#122 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #56 R.P.I. Michigan:

Virginia Tech basketball is back out on the road for a true road date over in Ann Arbor Michigan vs. Big Blue.

The Wolverines are 5 up and 1 down thus far, and host the Hokies at home at a quarter past seven (7:15pm) on ESPN2 this Wednesday night. All part of the A.c.c. vs. the Big-10 (now gone fourteen) made for television challenge. Virginia Tech basketball is a +7 or seven point dog out on the Vegas big board for this one in a place that has been traditionally hard won for any visiting squad. Still yet, this is a very good, although perhaps not (quite) great version of hooping Big Blue. And yet one of the best pure basketball offensive minds in collegiate terms remains. Although not (quite) beyond our reach; it is gonna take a little something-something to slay the Wolverines in their own backyard.

Head Coach: John Patrick Beilein: age=63. Easily the youngest looking 6.3 decade guy in the world; as whatever Coach Beilein is doing; he ought to keep it up. John balled at Wheeling College (now Wheeling Jesuit University) where he competed on the school’s basketball team from 1971 to 1975 and served as team captain during the 1974–75 season as a combo G. Coach Beilein is a pure offensive system coach with a yesteryear emphasis on mid-range shooting and working from the elbows off of screening which emphasizes constant motion, passing, disciplined teamwork, and precision shooting. Something of a Paul Johnson of Georgia Tech football game to give you a cross pollination allegory in sporting terms. John has only spawned a staggering 11 different collegiate head coaches from his very own former assistant coaching tree. Beilein is 669-399 (.628) overall and 88-74 (.543) at Michigan. Coach Beilein teams’ have gone to the post-season 16 times; he won the N.I.T. in 2oo7 for hateful wvu and was the NC2A runner-up in 2013 at Michigan. Coach B’ is a 1-3-1 zoning coach in defense, and he has had a number of minor to medium recruiting scuffles with the N.c.a.a. suits. (Including giving milk-money to his very own son who he was recruiting to wvu)

Michigan at a glance:

• 5th best in the Nation at FT shooing (82.3%)!
• 6th fewest personal fouls/game whistled against.
• 8th in Scoring D allowed (57.7 ppg).
• 39th fewest Turnovers per game (11.3 tpg).
• 249th in FG shooting (42.4%).
• 263rd in defensive rebounding.

Wolverine Returning Starters=5

Michigan Strengths:

• Very balanced attack; nothing electric or individually mollifying; though hard to find someone -in very particular- to key or stop.
• 6’1” 190 lb. senior motor-city native home state Pt.G, Derrick Walton Jr. leads Michigan in scoring at a decent enough 13.8 ppg with a virtually world leading 96.5% from the charity stripe thus far on 24 FTA’s. That’s better than say, Larry Bird, Mark Price, Magic Johnson and other virtually automatic FT shooters in historic terms. 43% from downtown on 3-pointers does not suck and neither does his team leading 3.8 assists. Derrick has a high basketball I.Q. and the associated 20-20 court vision. However, a comparatively impoverished 36% overall tells you just how much Derrick likes to shoot; as confidence is clearly not an issue here; even if tickling the twine sometimes is. Derrick was named 2nd-string all-Big-10 pre-season. Does have a history of left-ankle rolls (God Bless) and that is worst for a orthodox (right handed) shooter. Also has had left foot and toe injuries to boot. Michigan high school Gatorade Player of the Year (2013) and Wears No. 10 in honor of Dorian Dawkins, who passed away in 2009 after collapsing at a basketball game (God Bless on that, too). Indiana’s Mr. Basketball (2013); and is said to need to work on his previously nearly nonexistent mid-range game.

  

• Zak Irvin is a 6 and a half foot 216 lb. Sr. year swing who paces MU in second place as scoring goes at 12.8 ppg and likewise a silver medalist with 5 caroms per contest. Although the book here says that Mister Irvin could use a little more range on his J (28% from the perimeter). Zak was named 3rd-string all-Big-10 pre-season. Some of my pre-season wraps seem to rate Zak the alpha talent here. Has had a history of back troubles and surgery on the same last summer; Godspeed on that. Zak is the vocal floor leader, and may just be the best individual defender in the Wolverine rotation. Though the book says Zak is inconsistent and takes nights off from time-to-time.
• 6’10” 244 lb. third year D.J. Wilson leads Big Blue in rebounding work at 8.3 rpg and chips in 6.5 ppg while he is at it. He also leads the Wolverines in blocks at 1.7 bpg and is the one truly legit Michigan post player. Courts the “kid” from House Party hairstyle (vertical fro’); did miss part of a year after left-knee surgery; and has had some right-ankle rolls on top of that. Industrializes a whopping 7’3” wingspan as a very athletic post with at least some measure of skill-set range on his J. All of which makes DeeJay a pretty awkward match-up as a big.
• Mark Donnal is a 6’9” 240 lb. rock of a P/F-C in his r-senior season who shoots an amazing 67% from beyond the arc so far to go with 87% from the FT-line and 64% overall. Making Mark one of the few kids you might do well to have play just a little more selfishly at times. Although this Mark is a glue guy by trade, the utility lockeroom chemistry major good guy every coach seeks. Does have a St.Louise Ram Ot brother (Andrew) so the sporting D.n.a. seems rather willing here.

Wolverine Weaknesses:

• Defense has been a bugbear for coach Beilein for a few years.
• Health was a major issue last year (though no injuries reported at the moment; thank you Coach God).
• All-world 5’12” 170 lb. Pt.G. signee Xavier Simpson and his 1.5 ppg appear to be off to a slow start.
• Hate to say this, though you gotta start to to kinda/sorta wonder about the nearly inevitable decline under any aging coach not named Congressman Tom Osborne. How long until that (likely) sets in?

Big Blue Bench: (depth= 4-6 rotational deep)
Wilson and Donnal both came of the the bench last time out and if that is a permanent rotational change my bench grade really should read: “push” down below. Other than that, Simpson should be the bench star. As the rest are token, spot minute, give a starter an extra breather wrapping around a T.V. timeout flavored guys.

Simpson is a tough, cerebral home position One. He can score though he is a distributor by trade. Simpson is known however to knock down clutch shots at end of clock. 38th ranked by ESPN. com outta high school and plays physically stronger than he looks. If Xavier finds his rookie year A-game, Michigan is a different team for it.

Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… Michigan is not only +1 in rest, they are +1 and they are also tending goal at home: which is probably worth a smidgen more than 24 hours vis-à-vis itinerant Virginia Tech and Buzz’s bunch. MU is hosting, where Michigan has hovered right at close to 75% at home under coach Beilein.

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At first I had hoped we had a pretty good look at the W here, what with the pretty dang good Caris LaVert being gone and all. Although that may just work out as addition via subtraction with talented -yet mercurial, and oft’ injured- LeVert no longer darting in and out as rotation disruption goes.

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Big Blue did just get spanked pretty hard at #23rd ranked South Carolina; though 20% shooting on the night is a hard out for any power-conference visitor just like that. Likewise each team’s most recent five games which has seen Virginia Tech out shoot Michigan by almost 7% overall and 9.1% from downtown. As this is a steppingstone game for Buzz and company and winning on the road in a tough place to win -such as The Crisler Center- might just be the Fred Astaire self-selecting dancing step we need come March Madness.

Although I’m not gar-ron-damn-teeeing this one; I am gonna side with Tech in the upsetting pick here; as I kept thinking we have just a scosche more offensive talent overall than Michigan does.

(59% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=77, Michigan=7o

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**

V.A.D.A. approved