#48 R.P.I. Miami @ #1o7 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops got up off the schneid in a rather sharp -if not outright snappy- Wednesday nite VicTory dance vs. no.21 Nationally ranked Clemson by 15 big points!

The Hokies are remaining home in defense of their very own Cassell (Colosseum) this weekend vs. fellow Atlantic Coast Conference foe: the Miami Hurricanes. The ‘canes enter this one at a useful enuff looking: 11 up against 4 down overall and .5oo in All Coaching Conference play, (at: 2-2). However, they are mired in a mini-me-slump of sorts of late and have not won one in double-digit days by the time this one kicks off here. Da U does -as you will read- vend some very tight-looking national metrics. They are nearly lights-out shooters. They are not a soft-touch, nor an easy out… not even over in the “Winter has come” chilly/breezy New River Valley. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on… to find, out!

Miami Head Coach: James Joseph Larrañaga: Age=74, 736–486 (.602) overall, and
266–152 (.636) at Miami.
$1,300,000.oo base (w/ $700k for retention); i.e., pretty much a steal at this level.

6′3″ baller Larrañaga came up in the hard-hitting Bronx ‘hood of N.Y.C, as one of six children; Larrañaga attended Archbishop Molloy High School in Queens, where he starred under Coach Jack Curran, graduating in 1967. He went on to play basketball at Providence College. He was the basketball team captain as a senior in 1971, leading Providence College to a 2o–8 record and an N.I.T. birth. He graduated as the school’s 5th all-time leading scorer with 1,258 points and was the team’s top scorer as a sophomore and junior, being named New England’s Division I Sophomore of the Year in 1969. After Providence, baller Larrañaga was 5th round of the 1971 N.b.a. Draft by the Detroit Pistons. However, baller Larrañaga never sought an NBA career, tho’ he did ball overseas for Geronemo Basketball Club (Belgium), in 1976; then he opted instead to go into coaching. Jim’s grandfather was born in Cuba to Basque parents and was part of the Por Larrañaga cigar company in that country.

Coach Larrañaga prior to his time at Miami, he served as head coach at Bowling Green (1986-1997) and more notably at George Mason University (1997-2011), where he coached the Patriots to 13 consecutive winning seasons and became a media sensation during the Patriots’ improbable run to the Final-4 in 2006. Coach Larrañaga has ten conference titles to his claim and he won four different National Coach of the Year awards in 2o13) to pair with one other in 2oo6, and five conference Coach of the Year awards -from three conferences (A.c.c., C.A.A., and M.A.C.) along the way. Coach Larrañaga is a man who reads books by the Dalai Lama, quotes Confucius, Aristotle, and Ralph Waldo Emerson in the locker room starts practices by giving players a “Thought of the Day” and uses quotes and themes from movies such as “Drumline” and “You Got Served” for his pregame speeches. He has a butterfly release program for his ballers each pre-season and is a quiet and highly mercurial sort. He is known for being meticulous -he carries his very own: 1o8-page coaching guide compiled from years of taking notes- and industrious in his approach to hard-nosed defense and rebounding, with a slashing attacking O on-court. Coach Larrañaga took Sun Tzu’s Art of War apart and re-wrote it for basketball purposes, turning it into what he calls “The Art of War for hoops. WOW, and far out, alike!

Professor Larrañaga was appointed as an associate professor in the George Mason School of Management (2oo6); specifically, in the school’s Executive M.B.A. program. Although his basketball schedule only allows him to teach part-time, he is a frequent presenter in classes on leadership, management, and team development, and also often speaks at Management School-sponsored seminars. He had been a guest lecturer in the field of Management since arriving at Mason in 1997.

There were i-net whispers that Larrañaga was “coach-3” in the college basketball corruption probe 2 years back (per: USA Today).

And as much as I do like Professor J, this seemed to be twilight coach folks… though he has righted a wet-deck Hurrican ship in the last two campaigns. You do still gotta wonder just how much he has, left?

