#1o6 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #87 R.P.I. Georgia Tech:

Virginia Tech men’s basketball hits the road for a Technetronic, technical and high-tech Atlantic Coastal Clash for roundball technology bragging rights this Tuesday evening at 7 PM on The A.c.c. Network (check: local listings).

The Hokies now face 10 up and 12 down or a negative All Coaching Conference team overall. With these Jackets coat-checking at a short-shirted looking .363 (4-7) in interleague play. Right at the end of what -at least on O&M paper- did appear -past tense- to be a three outta four potential VicTorious run for our beloved Fighting Gobblers. However, the Hurrying Hokies now must hustle to avoid going an ugly looking or Duck Pond belly-up o outta 4. As right now we are 410 miles removed from slump-busting or getting slumpier. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is who is gonna win and by how much; right? So read on, to find… out!

Georgia Tech Head Coach: Joshua Paul Pastner: Age=42, 225–138(.620) overall, 58–65 (.472) so far at Georgia Tech. 
$1,870,000.oo

Kid, Josh Pastner, is a Glen Dale, Wv., native and the son of Marla and Hal Pastner. Hal is a high school/A.A.U. coach and basketball promoter in the Houston (Tx.) area. Josh Pastner knew he wanted to be a coach since he was in the 5th grade. By the age of 13, he was publishing the Josh Pastner Scouting Report of local high school talent in the Houston metro’ area | at the age of 16, the Houston Hoops A.A.U. squad was turned over to Josh Pastner by his father/coach Hal; as this was Josh’s first job as a head coach! While a teenage A.A.U. coach, Josh Pastner coached future NBA players such as Emeka Okafor, T. J. Ford, and Daniel Gibson. WOW!

On April 6, 2009, Josh Pastner was selected to replace John Calipari as head coach at the University of Memphis. At Memphis Coach Josh Pastner only won five conference titles in his seven years as the big whistle; including one C-U.S.A. Coach of the Year award in 2o13. Josh made the March Madness big dance at Memphis his first five seasons; then declined lesser post-season invites in his final two shotgun to Coach-Fu tenured years. Josh is known to be one of the best young hotshot recruiters in the land, including inking the #1 recruiting class nationally for Memphis in 2010. To put it mildly, Josh Pastner is a basketball coach and nothing other than a basketball coach. Coach Josh Pastner also courts a rep’ for lack of post-season success with a lot of one-n-done high roster turnover early entry type talents. Baller Josh Pastner was a walk-on freshman on the 1997 N.C.A.A. Championship University of Arizona basketball team. After winning the NC2A title, Pastner was able to finish his degree in only two and a half years, taking as many as 33 credit hours per semester. He earned his bachelor’s degree in Family Studies from Arizona in December 1998. He finished his master’s in Teaching and Teacher Education in December 1999 before beginning work on his doctorate and starting his coaching career in 2000 as a graduate-assistant under Lute Olson at Arizona and later at the University of Memphis under John Calipari.

Then we see that… Georgia Tech basketball coach Josh Pastner filed a civil lawsuit last year in Arizona against Ron Bell and Jennifer Pendley, alleging defamation, intentional infliction of emotional distress, civil conspiracy, aiding and abetting and injurious falsehoods and attempts to blackmail and extort. WoW!

Then “wow” some more… as a counterclaim has been filed against Georgia Tech head men’s basketball coach Josh Pastner in Tucson, Ariz., where he’s accused of sexual assault (14 times in 10 months).

The alleged incident happened in February of 2016 while Pastner was still the men’s basketball head coach at Memphis. The counterclaim comes after Pastner filed a civil suit against former booster Ron Bell, who provided impermissible benefits to Yellow Jacket basketball players Tadric Jackson and Josh Okogie, who were both suspended three and six games respectively by the NCAA for the violations. According to the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, Pastner’s suit alleges that Bell and his girlfriend “defamed him and attempted to extort and blackmail Pastner and his family.”

(UPDATE: An independent Title IX investigation of Georgia Tech basketball coach Josh Pastner over allegations of sexual misconduct found the claims to be false and “concocted” as part of an extortion scheme. The 29-page report from the law firm Fisher & Phillips, obtained by USA TODAY Sports this summer, detailed numerous attempts by former Pastner friend Ronald Bell to blackmail Pastner, including apparently fabricating allegations that Pastner sexually assaulted Bell’s girlfriend, Jennifer Pendley.)

Mmmmmm-k, and if I knew what all that meant?
I’d know what all of that… meant.

