#191 R.P.I. Georgia Tech @ #115 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s basketball returns home after taking an F.s.u. scalp in a game they needed to win just like a dead-man needs a… coffin!

The Hokies went blistering hawt like some kinda crash course solar-probe in the 2nd-half from downtown… and yes… it is true… “shooters, shoot.” How that newfound Ton-80 Club bull’s-eye marksmanship does traveling back to Blacksburg remains to be seen. As coming up 410-miles Nor-by-Nor-East would be seemingly beatable 9 up against 11 down Georgia Tech. As the Jackets are a pretty porous looking 2-7 in Atlantic Coast play. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on… to finds, out!

Georgia Tech Head Coach: Joshua Paul Pastner: Age=44, 257–159 (.618) overall,
9o–87 (.5o8) so far at Georgia Tech.
$1,870,000.oo

Kid, Josh Pastner, is a Glen Dale, Wva., 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.

Though Eye do know that Joshies overall numbers and his digits in the ATL are slightly trending upwards; so, there are a couple of encouraging signs, here.

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. Pruning 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:

• 5oth in Swipes!
• 58th in 3-point percentage.
• 73rd in 3-point percentage D allowed.
• 285th most FT-makes.
• Everything else is a C+ to lowest possible C—. Not a bad team, kinda a dull team or a team that lacks spit, shine, and/or luster.
• 4 whopping injuries are listed here (Coach God quad-bless!)

Returning Starters=3

Georgia Tech Strengths:

• ‘nother huge-azz roster, 17 playars; which means they can scrimmage 3-deep++.
• One #10, now gone one #none (Or no.0) Sr. year, Michael Devoe (no coaching relation). Was your #43 ranked baller (tho’ only 13th ranked Pt.Guard) overall two years back 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 number-zero jersey numeral 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″, 191 lbs.) as a pass-first roundball Qb1. As the ‘whispers’ say that Devoe really improved the summer before on the Wreck’s version of a Spanish Armada trip across the pond. The book also says that Michael has range (47% overall and an attractive 39.3% long) and is set to jump as a rare kid who plays both ends of the floor equally well. Only knocks were: his handles (2.9 tpg is just a little sloppy-joe) and he needs to be more comfortable and/or aggressive finishing inside the arc. That all said, all the tools are solid and numerous here, what with: a quite upwardly mobile this year… 18.8 ppg, a dead solid: 5.1 rpg, 3.3 apg, 1.7 spg, close to 1 block, and all that with a reasonable 74.4% charity-stripe work. And Michael is also an honor-roll student… GT.edu props insert (_____) here, check! As Devoe is a lowercase or fringe version of a pro’, the only question is his overseas tax bracketology? Because most high school kids who incredibly net 63% of their shots from the floor and 52% of their scholastic 3’s typically are! (UPDATE(s): Devoe has had some kind leg ‘ding’ and has been slowed for several games off/on the last campaign. St.Nikon bless; as recall on top of all of that, that Devoe also has a history of a lame foot off/on to boot. St.Sebastian go Godspeed @0!) Although, he is a little 3-point happy this season and his shooting is slightly down as is his weight— as he (somehow) cut about a 10 lb. plate and looks just plum raily thin upon breaking tape. In particular in the northern hemisphere. As someone needs to post this One, up.
• 6′7″, now up to 22o lb., G/S-F ‘tweener, Jordan Usher is a r-(edux)-senior season kid who is a self-made man. As this kid has brought himself up the depth-chart and accordingly up the box-score alike. As his utility type 15.4 ppg, his 7.2 rpg, with 2.6 apg and 1.5 spg were not really forecasted here. Nor was near linear betterment straight across the board from last time for a guy most magazines seemed to view as being capped. Likewise, his gap-filling 49% from the floor and decent enough via sharp improvement of: 36% behind the arc. The book says that his So.Cal Trojan transfer does not horse around athleticism-wise. With the ability to get to the rim and the strength of a bigger kid trapped in a more parts Wingman body. This is a classical glue-guy; as every team has one or every team needs one. Take thy pick… strange to pick his really high-dribble where he nearly palms things a bit. Tho’ this is a physically strong Wing with size and the ability to get to the rim and create scoring opportunities for himself and others. As Jordan’s high-R.P.M.-motor plus athleticism and said strength make him an unfun cover both offensively and defensively. This Usher was seated in the off-season in the front row, while being ranked No. 9 on a list of the top 10 super seniors returning for the 2021-22 season by David Cobb at CBSSports.com. That does not suck… As Jordan had okay enough scholastic digits, that really blossomed out on the Touring made for Recruiting tripping/videoing southern-Georgia and/or ATL circuit. Whereby he finally filled in as a four-star prospect was ranked No. 98 on ESPN’s Top 100. That does not suck either, tho’ methinks this kid is pretty much tapped out on headroom; max’ed as a puny goes. And that might just tariff or export fringe Pro’ with a few mo’ videos.
• Juniorific Kyle Sturdivant is a 6′2″, 197 lb., is also a Southern California transfer baller. A One or Pt.Guard in this case who transferred all the way to the ATL to enroll in… aerospace engineering! GT.edu ‘wow’! Don’t get to type that one out, often; or… ever. That Norris Hall slide-rule praise rightfully bestowed, Kyle is said to be a tough playmaker and a solid scorer, adept at controlling the tempo of a game. And Kyle was a VHT peach-state escapee (93rd in America per Rivals). Where he enjoyed a buzzer-beater rep’ for basketball factory Northcross. Said to play as ‘an older’ player does already. Tho’ his bettered tho’ still less than expected: 7.2 ppg with 2.2 rpg, 2.1 apg, on a meager 34% from 3-point land say he may need to mature for another year, or three. “Aye” Kyle is better than when we caught his game last year; that fairly struck, mo’ was expected from this (So.Cal) Trojan Horse, here. As the book says Sturdivant to be a: tough playmaker and a solid scorer, adept at controlling the tempo of a game as a combo-One or Pt.Guard. As this one-time 7A or AAAAAAA septa-Georgia Player of the Year was only the 91st ranked hoopsters (Rivals) and he only had a high school history of buzzer-beaters making it rain from all over. Said to be a fairly speedy One as well, and now would be a good time for all of this to be, seen.

