One thing I’m sure about this game is that I’m surely glad this game is in the Cassell, and not being played on the road down in ole Coral Gables; as our O&M hoops crew has won 22 of its last 25 at Home, and Miami has only won 3 times as the Visitor in more than the last calender year. On top of all that, is Seth Greenberg making a bit of an ACC Coach of the Year case or what?
But who will win? Because we really do need to sweep (no french pun intended, well not much of a pun), our remaining 4 home hoops games to have a legit NC2A calling-card to present to the Selection Committee in a few weeks. Miami got out to a nationally ranked fast start but has cooled off a bit of late. So will the real Miami hoops team please stand up, please stand up? Now…….in order to deduce who will win lets look at a little Hurricane yin vs. yang first.
- Ocean point of view: Slusher Beach vs. So.Beach, I love Vah.Tech, I’m a Hokie, you may “BOOK THAT!” But this edge goes to the Sunshine state, on the grounds of weather, if nothing else, as it’s 40f and change warmer as I write this article, and I can think of several things else (see pic at right).
- FG% Margin: VT at home compared to Miami as the visitor, the edge goes to…VT…by 5%. Not a whopping vital in our favor, but a vital in our favor nonetheless.
- Turnovers and Steals: pretty well even overall, we have the edge in Thefts, but Miami’s edge in Turnovers cancels it out.
- Health: advantage VT (yet again I’ll remind you, because our health has been epic all year), as Miami has a nice backup front-court baller out for the season.
- Celebs: Dan “Isotoner’s cover my invisible Super Bowl rings.” Marino, PHNC’s favorite cop: Shaq-Fu (well, not any more), so well have to utilize the Crockett and Tubbs plan B, and Ray “I don’t know why, but I always land on free-parking in Monopoly.” Lewis…vs….Steve Casey, Casey Beamer, and mo’ Casey Beamer. VT in a wash, bang the gavel, and it’s not even close.
So, there you have it, Nick Bakay style, the numbers don’t lie and the numbers favor Virginia Tech by a 4:0:1 margin. But stop clowning, and tell us what will really happen b’street?
Well, I gotta tell yah; I like our chances in this one. Recently it takes a whole lot to beat VT inside the Cassell, this even includes our having beaten at least 3 teams with a clear-cut Talent advantage out of the aforementioned 22 home wins. We shoot better at home, we defend better at home, we rebound, all better at home. That impresses me, and I for one am taking note. Ergo; I expect we finally break outta our 5 game 23% shooting from downtown funk, and barring a sudden down turn in Vah.Tech health, I plan to pick us to win out at home. That starts right about now, with this Cane Mutiny savvy predict: Virginia Tech 77 Miami 72. b’street