No. 9 Virginia Tech (14-1, 3-0) at No. 4 Virginia (15-0, 3-0), 8 p.m. ACC Network
Ho-hum. Another 20-point road victory for the 'Hoos. UVa pulled away in the second half against Clemson on Saturday for a 63-43 win. Mamadi Diakite went off at Boston College, but was quiet against Clemson with no points, five boards, and a block in 19 minutes. This time, it was Jay Huff who stepped up, and at a critical moment.
The redshirt sophomore finished with 11 points in just 10 minutes -- all in the second half -- and added seven rebounds and a block, igniting the Cavaliers to their winning run after the Tigers had closed a 27-21 halftime deficit to 29-27. Huff came in some last season and wowed the crowd, but this is the first time he made a tangible difference at a critical time in an ACC game. It is clear that his offensive talent can help the 'Hoos. This means it is his defense -- or perhaps his stamina -- that
continues to hold him back from having more minutes. I'm not going to pretend to know as much about defense as Tony Bennett (he does look slow afoot at times), but I think it is important to get Huff 8-10 minutes per game in these ACC contests. Getting him time in big games will allow him to learn from his mistakes and perhaps spark the Cavaliers at opportune times. Virginia might really need him late in the season when it is going through an offensive slump in a game.
Elsewhere, Kyle Guy led the Wahoos with 13 points and went 3 of 9 from 3-point land, and De'Andre Hunter scored 12 points (2 of 4 on 3-pointers) while adding seven rebounds to his tally. Ty Jerome had eight points and five assists and also went 2 of 4 on 3s. Braxton Key had seven points and eight boards and went 1 for 1 on 3s. So, Guy and Hunter and Jerome all played decently, not great, Braxton helped some, and then Huff really stepped up. Kihei Clark scored five points, his first points in ACC play. And Diakite did not score. Whenever fewer than two of The Big Three are having great games, it is going to take these supplemental contributions to win games. It is great to see different people stepping up in the past three games. At JPJ against FSU it was Key, then it was Diakite at BC, and then Huff at Clemson.
Now for the second time in two weeks, Virginia takes on the No. 9 team in the country. This time, it is the archrival Hokies at home. Here's a glance at Tech so far this season:
Scorers in double figures: Sophomore guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17.8), junior forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. (14.1), senior guard Justin Robinson (13.1), senior guard Ahmed Hill (12.7)
Leading rebounders: Blackshear (6.2), senior guard Ty Outlaw (5.1), Alexander-Walker (4.1), Robinson (3.8), Hill (3.5), sophomore forward P.J. Horne (3.3)
Assist leaders: Robinson (5.8), Alexander-Walker (3.6), sophomore guard Wabissa Bede (2.1)
Notable: Eight players average double-figure minutes. Outlaw averages 7.9 points. Alexander-Walker picks up 2.2 steals per game, while Robinson nabs 1.7. Blackshear averages one block. The Hokies have a freshman guard named Isaiah Wilkins (yes, same spelling as UVa's Isaiah) who is averaging 5.5 points and has made 13 of his 28 3s (46.2 percent).
Best win: Vs. then-No. 23 Purdue, 89-83, in the Charleston Classic championship. The Hokies were down 44-36 at halftime.
Worst win: Ball State, 73-64, at home
Other wins: Northeastern, Gardner-Webb, St. Francis (Pa.), Central Connecticut State, VMI, South Carolina State, Washington, North Carolina A&T, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Notre Dame, Boston College, Georgia Tech
Loss, and it is a bad one: At Penn State, 63-62, in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Nittany Lions
are just 7-10 and 0-6 in their conference.
What Virginia Tech does well: Something that sets apart this Tech team from others under Buzz Williams is defense. The Hokies are near the echelon of the Cavaliers. Tech allows just 57.3 points per game, fourth in the country (UVa is first at 51.2), and a 39.5 field goal percentage (26th). It isn't quite as good at guarding the 3-point arc at 32.2 percent (103rd). The Hokies always seem to be great shooters recently, and this year is no different. Tech shoots 50 percent from the field (12th), 42.3 percent on 3s (third), and 73.6 percent at the line (70th). The Hokies put up 79.2 ppg (65th). They are also strong on the glass, with a +5.1 rebounding margin (tied, 57th). They also take good care of the ball, with 17.3 assists per game (19th), 11.3 turnovers per game (34th), and a +1.52 assist-turnover margin (10th). Finally, Tech has committed just 220 fouls, third fewest in the NCAA (Virginia sits seventh).
