#49 R.P.I. Auburn @ #134 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops just got bum-rushed then bum-stomped and bum, undone.

The Hokie menz hoops squadron is now bumming… to be sure. As that was a ferocious team. And this Florida may have given our Atlantic brethren the O&M blueprint on how to beat us. Hooever, and Commonwealth Cup imbibing aside, we now have a little So.Eastern diddy to attend. Auburn is a good basketball hoops team men. .8oo on the year at 4 up against 1 down (a mere 2-shot drop vs. #2o Baylor). They have nearly whooped the other four ever since (winning margin Σ=86 points, including fellow A.Coasting N.dame!). Nonetheless, what you want to know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on, to finds… out!

Auburn Head Coach: Bruce Alan Pearl: age=6o, 653–257 (.718) overall, and 191–112 (.630) at Auburn.
Has a rep’ for a lotta things… a slickster recruiter, fast-n-easy here, including good coaching and epic D.
$5,400,000.oo base salary that increases by $250,000 each year

A native of Boston, quasi-baller Pearl attended Sharon High School in Sharon, Massachusetts. He is one of the few Division I basketball coaches who never played high school basketball, even at the junior varsity level (being the only head coach in the 2022 NCAA tournament with that distinction; a shoulder injury (St.Christopher) while playing football in his first year of high school prevented him from further pursuing sports as a player.

He previously served in the same position for Tennessee, Milwaukee, and Southern Indiana. Pearl led Southern Indiana to a Division II national championship in 1995, during which he was named Division II Coach of the Year by the National Association of Basketball Coaches.

In Division I, his teams have won four conference championships and three conference tournament championships, and qualified for ten NCAA tournament appearances and one Final Four. Pearl is the second-fastest NCAA coach to reach 3oo victories, EVAR; needing only 382 games to reach this mark. wow.

Pearl was named Coach of the Year by Sporting News in 2oo6 and was awarded the Adolph Rupp Cup in 2008. He also served as the head coach for the Maccabi USA men’s basketball team that won the gold medal at the 2009 Maccabiah Games.

Then there is a lotta things, this… well, may St.David bless. There are a LOT of recruiting stories, substance abuse look-the-other-ways, fines/sanctions, wife/home tails/tales… and much and more of the same here. Would wanna play pure hoops for this guy, don’t wanna play cards with the same…

Though he is a quality X’s & O’s hoopster. As you do not take this many little men to a staggering 18 consecutive BIG dances unless you hoop up and hook up with: coaching, the verb itself.

CAREER HONORS
• Three-Time SEC Coach of the Year (2006, 2008, and 2022),
• Three-Time Horizon League Coach of the Year (2002, 2003, and 2005),
• Two-Time GLVC Coach of the Year (1993 and 1994),
• 2019 NCAA Final Four appearance,
• 2009 Maccabi Games Gold Medalist (Team USA),
• 2008 Adolph Rupp Cup Award recipient,
• 2006 Sporting News Coach of the Year,
• 1995 NABC Division II Coach of the Year,
• 1995 NCAA Division II National Championship!

• ^that^ does on-court-count… and yet, so does everything 0ff-court, else.
• As this is a highly charismatic, hoarse-voiced, wetting, playar, extraordinaire. Truly.

Pearl shares four children with his ex-wife Kim Shrigley: daughters Jacqui and Leah, and sons Steven and Michael. Leah.

Godspeed @Bruce and the new(er) wifey Brandy…

Auburn at a glance:

• 3rd best in 3-point percentage allowed D!!!
• 5th most Bench ppg!!!
• 8th most Assists/Game!!!
• 10th most bpg!!!
• 33rd best in FG-percentage D allowed!!
• 37th best in Turnover:Assist ratio!
• 41st most FTA’s awarded/game! (that charisma herds zebras to be sure).
• 63rd best in Rebounding Margin. (tough on both O & D glass alike).
• 318th most fouls ‘whistled’ against per game. (Handsy plays the ball physical team here).
• Nothing worse than 245th best… VERY good team overall. NO real weak spots to target/attack.
• NO injuries reported; PRIASE @Coach God.

Returning Starters=2*.