  

• Dallan Coleman goes by: “DeeBo”. He also goes 6′5″, 215 lbs., as a lead-G or scoring-G at the Two. He be keeping a twist-top-‘fro that be lookin’ like he wears the Acme Anvil on his head same as the (po’) Road Runner once did. That hirsute flat-top look aside… DeeBo was merely named Florida’s Mr. Basketball as well as the Florida Class 4A or AAAA Player of the Year as a senior. NTTAWWT. His father, (Ran, ‘yes’ that’s his swagg), is the head coach at West Nassau H.S. (Florida), tho’ Dallan came up in Memphis Tennessee. d.Coleman was a consensus four-star prospect who peaked nationally at #32 per ESPN.com. Outburst scholastic scorer who double-dipped with a surprising 38-double-doubles (ppg + rpg) in his final year and a half under pops down in the sunshine state. Prolly has a solid hoops I.Q. for all that backyard carpentry class or hardwood home-schooling. 6.5 ppg with 2.9 rpg, and 1.1 spg on a silky-looking 46% from 3-point-land is not the worst 1st-year varsity start. So, let’s see where this all DeeBo goes come 2o25 or so’s. This could be a good player… the only question is, “is he, great”?

Gah.Tech Weaknesses:

• NOT exactly a heavyweight or even cruiserweight team in the seat of the 1-2-3-Wing or backcourt seat(s) of their pants. Gotta wonder how well they will take or even enjoy contacting in a 40-minute fight?
• S/F Jehloni James (6′6″, 192 lbs.) and S/F Jermontae Hill (6′6″, 196 lbs.) are both listed as: OUT INDEFINRELY with the, flu’. James is a couple of ppg sub’ and Hill has done even less than that. Both are prolly 2o25 guys more/less. Tho’ both diminish frontcourt depth and in particular at the Three or Wing spot a bit as well. God Bless^2.
• Bubba Parham is a gliding-looking 5′10″, 162 lb., r-Sr. 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 career 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 Gah.Tech now, however, he nets you 7.7 ppg, with 3 rpg, 1.8 apg and he gets you 1.1 swipes in relief with 81% FT’s if you need him. As this former now homecoming septa-A (AAAAAAA) Georgia H.S. champion Bubba is instant O, just add P.T. And he’s prolly your Fox Mulder or X-factor baller in this one. (UPDATE: …now apparently done for the duration with a bad-knee; St.Culbreth bless!) Dang… whispers said ‘soreness’ now they say: “torn right-meniscus”). Dang… again.

