After a typically ugly Wolfpac game our Hokies return to the Cassell, to play THE U.

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