Recall last weeks announcement(s), that from here on out the Official Prediction Thread
(OPT) is for more than just bragging rights. It’s for a free month of TSL.com for a hoops win, and for three free months for a football win! Perfect then closest to the cup hole in one contest rules still apply. But let’s talk about our final home game of the year, senior minutes, and Wake.
Wake is a pretty decent hoops team, that is on a 3 game schnide. They are fundamentally sound, and play a nice sharing of the rock team based approach to hoops. And they are young. Did I mention their youth yet; as Wake has a very bright future that is senior free this very year. If there are two different ACC teams playing 2008 for 2010, they clearly are VT and Wake. But who will win? Lets examine some game ups and downs first.
- Senior minutes for VT. This is not tokenism by Seth, and recall I was on record
pregame last year suggesting he do such last year. But while showing much love, and gaining much lockeroom return of same, there are these things called Time-Outs. Don’t hesitate to use them, you kan’t take them with you. - One clear cut thing about Wake is that Wake benefits from a lot of extra possessions. The D.Decs are 34th in Blocks, 37th on the Offensive Glass, and 41st in Steals. Extra possessions was one of “Red” Aurebach’s pet mantras, so you know that one has legs.
- On top of all of that, Wake is 117th in defensive FG% allowed.
- Wake does not shoot as well from distance, checking in at 261 from the FT Line, and 268th from downtown.
If there is a rookie frontcourt baller in the ACC who is better than our own Big-Al, it would
have to be Wake’s own James Johnson. JJ is da man (that’s him on the right). F=MA. That’s JJ’s game, mass (or strength in his case) with a nice fluidlidity for such bulk blends itself to leading Wake in Points and Boards as a rookie! JJ had a bad nite last time out, snapping a stellar run of late. But our Frontcourt will have it’s hands full as it deals with the ACC’s next big interior thing. But JJ is rather like our own foul-prone Big-Al, only more so; as JJ has been DQ’ed 4 times already and has been in major foul trouble in 8 other games, including getting 4 fouls in each of his last three games. So an early flop attempt by Dron or anyone one else might just draw a favorable homecourt “whistle”.
Wake is 2 games below .500 in the ACC, so the D.Dec’s are really only playing for NIT or CBI admission. Then there is the Dr. homecourt Jekyll to visiting Mr. Hide side of Wake Forest. Wake sees its Point Margin move by -12, its FG% margin by -7%, and its FT shooting drop by -8%; all on the Mr. Hide Road.
So in short, I’m pretty happy this game is at home, I like our chances, but we do need to budget our Senior minutes more applicably this time, use our TO’s accordingly, and then do whatever we can to get James Jackson in foul trouble early on. Flops or taking the ball very strong right at him whenever possible in the first ten minutes of play and I’ll say we win this Senior Nite game. Virginia Tech 72 Wake Forest 68. b’street
The Official Prediction Thread will open later today, then re-open mid afternoon tomorrow. Good luck on chasing down the champ, and good luck on pocketing a FREE month of TSL.com for one single subject-line of a response. (I will post an OPT link in this article after tonite to make it easier for you guys to enter…..now below)
Click Here for PollOnline Surveys
| Online Polls
| Email Marketing
View MicroPoll
Poll
- http://www.micropoll.com/akira/mpview/428244-90594
Click Here for PollOnline Surveys
| Online Polls
| Email Marketing
View MicroPoll
Loading ...