Daddy Larrañaga is married to Liz’ and they have two sons and four grandchildren. Their son Jay played for his father at Bowling Green, was the head coach of the NBDL’s Erie Bayhawks,
and is now the top assistant coach with the Boston Celtics. Jon was a member
of his father’s George Mason teams from 1999-2003, earning first-team
academic all-American honors for NCAA Division I-AA school

Miami at a glance:

• 2nd best in 3-point percentage O!!!
• 3rd best in Free-Throw percentage O!!!
• 4th fewest in fouls “whistled” against!!!
• 8th best in Effective FG percentage O!!!
• 14th highest in ppg O!!!
• 19th best in 3-point percentage allowed D!! (1o7th best overall allowed D).
• 37th best in defensive rebounding!!
• 42nd most in Fastbreak ppg O!
• 44th most in Assists/game O!
• 66th in swipes/game.
• 282nd most in FTA’s/game O. (lowest metric of all 33 D-1 vitals I track).
• Nearly nothing south of 25oth best, or virtually C+++ to A+++ everywhere Eye looked.
• NO injuries listed. “gracias” @Coach God.

Returning Starters= 3*.

Miami Strengths:

• Most every better to really good baller Eye scouted has improved or significantly improved since ’23.
• Developing, the verb…
• In particular on splashing the 3(s)… Miami (now) has at least five pure dagger shooters from way downtown, ‘bang’.
• Not to mention free-throwing… as five, that’s (5) of their Top-6 pass the ring to the tune of ≈83% or more on 15′ set-shots with 1o (unguarded) seconds to shoot.
• * (Lindy’s 1st-string All-A.c.c.): (Lindy’s Most Versatile All-A.c.c.): Arkansas State transfer and Bluefields, Nicaragua imported 6′7″, 24o lb., or, one #15: Norchad Omier; is a real thumper of a four or the ‘power’ in P/F itself. This #15, too (same as Jordan above) is a really getting Miami Portal get. As in… r-Junior year Mr. Omier is getting you: a now 1st-best 17.5 ppg married to a first-best 9.6 rpg. This on: ~62.2% from overall and nearly 82.4% from the FT-line. The only thing (that was) lacking or wanting here was range (11% from 3-balls; tho’ that is not how he impregnates his… ‘chad. However, Omier is mucho improved nearly everywhere I looked, including now netting 1 in 3 of his trifectas for the year. As the: (2o21-22): Sun Belt Player of the Year and the Sun Belt Defensive Player of the Year awards mighta been a well-seasoned game-flavor cube. This is from a crusher who has actually added right at a 15-lb. weight plate to his already physically clad game since he got down to Miami, FLA. However, Norchad has now cut about 8 since we saw him last year and he seems mo’ fluid for it upon breaking tape to me. Nicaraguan National Team member (16 points with 10-boards); so, he has global gym résumé work in tow. A strong kid who is willing (to work) on film. Kinda has a very impoverished man’s Barkley with more of a biased-framed vibe to him upon breaking tape. I did say “impoverished” tho’ that is some pretty clique company to keep. (UPDATE: has been slayin’ misses off the glass of late, almost 14 rpg in the last couple of fortnights of banging). And frankly, that much back-boarding makes you a pro’ somewhere be that domestic or export. As how many can say they tallied a double-double in every single high school game? (26.7 points and 2o.3 rebounds per game scholastically, wowow!) Honor Roll student, and only won a National Championship (Miami, Prep’) as a junior. Plus, the much-vaunted: Nicaraguan national championship in hoops the year before that. 15th ranked Transferer, and yet N/A ranking from high school. Wild, ain’t it? Other than Lville (last game) had been on a monsta ppg & rpg double-double tear of late. 1.6 spg and .8 bpg if you need ’em. Hard one to handle… just a few% Len Bias less some hops and less some everything else.
• * (Lindy’s 2nd-string All-A.c.c.): Nijel Pack is your Qb1 or Pt.Guard for Miami. Nijel packs it on at: 6′, 185lbs., as a Kansas State transfer One, r-fourth-year Sophomoric baller. Pack drops you: 13.2 ppg with 2.6 rpg, 1.4 spg, and a nearly sporty 4.4 apg. This is from a team ceti of an improved 42.9% long. So, this Pack’er has ranged from deep. He also (did) pace Miami at 86.4% from the charity stripe, so the relatively only 43.2% from the floor is a bit tricky to discern here. As Nijel appears to be a better pure netter than that. Oh well, and either way… he is also said to be one of the Top transfers last year in all of the nation. Top-5 or better everywhere I looked. So, this too is a rather fetching get for coach Larrañaga. As Pack was only voted All-Big-10 (One/Pt.Guard) last year. And Lindy’s only went so far as to call him an: “explosive” scorer. 9oth baller in all the land from ESPN.com outta high school does not suck. Neither was his 45% overall or 43.6% from behind the arc for the Wildcats. So, more was expected here— and Nigel has been scoring a bit more of late. If he finds his ceiling output-wise on O the Miami starting-5 is gonna be a seriously hard out. As Pack made a name for himself out on the Nike tour, so he appears to be able to elevate his game vs. elevated competition just the same. And he has connected with several D-1 game-winners. And he also does have a history of minor dings that have expensed him about ⅓ of a season in his career thus far. This one could mature into an international Export Pro’, time=tell here. As he has been part blow-torch and part “ice ice baa-bee” for the last month+…