Jacket Nest: (depth=3 to 5, match-up ‘pends…)

Tristian Maxwell was sidelined with a foot injury (whispers say: “right-foot snapped”, St.Servatius bless), and there was no timetable for return. Well, until he… returned; that is. Sidelined tho’ now back were his 6′2″, 2o9 lbs. As this sophomoric lead-G and his nearly doubled 7.4 ppg and his nugget or rookie year legacy baller swagg are noticeably improved this campaign. As ‘yes’, he is the son of Vernon Maxwell, a former the University of Florida All-American and longtime N.b.a. veteran and champion with the H’town Rockets way way back when. 40% when dial-long-distance roams well enough. The 50% on 15′, unguarded set-shots with 10 seconds to shoot however is not commiserating with all of that. As this hommie be keeping near earlobe sized earrings and you need to have it together to ear-farm that many carrots just like dat. Former North Carolina State Player of the Year one season in H.S.; and then Nc’s Mister Basketball scholastically the next. This was where young mad-Max’ had a pure blow-torch scoring rep’ which tagged him 198th in America from 247Sports. Does not seem to want for confidence on tape; prolly has some trysting lady-swagg fo’ it to boot. Has all kinda stars (*’s) inked on his off-forearm, so he’d best be shooting lights-out to extended the metaphor here. (UPDATE: Missed his last two contests, listed as: QUESTIONABLE with a bum-thumb, St.Julia bless!) Prolly is a good scorer, and this Trist’ too is prolly a 2o24 or so ask back…

6′7″, 2o9 lb., final-year, Khalid Moore is a Three or S/F who handles and moves a bit more like a lead-G or a Two. Khalid is a lengthy, athletic (7-foot, 0.5-inch wingspan) Forward with good scoring ability and a top-shelf basketball I.Q. As you can literally see this Pterodactyl-looking coverage on film when he is on D. This is a Rodin or thinking man’s baller. Although this year he is only thinking of: 4.o ppg and 2.4 rpg on a less than Summa Cum Laude 26.3% long-distance and partly 35% career all. As ‘more’ was expected from this part-time starting combo-F, here. That squarely struck… warming, on-trend baller here too gents… maybe it is all coming together for him after a series of career-highs?

Third-year with three years remaining Rodney Howard is a kinda strapping looking: 6′1o″, 246 lb., BIG upfront down-low for Gah.Tech. Who frankly does not explode or ball as physical as he looks in the film-room. U.G.A. or national champion in football transfer Bulldog baller. (Wonder how that collar wears on rivalry court?) This after he renaged on his Olè Miss. signing thus making the Jackets his third school technically speaking in less than 2-full-years. (And we know how Eye tends to feel about that). Anywho… No. 1o6 in the 247Sports rankings. Did pocket a USA National Prep School National Championship bling. So that only forever counts. Only had so-so scoring and rebounding digits in preparation for his 3-colleges in ≅1.5 years. Did I mention the change of addy labels, yet? Mmmmm-K, tho’ 5.1 ppg with 4.9 rpg and 1.1 bpg with 50% from the floor is not the worst triune collegiate start.  As this is a legit Five or true-C who is only in his 5th year of organized ball. So, who knows where Mister Rod.Mo’ R.A.T.T. 2o25… projects? (As there are just a few flashes/whiffs of ‘zo.Mourning to the way he goes at the rack on tape here).

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Jackets who could suit up @Tech=4'ish.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…don’t wanna get too Talley taken here men!

As it only took blackjack or twenty-one Ace-10 games for our shooters to actually… well, shoot!

Still yet, that was a helluva a Hokie win and we surely needed it like a dead-man needs a coffin.

---

Now we get to see if our suddenly hot hot hot Buster Poindexter shooters can consist or at least remain ambient or warm-enuff on distancing itself.