What Virginia Tech doesn't do well: Interestingly, Tech doesn't shoot many free throws. The Hokies have attempted just 239 (tied, 338th). There are 351 Division I teams. This is quite the change from recent seasons, I believe, when Tech was known for attacking the rim and getting to the line. Virginia has been known to struggle as well in getting to the line. For reference, the Cavaliers have shot 272 (295th).
As you can see, Tech is a very solid basketball team. The puzzling Penn State loss aside, this appears to be by far Williams' best team in Blacksburg, and it will be aiming for a top four seed in the NCAA tournament. Right now, I don't have a reason to leave them off a list of potential national title winners. Virginia is going to be in for a real fight. As you probably remember, the Hokies were the only ACC team to beat the Cavaliers last year, and it came in Charlottesville, in UVa's only home loss, 61-60 in overtime. For whatever reason, Virginia shot 38 3s, something it never does, making 11. The Cavaliers shot 34.4 percent from the field. The Hokies were a little better than that and got a late bucket to win it. The game in Blacksburg, before the one at JPJ, went a little differently. Virginia crushed Tech, 78-52.
In the Charlottesville game, I recall Tech playing more slowly than normal, almost as if it was mirroring UVa. It was an interesting change. The Hokies also played good defense, but UVa bailed them out with so many long shots. Hopefully, Bennett has cooked up something to deal with this new-look Tech. Virginia can shoot 3s well, but there's no reason to be hoisting up that many. UVa rarely shoots 25 in a game, so 38 was absurd. It's going to be an interesting battle of wits between Bennett and Williams to see what each draws up to deal with the defense of the other. I think Bennett should use Key in the post some, and hopefully Diakite has a good game. And don't be afraid to insert Huff, especially if the game seems to grind to a halt.
This will probably be a fast, defense-oriented game (fast as in clock will tick by as opposed to pace, obviously). Neither team fouls much, but it is going to be intense. It is the first time these teams have met when both are in the top 10. JPJ will surely be rocking. Even when the Hokies weren't good a few years ago, they gave the Wahoos fits. But even with a date at Duke on Saturday, these top-10 Hokies should have UVa's full attention. A split in the season series is what I'm expecting between these rivals, and I'll go ahead and pick Virginia at home, as it has some extra motivation to not lose two in a row to its rival at JPJ.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
Ho-hum. Another 20-point road victory for the 'Hoos. UVa pulled away in the second half against Clemson on Saturday for a 63-43 win. Mamadi Diakite went off at Boston College, but was quiet against Clemson with no points, five boards, and a block in 19 minutes. This time, it was Jay Huff who stepped up, and at a critical moment.
The redshirt sophomore finished with 11 points in just 10 minutes -- all in the second half -- and added seven rebounds and a block, igniting the Cavaliers to their winning run after the Tigers had closed a 27-21 halftime deficit to 29-27. Huff came in some last season and wowed the crowd, but this is the first time he made a tangible difference at a critical time in an ACC game. It is clear that his offensive talent can help the 'Hoos. This means it is his defense -- or perhaps his stamina -- that
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| Jay Huff scored 11 points in 10 minutes at Clemson. |
Elsewhere, Kyle Guy led the Wahoos with 13 points and went 3 of 9 from 3-point land, and De'Andre Hunter scored 12 points (2 of 4 on 3-pointers) while adding seven rebounds to his tally. Ty Jerome had eight points and five assists and also went 2 of 4 on 3s. Braxton Key had seven points and eight boards and went 1 for 1 on 3s. So, Guy and Hunter and Jerome all played decently, not great, Braxton helped some, and then Huff really stepped up. Kihei Clark scored five points, his first points in ACC play. And Diakite did not score. Whenever fewer than two of The Big Three are having great games, it is going to take these supplemental contributions to win games. It is great to see different people stepping up in the past three games. At JPJ against FSU it was Key, then it was Diakite at BC, and then Huff at Clemson.