  

• * Philly baller, and coolio named: Wooga Poplar is your 6′5″, 197 lb., third-year shooting G or backup Two. A little bit of a 3-n-D baller here folks. What with: +22o% better and now 16.4 ppg with a close to doubling 5.1 rpg on 2.2 apg and .9 spg. The stellar 5o.7% from downtown is reasonable enough, Eye guess? The 88.2% from the FT-Line is nearly the 1st-best enuff. A kid who Lindy’s called: a: “viable” bench-minutes baller. 78th baller overall from Rivals from Math High School (no joke). Where Wooga only won the Philly Public League title and then cut down the Statie nets after that (in: AA-ball). That counts, and so does his off-court dirt bike collection. Never read that one before… anywho… this does seem to be a skillful kid at times to me in the film room. Yet then he seems to disappear box-score-wise for a game or two or even for a week. Then he high-teen or low 20’s explodes again and keeps his ppg mean, median, mode, hooppin’. Go fig’ here? As this was an inconsistent one, who plays the Two. Poplar might just be popular if/when he figures it nite-in to nite-out. And it pretty much figures that he has… as he has been on a tear of late after tearing it up about 3 in 4 games or so. Mo’ consistent now and in the Most Improved running to be sure. (Might even be playing his way into international currencies).
• 6′2″, 2o7 lb., true-Soph’, Bensley Joseph is your Qb2 or caddying Pt.Guard here. Joseph minds the Hurricane store for: 8.8 ppg with 3.3 rpg and nearly nifty 3.9 apg in his substitute/part-time 1 role. Good outside netter which got him cracked into this preview here. ≅38.9% from behind the 3-point arc is sharpshooting indeed. No.8o baller from ESPN; came up in Haiti; and does have a history of buzzer-beaters at all levels. Did however miss his entire scholastic senior season due to a (left)-ankle hurt. St.Philip bless. As you gotta wonder if this Bensley went Bentley and pegged higher on two good high school wheels? Soccer star before all of that, so the footwork is prolly pretty Olajuwon tight here. Has been a mite chiller on O of late. Godspeed Haiti.
• (Lindy’s 3rd-string All-A.c.c.): ex-Florida State S/F-Two-G1, Matthew Cleveland: (6′7″, 2o8 lbs.), is what some say to be: “…a stud baller”. ***** or pent-starry-eye V.H.T. (very highly touted) 100% chip recruit 1o1. And fo’ enuff coin? He will “pitch… anything“!

• …anywho… true Junior Matty’s momma-bear was a Wrambling Wreck dance team membHer. His poppa-bear is a ‘Business Consultant’ down in the ATL. So, here we not only see a rarefied full-house we see a prolly not less than Ventnor Avenue crib to boot. Good on (all) of dem. Matty is a member of the National Honor Society; his sisters cheered @Duke. And he has a history of driving clutch as late-game heroics go. The: 15.6 ppg with 5.2 rpg on 1.9 apg and 1.4 spg are pretty sharp overall box-scoring work as lateral expansiveness goes. Cleveland does have mo’ than a municipal bond level game. All-State game at least, at worst. Lindy’s says he is: “…an instant impact transfer Wing“. Who is a box score stuffer and versatile as they come.  247Sports no.26 baller in the nation overall. Baseball star in scholastic terms to; albeit with an obviously hard-to-miss (vertical) strike-zone and very likely hand-eye coordination on the come for it as well. My other mag’s called him: ‘explosive’, ‘fun to watch’ and ‘dynamic. So, ‘aye’, Eye’d have to say that counts. The: 56.2% from the floor, the 76.9% from the charity-stipe and the 48.6% from three-point land appear to count to. As this is a long, rangy, lean baller who can finish equally well with either hand. Amphibious and ambidextrous alike. Reminds of: Spencer Dinwiddie or a very Baltic Ave. man’s Iceman g.Gervin; is already not less than a 2nd-round draft pick every single where I looked. Only calc’ is… is Matty Lyte north of that? As he has improved his FT’ing, his 3-pointing, and his overall FG% 5 outta 6 times in the last three years. This one is good, maybe very good, and could maybe flirt with D-1, P5, great. (p.s. been en fuego of late; hot, hot, hot Buster Poindexter baller here).