Auburn Strengths:

• Twenty! YES, a 2o-man roster or four, that’s (4) different practice-court squads to scrimmage!
• wow^2o.
• * “Heeeeer’s, Johni… 6′1o″, 244 lb., 3rd-year, one #4, Johni Broome: P/F-C combo-Post. By way of Moorehead State originally, as a surprise **** or quad-stellar get for them. No.13 in America per 247Sports is all. Though all that was one blown right A.c.l. (St.Culbreth help), one right shoulder and another right arm (St.Christopher bless), ago. As this Baltic Ave. man’s Rasheed Wallace-flavored kid has been dented, dented, and dinged off/on for a while now. When his health is: ‘on’ he gets you: 15.4 ppg with 7.6 rpg and 2.2 apg. This on right at ~55% overall and 4o% when dialing long-distance. He is also Lindy’s S.E.C. Rebounder of the Year guy. Yah; he’s a good one… most S.E.C. team-leading pointing and rebounding BIGs are. Though what is he on 2.o good-wheels?  As he grew ½ a foot in his final two H.S. seasons and rose up the charts accordingly. Has/had all kinda Ohio Valley Conference awards for Moorehead St. including being their all-time seasonal Blocks leader. Was also elected the: O.V.C. Defensive Player of the Year two seasons ago. Also, pre-season All-S.e.c. 2nd-string. Though that was a stunning 3.9 sendbacks, and today is .8 swats. That was 11.5 rebounds, and now 7.6 rebounds. So, you see what I mean when I say I wonder just how much he has legroom left? As he surely knows how to post-position and dig for set-up room down-low. Little bit K.McHale at that. Has back-to-the-basket facets to boot. The only foible I can find is his 54% free-throwing which is a touch masonic or bricky looking. Mr. Broome is a member of the: S.E.C. Academic Honor Roll and he is seated on their NABC Honors Court. A game of life double-double to be sure. Broome’s older brother, John Jr., played college football for F.I.U., so, the ATH D.N.A. is downloaded here… And I am sure this kid was a Pro’. Prolly was an Association 4/5 guy. Now…. seems mo’ parts overseas to me. Godspeed @Johni.
• Aden Holloway G 6′1″, 178 lb., rookie or nugget-year debuting Pt.Guard1. With some uppercase hype and expectations accordingly. ***** or penta-starred recruit; only good for #18 in all the land from: 247Sports. 3rd ranked Pt.Guard1 of hoops coming outta H.S. The tag here reads: distributor who can create his own shot. BIG ass teased-up ‘fro makes him and Fletch closer to 6-n-a-½. 2o23 McDonald’s High School All-American with a high hoops I.Q. The: 13.2 ppg with 1.o rpg and the team-leading 3.8 apg are reasonable only a handful of games into his collegiate career. o.o spg and only ~37% overall show you he is still adjusting to this D-1 P5 voltage. 43% from behind the arc seems encouraging -if not inviting- enuff. Transferred/moved about scholastically… ended up on the no.3 (Cali’) team in all the USofA land. Only beaten once in his last two H.S. years. His grandfather, Dave Raimey, played college football at Michigan from 196o-62 and was drafted by the Cleveland Browns in 1963. Pappy Raimey was inducted into the Canadian Football League (CFL) Hall of Fame, winning two Grey Cups! So, here too is another ATH sprouting family tree. This kid is an alluring one… presuming he gets the inner/mid-range game on Point, he’s prolly a professional… only calculus is… exported or domestic?

  