Now for the second time in two weeks, Virginia takes on the No. 9 team in the country. This time, it is the archrival Hokies at home. Here's a glance at Tech so far this season:
Scorers in double figures: Sophomore guard Nickeil Alexander-Walker (17.8), junior forward Kerry Blackshear Jr. (14.1), senior guard Justin Robinson (13.1), senior guard Ahmed Hill (12.7)
Leading rebounders: Blackshear (6.2), senior guard Ty Outlaw (5.1), Alexander-Walker (4.1), Robinson (3.8), Hill (3.5), sophomore forward P.J. Horne (3.3)
Assist leaders: Robinson (5.8), Alexander-Walker (3.6), sophomore guard Wabissa Bede (2.1)
Notable: Eight players average double-figure minutes. Outlaw averages 7.9 points. Alexander-Walker picks up 2.2 steals per game, while Robinson nabs 1.7. Blackshear averages one block. The Hokies have a freshman guard named Isaiah Wilkins (yes, same spelling as UVa's Isaiah) who is averaging 5.5 points and has made 13 of his 28 3s (46.2 percent).
Best win: Vs. then-No. 23 Purdue, 89-83, in the Charleston Classic championship. The Hokies were down 44-36 at halftime.
Worst win: Ball State, 73-64, at home
Other wins: Northeastern, Gardner-Webb, St. Francis (Pa.), Central Connecticut State, VMI, South Carolina State, Washington, North Carolina A&T, Maryland-Eastern Shore, Notre Dame, Boston College, Georgia Tech
Loss, and it is a bad one: At Penn State, 63-62, in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge. The Nittany Lions
What Virginia Tech does well: Something that sets apart this Tech team from others under Buzz Williams is defense. The Hokies are near the echelon of the Cavaliers. Tech allows just 57.3 points per game, fourth in the country (UVa is first at 51.2), and a 39.5 field goal percentage (26th). It isn't quite as good at guarding the 3-point arc at 32.2 percent (103rd). The Hokies always seem to be great shooters recently, and this year is no different. Tech shoots 50 percent from the field (12th), 42.3 percent on 3s (third), and 73.6 percent at the line (70th). The Hokies put up 79.2 ppg (65th). They are also strong on the glass, with a +5.1 rebounding margin (tied, 57th). They also take good care of the ball, with 17.3 assists per game (19th), 11.3 turnovers per game (34th), and a +1.52 assist-turnover margin (10th). Finally, Tech has committed just 220 fouls, third fewest in the NCAA (Virginia sits seventh).
What Virginia Tech doesn't do well: Interestingly, Tech doesn't shoot many free throws. The Hokies have attempted just 239 (tied, 338th). There are 351 Division I teams. This is quite the change from recent seasons, I believe, when Tech was known for attacking the rim and getting to the line. Virginia has been known to struggle as well in getting to the line. For reference, the Cavaliers have shot 272 (295th).
As you can see, Tech is a very solid basketball team. The puzzling Penn State loss aside, this appears to be by far Williams' best team in Blacksburg, and it will be aiming for a top four seed in the NCAA tournament. Right now, I don't have a reason to leave them off a list of potential national title winners. Virginia is going to be in for a real fight. As you probably remember, the Hokies were the only ACC team to beat the Cavaliers last year, and it came in Charlottesville, in UVa's only home loss, 61-60 in overtime. For whatever reason, Virginia shot 38 3s, something it never does, making 11. The Cavaliers shot 34.4 percent from the field. The Hokies were a little better than that and got a late bucket to win it. The game in Blacksburg, before the one at JPJ, went a little differently. Virginia crushed Tech, 78-52.
In the Charlottesville game, I recall Tech playing more slowly than normal, almost as if it was mirroring UVa. It was an interesting change. The Hokies also played good defense, but UVa bailed them out with so many long shots. Hopefully, Bennett has cooked up something to deal with this new-look Tech. Virginia can shoot 3s well, but there's no reason to be hoisting up that many. UVa rarely shoots 25 in a game, so 38 was absurd. It's going to be an interesting battle of wits between Bennett and Williams to see what each draws up to deal with the defense of the other. I think Bennett should use Key in the post some, and hopefully Diakite has a good game. And don't be afraid to insert Huff, especially if the game seems to grind to a halt.
This will probably be a fast, defense-oriented game (fast as in clock will tick by as opposed to pace, obviously). Neither team fouls much, but it is going to be intense. It is the first time these teams have met when both are in the top 10. JPJ will surely be rocking. Even when the Hokies weren't good a few years ago, they gave the Wahoos fits. But even with a date at Duke on Saturday, these top-10 Hokies should have UVa's full attention. A split in the season series is what I'm expecting between these rivals, and I'll go ahead and pick Virginia at home, as it has some extra motivation to not lose two in a row to its rival at JPJ.
Gut feeling: Virginia wins by 1-5 points.
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