#32 R.P.I. Klempson @ #67 R.P.I. Virginia Tech:
TV coverage: 4pm Saturday, Raycom
Vegas line: VT-2, O/U=135.5
Well, VT won *the* game on Thursday nite, putting the defending Men’s Champions down for the count and making good on my gar-ron-tee to Chris Coleman about 2 months ago that VT would split with UNC this very year.
No thanks to one of the most inconsistent nights of officiating I’ve ever seen. Some calls were, strict, some were lenient, and did VT even get one single close call? At Duke I’ve come to unfortunately expect that; which should allow a given opponent to adjust to that. Inside our very own Cassell however? Look at the pic, see what I mean? Why have rulebooks when the A.C.C. Zebras are literate when it comes to the letter of the law?
“Step yah game up!” –Floyd “money” Mayweather Jr.-
Not only do the A.C.C. officials –who have had a very mixed last 6 months, going back to ChopGate- need to step yah game up … so does VT. Seriously; the UNC win was epic indeed. Yet Klempson is no slouch. They have nearly 6 days worth of fresh legs, they have a nice looking 16-6 mark, (4-4 in the A.C.C.) and the have some injuries. One of the few teams that might be a touch more insalubrious that we have been with my boy MD-2o-2o’s slew of hurts this year; and with Hud’ hobbling around on a bad foot. Very interesting game to ‘cap as such, and a very even match-up, at least in cyber print as Klempson brings some unique things to the Cassell table.
Klempson at a glance:
- 7th in Steals.
- 10th in 3-point FG Defense.
- 27th in Turnover Margin.
- 41st in Blocks.
- 240th in Turnovers.
- 298th in FT%.
Klempson is a solid hoops squad; though they are not quite the Klempson you grew up watching. They are now a bit more of a Guard oriented team, which gives them a sense of balance to their play these days. Not quite a true perimeter team, as their Guard play is better than average, yet not dominate like say that of Duke’s backcourt this year. That and there is still a decent amount of front-line productivity in play here. However, gone is the day of aggressive, springy, raw frontcourt heavy Klempson; here is the day of a much more evened out Klempson Tiger attack.
Leading the way is #35 one Trevor Booker a 6`7“ 240 lb. a 16 point 8 rebound force to be reckoned with at Power-Forward. Nice player and older brother of two Bookers’ on this seasons Klempson hoops squad. Trevor is the rare collegiate baller who has expanded his game every year, adding range and defensive acumen to a high octane overall game since he arrived at Klempson three years ago. #2 Demontez “I’d like to a T please” Stitt is second in scoring for the Tigers at 11 and change per game and first in assists at 3.5 per contest. Though a bit light in the pants at 6`2“ 173 lbs, Stitt is a quality on-the-ball defender and a pass-first Point-Guard. #5 Tanner Smith is a 6`5“ 226 lbs. off-Guard who has N.B.A. size and A.C.C. level intangibles. Though he has improved quite a bit from his maiden season last year; demonstrating some attractive upward mobility.
Klempson pocket scouting report:
#35 PF, Trevor Booker: relentless rebounder and defender, 1st in FTA’s (103rd) yet only 58% on FT makes. Rugged baller, who’s middle name does not read “skillz”.
* #2 Pt.G, Demontez Stitt: decent 1 or Pt.Guard, yet turnover prone at times, can be posted-up due to lack of physicality.
#5 SG, Tanner Smith: under developed raw scorer, streaky, runs a bit hot and cold. 6 for his last 23 from the floor.
#11 Pt.G, ‘dre Young: diminutive 5`8“ shortie who plays with some ‘tude and at a Fast-Forward speed. 1st in Steals!
6`8“ 240 lb. pure athlete. 1st in Blocks, 2nd in Boards, something of a smaller Elden Cam#45 F-C, Jerai Grant:pbell of years gone bye.
#15 SF, David Potter: 6`6“ 215, decent all-around baller, senior floor-leader, not 3-point shy, energetic.
#1 SG, Noel Johnson: 6`6“ 188 lbs 2-G, outside marksman who can get his own shot, 2nd in 3-point% (36%).