Miami Weaknesses:

• Wong is gone. Gone to Indy Pacers fame.
• j.Miller is La.Clippers gone as well.
• Team still seems a bit like it is trying to find itself or find its best fit to me upon breaking tape.
• (Though: fair to say that most of the 65th to 362nd other D-1 teams wish they had Miami’s problems). Fair-play.

Da U Bench: (depth=4’ish) 341st in Pine ppg production! (not much scoring help here, not much a all)

6′8″, 2o7 lb., rookie or nugget voting year Kyshawn George is your quintessential Swiss Army Pocket knife guy off the bench. Who can cut it three positional ways. He of: Monthey, Switzerland hometown, and Lycée Emiland Gauthey (France) (their hoops factory) fame. Ky’Gee -same as Fletch- is nearly 7′ tall with the blown out 70’s Shaft era ‘fro. +.7 for dats. As this is a big blow-out one to be sure. And it takes some sack to rock(s) dat game. Prolly did not hurt that he grew a stagging ~9″ and added 88 lbs. in his final two scholastic seasons to boot. So, this George is not yet King George as development goes. Though he & his game seem to want to (still) be an Off-G which is where he was until he jumped off his very own growth chart. No. 202 overall recruit from: On3. Has a Swiss u16 National Ring and a lè: LNP Pro B league championship (Frenchy) bling deux. Father did run ball here in the States for a couple of years @St. Francis (PA). And some say his: 7.1 ppg and 3.o rpg with 1.9 apg on a nifty looking 43.1% from behind the arc are still acclimating to the American game. Maybe even still progressing as well. As you gotta wonder where this kid is come ’26 or so? As he can go home and be a reverse currency swap overseas baller to be sure.

Super Soph’, AJ Casey is your backup P/F2, at: 6′9″, 221 lbs., by way of Chi-Town inner-city game. 2.9 ppg and a matching 2.9 rpg with ~41% overall are both still developing. Though my mag’s called him both a ‘valuable’ and a ‘key’ substitute who is a do-all-the-dirty/little things scrapper then any given rotation at any given level always needs one guy to do. Ranked No. 50 in the country by Rivals, who has not quite hit that level collegiately thus far. A.Jay went on something of a tear of a Windy City post-season tournament run and this may have (artificially) upped his ante a mite. Good numbers prior to his devastating Sr. Prom Season maths. H.S. Football star as well, so this kid is not a lyte-touch. Time=tell if Casey Sunshine’s and reaches these lofty recruiting bandwidth rankings or not?

6′7″, 217 lb., Christian Watson, is your second-season ‘tweener or wing or kinda/sorta Three or S/F off the bench. 3.8 ppg with 1.8 rpg and 33% on trifectas. Okay, reservist in his Sophomoric season. **** or four-star and ESPN’s ESPN and Rivals No.92 nationally ranked kid-o alike. Dee.Cee or Washington Post-up flavored baller. Had some and missed a lotta P.T. with cv19 issues —St.Nikephoros help. Which (appears) to have stunted his matriculation a mite. Has drawn Kevin Durant comparisons. Not saying Eye am seeing that, reporting that others are saying they’ve seen that. His nickname is “CWat”. Did enjoy a cardiac or closers rep’ when he was out on the high school court to boot. Hard to get a good read here… as CWat has either run Antarctica cannot make a “2” with a pencil ice-ice-baby cold or popped-clean about every 4th or 5th game so ’24 far. Time=tell on the rest…