• * Jaylin Williams, Point-F 6′8″, 246 lb., Lindy’s calls j.Will’: “…an excellent passer who defends and nails the three.” To be sure, that could be what someone is next level looking for. As only one of those three should ever go, cold. 9.o ppg with a nifty 6.4 rpg on 1.4 apg and 1 spg from 33.3% deep is not the worst all-’round roundball stat-line. Although mo’ was expected from this returning starter here. Has added about 1 stone (~16 lbs.) of right-mass to his already not lowercase-sized frame since last year. Looks like the man-strength part now in spades. Deft passer with a near De/Te body who finds cutters and has mo’ range to his J (5o% overall) than you’d this size/build expect. 3-time S.e.c. .edu Honor Roll is a sharp look, as is Jay’s S.e.c.’s Community Service Team award. Good on him. Pretty durable fourth-year guy; seems to do post-season and Tourneying better as well. Rivals’ No.1o9 kid overall. Already a Kinesiology grad’, and was a star H.S. Wr1 who had some pigskin looksees as well as b.ball. Neat kid… prolly a fringe to near Euro level baller… which is a nice Dale Solomon life. Hope so!
• 6′4″, 2o5 lb., off-G1, Denver Jones is your F.I.U. transfer who came over with a 3-point skillset. His near ~48% from behind the arc might support that notion. Ditto his 21 ppg for the Panthers, tritto his 2nd-string All-Con.U.S.A. nod for his ’23 effortings. This is a third-year baller on his 3rd team: (Garden City Community College) b4 all of this. Same H.S. story, 3-teams in his final 3-years do make you wonder a mite… even if he was g.Jefferon ‘moving on up’. Has 9 career dunks… never seen anyone keep that personal of a score… LOL. Tho’ at least he can dunk. The 2nd-best 81.3% FT’s is quality too. Has some icey knees… St.Nikon bless…  although this is a hardcover when Denver goes mile-high from the outside. Streaky playar to be sure… tho’ the hawt-streak Mr. Jones makes Auburn a Montecore Tiger by the tail to tame.

Auburn Weaknesses:

• This has not been a good 3-pointing team for a spell… so, some of my pre-season mags did nags that.
• Those same mags either panned or at least questioned these Tiger’s backcourt defensing as well.
• Not enuff basketballs for this many guys/this much, depth?
• 8 newcomers this off-season, so new they did not even have jersey numbers in my pre-season mag’s might take a bit to gel/familiarize.

WAR Damn Eagles nest: (depth=5, very even 1’s to 2’s P.T. splits here, like close to fiddy-fiddy)

No.125 ESPN, a 6′11″, 244 lb., Sr. season, Dylan Cardwell, C2, is your first frontcourter off the pine here. Solid guy if not spectacular. 5.4 ppg paired with 4.4 rpg and married to a team-leading 1.8 bpg is solid indeed. 68% shooter and 77% free-thrower is economical enuff.  Was not expected to return; did return. Hard-worker, sweaty, swamp-donkey down low who your side digs and the other side does not look Forward to. Every team needs a blowing-in-the-wind, Dylan. Nicknamed, “The Jumbotron Man,” for his energy, spirit, and participation in the student section at Auburn Football games at Jordan-Hare Stadium. Haha… +++several for a hardwood DAX gone gridiron rep’ just like dat. Though more was once Oak Hill Academy (Va.) expected here.

Tre Donaldson G4, is a 6′3″, 211 lb., red-fro’-highlighted salon kinda guy. The near 4:1 Assist:Turnover career ratio from this Soph. tells you he keeps his hair and his handles tight alike. Likewise his stellar crossover 2-sport look… check it… Tre was one of the top two-sport athletes in the Class of 2o22. He played quarterback and defensive back for Florida State University High School in Tallahassee, Fla. Where he was coached by former Heisman Trophy winner Charlie Ward. Where he was awarded the No. 20-ranked safety and No. 33 overall football prospect ranking in the state of Florida. Basically their ‘bimbo’ (Qb3/Ss1 all-3o4-state), Coles. As baskets go… Donald’ goes for: 5.6 ppg with 2.o rpg and a second-best 3.2 apg in relief as your on-court Qb2. Did net an F.s.u. H.S. state title bling with good Sr.Prom numbers and was **** in both revenue sports down in the scholastic Sunshine State. This is a quality ATH no matter which sport— and some ‘whispers’ say he chose the ‘rong sport. Time=tell there… Although a good Qb2 for hoops no matter football Pivot1 this/that. As momma-bear was a F.S.U. softball star, poppa-bear  11th all-time in career scoring (1,363 points) for Troy, and uncle-bear was only led Auburn in receptions out on the gridiron back in ’87. So, the body of heritage all-sport work is most willing indeed for this Tre’fecta here.

When your 3rd-best rebounder is actually your G6? You are a deep team; like Mariana Trench deep at that. As Chaney Johnson is your S/F-G ‘tweener of a: 6′7″, 22o lbs. worth of skywalking itself. Has a dunk game and he will soar and then flush right on you. Hence the 5.o ppg and useful 5.4 rpg to boot. The question here is… will he develop beyond elevating?  4o% from the floor and 0% from 3-point-land are just not enuff from this level of springy athletics. As he grew a whopping 4″ in three years while growing into the: 2023 Alabama Sports Writers Association Small College Athlete of the Year Award last year fo’ little ole: Division II Alabama Huntsville. So, time is running out on his game filling out… tho’ he is cocksure enuff on tape to be sure. 17 & 7 last year from this D-2 school tells you just how much he jumped over the Huntsville candlestick. Nimble, quick, fun guy… who has testables galore (35″ vert’)… so, maybe someone overseas takes a still developing chance?