As this is the first of two teams in three (rescheduling) dates that we/VeeTee
really should have at least a fair-to-middling looksee at.

 ***

📱 📶 ⌚ 📋 🖇…or… 🗑???

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a 21-point VicTory Dance when taken common-opponent round-robin roundball head-to-head. Pro-rata and this works out to forecasting a more settled-down looking 5.25-point Tech Triumph. The *really* curious thingy is… the Forum Guide (less one outing game) nearly achieved a perfected 1:1 total congruence of machine-shop ‘tolerance’ or fit. As our schedules were nearly precisely the same venue (H or A) and the results were highly correlative or resultant indeed in 4-squares, line-of-best-fit or regression terms. You never ever see it this narrow in terms of calendar fit either. Most curious to see how this one… equates for it too! (Or… nots???)

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… VeeTee is up a decent +4% in shooting percentage margin (3 in 4 ‘thx’ @better O); with V.P.I. up nearly +5% in 3-point percentage margin (all on O with D nearly a draw), and then with GeeTee up right at +1 in rebounding margin in Windex Wipes (tho’ both clubs are near caroming equilibrium for the duration year-to-date).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the Hokies are now up +3% in shooting percentage margin (all on O, with a mild deficit on D); with the Jackets now up +1% in 3-point percentage margin (O&M was +10% as a hot-handed O-faced-team, however, GeeTee has really handcuffed peeps on 3-point D of late— i.e., something gotta give here), and nobody was really up much of anything in rebounding margin in backboarding terms (per: both teams hovering right at –2 rpg on the glass of late).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

QUAD-CLOVERS GONE STUBBED RABBIT’s FEETS?!?
According to Kenpom.com, the Hokies are one of the unluckiest teams in the nation, ranking No. 352 in their luck metric. This is the stamdard-deviation between actual and expected winning percentages.

CHOKIES NEED COACH HEIMLICH, LOVE?
In games decided by five points or less, the Hokies are 2-6.
Deeyam! That’s kan’t ride clutch… manuvering.

VeeTee is a .667 host; whereas  GeeTee is .5oo as a guest.
VeeTee is up +6% at the charity stripe for the year.
GeeTee is +3 in R&R in the last fortnight of ball.

The Call...

No.153 Net Ranking Georgia Tech @ no.53 Net Ranking Virginia Tech:

Well, we/VeeTee have gotta be the rightful betting favorite after what just happened, Hump Day nite @home in there one, here?

Rights?

And this just in… my sourcing still insists that rain is rumored to be… wet?

–oOo–

Or rather if my Aunt Kim had nutz-n-a-bolt she’d be my Uncle… Tim?

Wait a minute… not sure if that was germane or not?

What Eye am sure of is that we needs to fight big here… typed that once before this year @Navy. Do not fight down to Georgia Tech’s (admittedly) pretty spry and pretty quick lowercase backcourt size. Alum and Mutts needs to go on and be big, here. 15.2 ppg and 6.3 rpg from Keve and 10.4 ppg and 7.3 rpg from Justyn are the minimums here. Ditto a FREE Ojiako and N’Guessan or a sighting of the same.

Eye say this as Coach Ripley would agry… (Believe it or Not)… we/VeeTee are nearly 100 spots better in bpg. And yet a mere 316th on the D-glass and a nearly as suspect 294th on the O-glass. Do you see what I means?

Don’t fight G.Tech’s backcourt needy shorty fight— and then end up wondering late how this needy/clingy stage V hugger of a team hung in and then hung around, late.

1, 2, 3, 4, 5

As some inside-out game should only free up our mad-bombers from sharpshooting range all the mo’. Or did that just make too much inner Pt.G. in me, sense?

’cause we do not need to fight down to Georgia Tech’s flyweight size here.
Punch downhill… push/shove, lean on them like Fury did Wilder, and make G.Tech wear our heavier-weight(s).

A.c.c.ordingly… start=finish here.
And we needs to finish an available G.Tech off from the start.

We let them hang around and then muck around and get all kinda
unGuarded or backcourt-centric and all bets are, off!

🦃 >>> 🏀 >>> 🐝

 

(65% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=71, Georgia Tech=64

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**