoos Place for my recap of the Cavaliers' 12-point comeback road win over Louisville on Saturday.
And next up for the Cavaliers is a home date with Georgia Tech, a team struggling in its third year under coach Josh Pastner. Here's a look at the Yellow Jackets:
Scorers in double figures: Sophomore guard Jose Alvarado (12.6), junior forward James Bank III (10)
Leading rebounders: Banks (7.6), senior forward Abdoulaye Gueye (4), Alvarado (3.9)
Assist leaders: Alvarado (3.3), freshman guard Michael Devoe (2.4), sophomore guard Curtis Haywood II (1.9)
Notable: Ten players average double-figure minutes. Devoe averages 9.5 points, senior guard Brandon Alston puts up 7.8 per game, Gueye records 7 per game, and Haywood is at 5.9 per game. Alvarado averages about two steals. Devoe and Haywood average about one steal each. Banks blocks 2.6 shots per game, and Gueye gets one per game.
Best win: At Syracuse, 73-59. The Orange are, obviously, capable of much more (like a win at Duke).
Worst win: At Arkansas, 69-65. The Razorbacks are now 14-14.
Other wins: Lamar, East Carolina, Texas Rio Grande Valley, Prairie View A&M, Florida A&M, Kennesaw State, South Carolina Upstate, Wake Forest, Notre Dame, Pittsburgh
Best loss: vs. No. 9 Virginia Tech, 52-49
Worst loss: Losing by 10 at home to Gardner-Webb is not a good look.
Other losses: Tennessee, Northwestern, St. John's, Georgia, Clemson (twice), Louisville, Duke, North Carolina, Florida State (twice), Virginia Tech, Notre Dame, Miami
What the Yellow Jackets do well: There have been a lot of struggles this season in Atlanta, mostly
on offense. The defense has been able to do some good things. Tech is allowing 65.4 ppg (39th) and
holding opponents to 39.3 percent shooting on field goals (14th) and 29.2 percent on 3-pointers (eighth). The Jackets also tally 7.3 steals (tied, 77th) and 5.3 blocks per game (ninth).
What the Yellow Jackets don't do well: You have to put the ball in the basket in basketball. I mean, it is in the name of the sport. Tech's ailing in that area. The Jackets score 65.2 ppg (326th) and shoot 43.3 percent from the field (239th), 30.6 percent on 3s (331st), and 70.4 percent on free throws (178th). Tech only records 13.4 assists per game (185th) and owns a .89 assist-turnover ratio (284th) while giving up possession 15 times per game (310th). The Jackets have also not been strong on the glass with a -1.8 rebounding margin per outing (262nd).
If you're a UVa basketball fan and on Twitter, hopefully you follow the fake Tony Bennett account, Phony Bennett @IfTonyTweeted. If you're not, what are you waiting for? It's a good follow with some funny gems and also, some solid in-game analysis. The guy that runs the account was even profiled by UVa. Anyway, a few games ago, as everyone was posting predictions and previews for an upcoming game, he just tweeted something to the effect of, "UVa is good. Wake Forest is not. UVa should win. There, that's my analysis."
That's pretty much how I feel about this contest. Virginia is good. Georgia Tech is not good. Period. Especially given given Georgia Tech's weakness on offense and Virginia's strength on defense, this game should not be that close. The Yellow Jackets need to hope the Wahoos have a really off game shooting the ball to have any chance.
There are a couple of shooters that Virginia needs to watch beyond the arc: Alston is the team's best 3-point shooter at 39.6 percent, but he's only taken 53 attempts. The other main threats are Devoe (39.1) and freshman forward Kristian Sjolund (30.8), who has only taken 39 attempts on the year but 28 in the past five games. He went 0 for 4 last time out against Miami but before that, in a four-game span, he made 10 of 24. Everyone else is shooting below 30 percent from distance.
Tech's defense might be able to turn this into a sloppy, low-scoring affair, but even a C+ game from Virginia should result in a fairly easy win. If Georgia Tech pulls the upset, it will have probably come with lots of surprising 3-pointers (like Louisville had Saturday in the first half, though the Cardinals lead the league in 3s made).
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 15-20 points.
When it comes to anything UVa athletics, I trust you to get the real scoop. You tell it like it is, like a true, genuine fan.
ReplyDeleteThanks for the compliment, Gopher.
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