Still yet, may St.Joshua & St.Paul bless and sing: ♫“kum-ba-ya”♪.

Seven of Pastner’s former assistant coaches have (already) gone on to their own careers as head coaches. A broad branching coaching-tree, already!

Daddy Josh’ is (still) married to Kerri Lamas; they have three daughters:
Payten, Sydney, Pastner, and one stepson (Ethan); Lord have mercy.

Georgia Tech at a glance:

• 25th in Swats!!
• 94th in Swipes.
• 62nd in FG percentage D allowed.
• 294th in FT percentage makes.
• Only 3o5th best in Turnover Margin! (butterfingers 1o1).
• Only 334th in 3-point percentage on O!!

Jacket Returning Starters=4

Georgia Tech Strengths:

• Josè Alvarado —he of the hurtful (St.Julia) bless fracture elbow last year recall, is your ATL second-leading 13.1 ppg beta per his classic penetrating and distributing game at the Point. Josè is said to be a tough (little) 6′, 179 lb. wiry, sharp-elbowed, whip-sawed kinda One that is NO fun to guard. Less fun now that he has found some steaks and a weightroom and added a much needed 19 lbs. this past off-season. As this Josè has a Fight Club type of winning attitude and perhaps some minor lack of shooting range. 42.9% overall, 78.6% FT’s, and a modestly improved 31.2% deep; with 3.5 boards and the team lead in dimes dropped (4.2 apg) and alpha’ing again in swipes (2.2 spg). As this is a gritty hard way up Bronx bomber of an NYC streety kid. This year it finally occurred to me that Josè Alvarado is not related to the T.Bay Ray’s star major league pitcher. This Josè -may or may not know the way to San Jose- although he is known to be a tough, spikey, high motor Pt.Guard who became an Ironman running the Jackets’ offense until the above-aforementioned elbow blowout. Or in other words… most everything had regressed last year when most expected Jose to progress. And/or elevate his flat or somewhat negatively slopped game last season. And G.Tech surely needs the ESPN no.33 baller to do so— in particular on the offensive end. As Alvarado put up rarefied quadruple-doubles in high school and was thought to be the latest/greatest inner-city NYC thang. Or the next Steph’ Marbury or Kenny Anderson of G.Tech fame his ownself. This from a kid with a roughish and/or a slickster rep’ for: scoring, distributing and defending. Well, 1.75 outta three ain’t sad.

  

• One #10, Super Soph., Michael Devoe (no coaching relation) was your #43 ranked baller (tho’ only 13th ranked Pt.Guard) overall last year per Rivals recruiting service. (which clearly shows us just how Guarded the modern era hardwood game has wannabe g.State “splash brothers” become… tho’ I tangent…) Anywho… this Devoe can indeed whip it good. In particular for being a Koufax or lefty unorthodox One, with a high basketball I.Q., while being an excellent playmaker with really good positional size (6′5″, 195 lbs.) as a pass-first though not pass only roundball Qb1. As the ‘whispers’ say that Devoe really improved this past summer on the Wreck’s version of a Spanish Armada trip across the pond. The book also says that Michael has range (40.7%) and is set to jump as a rare kid who plays both ends of the floor equally well. Only knocks were: his handles (3.1 tpg is indeed pretty dang high) and he needs to be more comfortable and/or aggressive finishing inside the arc. That and he does have a history of foot-dings (May St.Servatius bless!) That all said, all the tools are in this kid’s team pacing 16.2 ppg, 3 apg, 1.3 spg on 47% overall tool-belt. And Michael is also an honor-roll student… .edu props insert (_____) here, check! As Devoe is prolly some version of a pro’, the only question is his tax-bracketology. i.e. exported or domestic? Because most kids who incredibly judiciously net 63% of their shots from the floor and 52% of their scholastic 3’s typically are! (UPDATE: Devoe has some kind leg ‘ding’ and has missed the last two games. St.Nikhon bless as QUESTIONABLE is the official word here).
  (2nd UPDATE: the new word on the ‘street is… DOUBTFUL… as Devoe and his lame foot have not responded accordingly. Godspeed @10!)
• Moses Wright is a 6′9″, 230 lb., Jr. year P/F. This Moses is parting the paint for a third-best 12.9 ppg and a second-best 7.2 rpg with a mutually second-best 1.2 bpg all on 53.9% from the floor. As Wright wears the tag’ of a: “late bloomer” form nearly anyone you ask… as he Has grown 5″ and added 40 lbs. since his sophomore year in high school, 25 lbs. of them post (pardon the pun) post his enrollment at g.Tech. As this is a headroom type of player with room to horticulture his game all mo’. As his close to the rim lifestyle continues to dilate and expand on-floor at both ends. As the rap was, he needed to go to work on the glass and suddenly this offseason this Moses did just that. As this kid only picked up the rock at age fourteen! He attacks the rack, and his gapping 7-2 wingspan ain’t hurting anything 1ι or one-iota either. Ditto his tennis and swimming prowess which is what he was prior to flexing his hoopology. As Wright and his still-developing metrics are possibly fringe overseas good as is and good on him fo’ dat.