#35 SG, Devin Booker: bullish younger brother, good offensive rebounder, very raw at 43% from the FT-Line.
#24 F, Milton Jennings: 6`9“ 225 lbs. and only a t-Freshman, Klempsons #1 recruit last year, inside player only at this stage.
** #4 SF, Jonah Bazie: 6`6“ 204 lbs. point-forward, Klempson’s Paul Debnam. Self-made baller, nice range.
#21 SF, Bran Narcisse: 6`6“ 205 lb. hustler with very limited offensive skill-set.
#32 G, Donte Hill: 6`4“ 200 lb. big Pt.G with nice handle and strength on the ball. VA Beach escapee who need to work on his shot.
* Questionable for Saturday with badly sprained left foot; out since 1.23.2010
** Out indefinitely with bad foot
In generic terms, Klempson is a solid hoops squad that is not quite as tough as I had expected them to be before beginning this article. They have generally beaten the teams they were supposed to, yet they have had difficulty stepping up in class. The Tigers are one for their last four and had been a bit chilly offensively to match the localized wintertime weather of late.
Fourm-Guide analysis paints a very balanced offensive and defensive picture, the only turning-point or outcome fulcrum being Rebounding, which does leverage the Tigers decently enough. However, the Tiger’s FT woes and penchant for Turnovers could be said to cancel that out, leaving this as a rather even match-up overall. This surprises me a bit, as I had the generalized impression that these 2010 Tigers would be tough to tame, even at home. Klempson is what I will characterize as an odd match-up, though not entirely a bad match-up. Very good balance on the whole, well-coached by Oliver Purnell (remember him) and a team that is seldom beaten by lack of efforting.
Clearly we/VT are riding a sky-blue wave of euphoria post beating UNC at home Thursday night. Klempson will prove to be an archetype one way or the other of the classic Rest vs. Rust argument that dots the sporting scheduling landscape every season. Klempson has just enough combined frontcourt and backcourt play to muck with VT, even inside our very own Cassell in this one. Nevertheless, it would be a stretch of the A.C.C. imagination to anoint Klempson as the rightful favorite. This one is not a gimmie for our Hokies, though it is more winnable that one might have thought at first blush.
That said, I must confess, after thorough game, source(s) and preview(s) review, I still do not have a dead solid feel for this one. Could VT be in a little bit of a letdown trap after an all-out effort vs. UNC? Or will VT be riding a big-time emotional wave of O&M confidence? Will Klempson be much fresher and springier for their 6 days off, or will they be rustic and out of sync? Klempson has been trapped between 47 and 69 points in their last four games, To make matters all the more complex, Klempson is the rarefied basketball team that maintains its play very well on the road; as the Klempson Home/Away splits are nearly identical both offensively and defensively. The Tigers shooting however is down to 40% from the floor and only 24% from beyond the arc I their last five games. So did 6 days off patch up the slow-leak in the Klempson offensive tire; and will VT be flat after expending so many mental and physical bullets to beat UNC?
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All of this forces me to nominate an ugly looking basketball game for a snowy Saturday New River Valley afternoon. A contest that will not be sloppy so much as it will be unattractive with both teams shooting percentages’ mimicking the thermometer outside. This one looks close and low-scoring to me, a game in which the first one to 60 will win; possibly even the first one to 55. Generally, I will pick the A.C.C. home team as a rule of thumb in a toss-up looking contest. VT is perfect at home this year (11-o), and Klempson is only 4-3 on the road. After much mental hand wringing I’ll barely side with our beloved Hokies to get away with one at home as Klempson falters from the FT-Line late. Though a Klempson upset win would shock me nil in this one with so many divergent either or kinda plot-lines that must be attended to pre-game. That and the X-factor that Klempson plays a lot of people which could bring O&M fatigue into play late in this one.
Virginia Tech=63, Klempson=62
“LETS GO!”
“HOKIES!”
b’street
Cassell’s open to us students: Welcome to the Terror Dome!
Very good!
Have a few upper or lower Quad snowball fights for me.
; )
b’street