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Eagles who could sky @Tech=7 or 8.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…hopefully, not to be tooooooooo taken with the Hooty-Hoo, Owls.

And what they backside just did to us.

It is only 3.2258064516129% of our 2o23-2o24, after all. Fair-play. Granted.

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It is, however -as alluded to above- an O&M template or blueprint for O&M VomiTing.

VICE clamp down on and lock up our outsiders; net easy baskets to begin a possession vs. our not-so-speedy team, and then pound it inside-out. Or, Riley in the mid-80s when Kareem could still legit 25+ ppg SKY-hook.

Auburn has a few of these similar pieces.

Albeit as F.A.U., Lyte.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for an intra-league A.c.c. hit-up.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… Auburn is up a downright useful-looking +7% in shooting percentage margin (6% of which is due to better D overall!); on top of that, Auburn is up a whopping +15% in 3-point percentage margin (all less 2% is from their 3-D glasses being quite the halt-unit spectacle!), and Auburn is up a helpful +8 carroms collected in rebounding margin year-to-date). (More of this is their defensive rebounding betterment, although they are pretty dang gritty on the O-glass to be sure).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… in shooting percentage margin, in 3-point percentage margin, and in rebounding margin… well, they say: “Auburn has only balled five, that’s (5) games b.street! PENTA-STFU!!!“

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

V.P.I. is up a nice +8% at the charity stripe for the year.
Auburn is a 1.oo host; whereas VT is .ooo as a guest.
Auburn is up a nearly unheard brutal +12 in R&R❗️

The Call…

No. 48 Net Ranking  Auburn hosting. no.121 Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

ACC/SEC Challenge presented by Continental Tire

Tough to not call AuburnU the rightful homesteading favorite here…

…granted. Tho’ methinks we could be the home fave in our own right and not worse than an Even pt.spread upon a neutral field.

Auburn is pretty good; they are a not-good match-up; again, granted.

Nevertheless, I’ma not a high on them as everyone else is. They is kinda stiff looking on tape. To me, that could hint at a freeer-flowing backcourt advantage; if our Top-3 backcourters pop clean.

That, and “Do you know that “if” is the middle word in, lIFe?

—Coach Dennis Hopper, Apocalypse Now

-oOo-

The VerdicT:

Right now, the gavel drops in favor of a… pretty much-split decision or a majority decision in pugilistic terms. As I’d sure like our chances for our outside game to come-correct inside our very own very familiar Cassell. How will our G’s dig Auburn’s, digs?

Down in ‘Bama Country and who Country Times front-porch knows?

The Digits:

Hard to want to call for anything over than a close game if/when the Techmen do Trimph here. As I doubts we travel 517 miles So.-by-So.-West just to punk them in their very own backyard.

This is a quality combination team and it will take some safe-cracking to pick this Chuckwagon (Barkley) round-mound-of-rebound combination lock.

This is also a team that has been a fixture in the National Rankings in 5 of the previous 6 campaigns.

As in… whatever problems Auburn does have; a lotta D-1 teams wish they had Auburn’s, problems.

This is a very deeeeep team that will test our S&C and traveling legs, late.

This is not an easy match-up team in the key in the paint.

This just in… rain is rumored to be… wet.

🦃 <<< 🏀 <<< 🦅

And in all candor, while being Eye in the Sky boxed-0ut here?

Mea culpa, I was toying with taking Tech in the near 10-point upset.
As I’ma not so soarry on these Eagles as most…
…still, yet(s)…

Tho’ the R&R counter, plus those 3-D metrics, out on the road; vs. a you’d better not miss ’cause you may not be getting a 2nd-look rebounding team? ’cause the one real lifeline here is oxidation or rust over rest as Auburn’s recent 7-day sit goes. Barring that…

That’s: A Bridge Too Far.

Maybe, 3…

💯

 

(61% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=59, Auburn=75

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**