Georgia Tech Weaknesses:

• Unusually enough… only two guys left last year… taking with them: 13 ppg, 4 rpg and 1 apg between ’em.
• I type that out to make the case that Coach Pastner needs to get on with stating his own case sooner rather than later. As a sub .5oo finish or a Spring Broke look just won’t do his proverbial “seats” thermostat any good. As his seat is experiencing enough of a warming-trend as is.
• That, and this Georgia Tech club sure seems to do a lotta little things, ‘rong. Like it lacks attention-span, maturity; or both.

Jackets Bench: (depth=4 sometimes 5 deep)

Parttime starting, Texas-transfer and 6′10″, 250 lb., final year lowercase true-C James Banks III is a long, big, sizey downright springy looking substitute off the G.Tech pine-squad who prolly starts -and possibly stars- at most smaller mid-major schools. As recall, this kid was a pretty big national deal with the 49th ranked Scout.com tag and a gold medal at the 2016 FIBA Americas U18 Championships already in tow. Right now, Banks III finds his way to a useful 10.1 ppg and a team-leading 7.7 rpg and a team pacing 2.8 bpg all on 52.9%. He will go hard and 2-hand rack you on dunks and yet he sure does not look 250 lbs. to me. Bikini-season 25/8, or 367 (leaping this year); as Jay.Bee looks like he could easily hang another 10-15 lbs. of protein shakes, steaks, and right-mass. That being said… his positively enveloping 7-5 inch wingspan is predatorial indeed. Not to mention the fact that that same elongated wingspan allows him to jump-touch a phenomenal and nearly unheard of 12′6″ on the top of the backboard! As the N.b.a. testing matrix we all call the Draft Combine is gonna love this kid here. Good on James, he could very well rake some overseas frontcourt coin(s) just on measurables alone.

Bubba Parham is a gliding looking 5′10″, 16o lb., r-Jr. season rarefied Lexington, Va. or V.M.I. transfer back-up One. Where Parham -you may recall- made the All-Southern Conference team as a sophomore and was named SoCon Freshman of the Year the year before that. As this bowling-star in the making (off-court) is a 3-point taking fiend from downtown. As this Bubba’s range is basically the gym; if he’s in it? He’s open and his 39.1% deep great for 21.1 ppg last time as a Keydet tells you just how explosive this mighty-mite can be out on the perimeter when Parham gets it going when dialing long-distance. As of now, he nets you 5.7 ppg, with 2.6 rpg, 1.8 apg and he gets you 1.0 swipes in relief with the team lead at the charity-stripe at 89% if you need him. As this former now homecoming septa-A (AAAAAAA) Georgia H.S. Bubba is instant O, just add P.T.

6′10″, 226 lb., third-year Evan Cole is a very versatile and therefore a very productive player on a per-minute basis. The book here says that this is something of a Baltic Avenue man’s Point-F or a multifaceted or Swiss Army pocket-knife type of frontcourt player with a varied tradecraft who saw significant action late in the A.c.c. season as a freshman. Although he missed significant playing-time as a sophomore due to a left ankle injury and the flu (St.Philip bless). On tape, Evan is nearly a shockingly mo’ athletic Four/Five combo’ baller who slashes, runs the floor well, crashes the glass and he will wind-up Quixotic windmill dunk on your ass! Seriously, this kid would be an insomniac of a sleeper pick for any A.c.c. Dunk Contest. At the moment, in just 11 mpg, e.Cole nets you 4.8 ppg with 3.6 rpg all on 47% overall. Although his bricky 47.5% on FT’s is the only gnostic or Masonic looking nag here. Ne(a)t kid… something of a hooping diamond in the Augusta rough from nearby South Forsyth H.S. if you will.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Jackets who could buzz @Tech=5.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… that although we/Virginia Tech may not quite be speed-dialing the undertaker, we do have several 24060 funeral-homes on, hold.

As the Fighting Gobblers need a VicTory here like a dead-man needs a coffin.

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What with, what seemingly should be several winning looking games dotting this fortnight portion of our closing 2020 A.D. men’s basketball schedule. Because right now would be a perfectly acceptable time to start outcoming like we are the credible and R.A.T.T. favorite or better roundball squad in these attractive match-ups.

Unless of course we R.A.T.T. … ain’t?

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame -same as we have recently seen- is calling for a 22-point G.Tech Tech Triumph. Although on a pro rat basis this appears as a vastly more manageable looking 3.67 Wrambling Wreck W. (the caveat being… this one swung and it swung disparately and wildly… wildly favoring V.Tech early on and wildly favoring G.Tech later on in seasonal round-robin common opponent terms).

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… G.Tech is actually up +2% in shooting percentage margin (1% each on O & D); with V.Tech however up a useful +7% in 3-point percentage margin (nearly all on O); and yet with G.Tech up +4 boards in rebounding margin in annual terms.

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… G.Tech is now up +8% in shooting percentage margin (equally split 4% better on O & on D alike); with these two nearly sister-kissing or tied in 3-point percentage margin (per the Hokies being +4% better on O and the Jackets being 4% starchier in defense of the 3), and finally with the Jackets suiting-up to a growing +10 caroms edge in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of Windex work.

VeeTee is up +3% at the charity stripe for the year.
Irregularly enough, both teams are dead even on R&R in the last fortnight of play.
Gah.Tech is a .454 as a homesteading host; whereas Vah.Tech is .5oo as a guest in your house.

• The Hokies have struggled to defend the 3-point shot during their 3-game schneid; as opponents have hit 42.1% of their long-range attempts.
• The O&M oo’s seem to be hinting that Young is most-recently having to attempt to coach-up some confidence outta his nubile and downright puerile bunch.
• Not wanting for any swagg or confidence whatsoever is Tyrece Radford. Who scored 18 points Saturday, and across his past two games has 42 points on 18-for-23 shooting from the field!
• Virginia Tech is shooting 30.1% from 3-point range during its losing streak and has been outrebounded in nine consecutive contests. yikes!
• Devoe accounts for 23.8% of Georgia Tech’s offense. i.e. the presence of his absence here would really unlock the other Tech’s hosting door.
• Georgia Tech junior F Moses Wright has tallied 10+ points in 11 of his past 13 games.
• Both Alvarado and Banks III have been warming to the task of late. With Josè verging on the verge of being downright… hawt!
• Accordingly, Georgia Tech recorded season highs in offensive rebounds (20) and second-chance points (25) last Saturday.
• The Hokies have won the past six meetings with the y.Jackets and are 10-2 in the past 12 All Coaching Conference matchups.

The Call…

No.61 Net Ranking Virginia Tech @ no.89 Net Ranking Georgia Tech:

Well, someone has to win this one… right?

Albeit one that will pretty well fall a bit short of hardwood artistry or easy on the eyes because if fluid hoops and scoring is your thang? You might wanna go Pt.Guard and just pass on this one here.

That attempt at homogenous sporting satire aside… I regret to have to inform you that a good, solid, well-grounded in reality, OPT peg proved more parts elusive than parts effusive here for me. G.Tech seems better @home although the availability of Josè canceled all of that out.

Nevertheless, we do potentially see two ships passing in the proverbial night… albeit a Conference trawler and a harbor-tug.

–oOo–

Because Eye did see that G.Tech was recently beaten 3-straight times (same as V.Tech); although G.Tech was not beaten by more than 2-shots which includes three straight underdog games; two of which were testy contests vs. teams nationally ranked 32nd and 6th overall.

On the other side of this Technical equation… the good Tech, or our Tech, was favored to win in two outta their last o for three scrums. Do you see what I mean?

I do not mean that either team is all that and a “snap”.
With scoring itself about to get Bud Foistered scoreboard wise.
Because this one could dang well be a race to 60— the first team there? Wins.

(and by that I mean it could just as easily be a Smokey and the Bandit type of basketball game; or a race to double-nickles).

Eye do however mean that one team is showing just a couple more signs than the other team.

And honestly?
In the vacuum of any superior evidence?

I’ma just gonna side with the more experienced A.c.c. team,
running-ball in their A.c.c., house.

🏀🐝🏀

(56% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=64, Georgia Tech=65

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**