true-Fresh’ and true-C: Michael Nwoko, C2, does give you ’bout 7-8 minutes/half. The last name is pronounced Nuh-WOE-Koe. This kinda project looking rim-protector is a towering 6′1o″, 245 lb., turnkey play right away good looking speciemium caliber guy. Toronto, Ontario imported Great White North kid, ‘eh’. **** or quad-star home position Five recruit. No. 106 in the On3 national rankings does not suck. Tho’ mo’ was expected from Nwoko than: 1.9 ppg and 1.6 rpg. Tho’ he is a solid frontcourt match-up guy and a space eater. He does keeps a The Grind Session championship bling (one of those self-formed H.S. national leagues). Did turn heads on the Nike touring circuit which gave his next-level looksee’s a noticeable boost. Canadian FIBA U18 international team member. That never hurt building out; not 1ι (one-iota). Physical kid on what tape Eye did see, as Nwoko plays a bit then sits the same… time=tell on the rest? Tho’ the frame/metrics and sinew seem willing to me.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of 'canes who could "big-blow" @Tech=7 give/take.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…that it is tuff to be taken with Tech right now. After seeing po’ Hunter Cattoor’s ear tag on the accident head-kick hustling for the loose ball right before Intermission vs. Clemson.

That’s one of the knockout points that is frowned upon in boxing and can draw a foul call from a sticker official. As it can ruin equilibrium on the Q.T.

(St.Frederick help!) This after a series of radial dents ((fractured: St.Julia bless) and even shoulder dings (St.Christopher bless).

---

Meaning… even at home Miami may mean to do us, harm.

As this would be a major subtraction if Hunter has to miss any extended time.

And a major +1 for Miami on the major -1 from the presence of Hunter’s absence Saturday nite.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a kinda hard looking –17-point VomiT in this one here. Would like to gather ’bout a handful of data points as stats population sizes go… tho’ that is a potent number even on a lowercase n=2 sample size.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… Miami is up a noticeable enuff +5% in shooting percentage margin (8o% of which was possession-based betterment tho a little better on D to boot); with Miami, up a nearly brutal +18% in 3-point percentage margin (all less three percent of which was due to scorching it on 3O; although, da U is a bit better on 3-D too), and Miami is up a near nominal looking +2 carroms collected in rebounding margin year-to-date. (For the duration… both teams are positive in backboarding; Miami is mo’ positive and they are really sharp off the defensive-‘glass tho’ with a bit of an offensive-‘glass advantage as well).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the Hokies are not up a near nominal +2% in shooting percentage margin (due to: better offensive acumen that the ‘canes superior D is not quite offsetting); with the ‘canes now up another near nominal looking +2% in 3-point percentage margin (all on 3-D as these two are only tenths apart on 3-o), and the ‘canes are now up a nice enuff ~+4 in misses gathered to themselves rebounding margin in the last fortnight of play. (Both are positive, and VT is better than average to be sure, it is rather that da U has been a slashing terror off the fiberglass of late).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

LAST 10 GAMES: Hokies: 6-4, averaging 69.8 points, 35.5 rebounds, 13.9 assists, 4.9 steals and 2.7 blocks per game while shooting 44.4% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.9 points per game.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hurricanes: 6-4, averaging 81.9 points, 39.8 rebounds, 16.4 assists, 7.9 steals and 2.8 blocks per game while shooting 48.0% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 72.2 points.

VeeTee is up a whopping +eleventeen (+11) in R&R!
VT is a . host; whereas Miami is .ooo (only: o-2) as a guest.
Da U is up a modest +2% at the charity stripe for the year; (both are epic here).

The Call...

No.61 Net Ranking Miami @ no.46 Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

---

The VerdicT:

The verdict here is that we need a firm P.T. diagnosis from H.Cattoor for this one here.

As it will take a pile of points to navigate this Cat-V class offense here; as is.

As in… who will drop Hunter’s 14-19 ppg of late if he has gone all Training Room, aquarian?

The digits:

This one could (almost) be titled under my pet phrase of: “…two ships passing in the nite”.

Maybe?

That… or at least two training staffs’ crossing activity logs of late.
As Coral Gables be living their best starting life here… as Da U’s 1s near average 33 mpg. Then there is a drop-off in P.T. (playing time) and in production itself. Tho’ said top-heavy production from your 1 through 5 matters nil when your starters basically remain 5×5 (five-by-five).

–oOo–

The ‘whispers’ (now) say that three, that’s (3) ‘canes are all nursing ankle rolls or even ankle dings… (Wooga Poplar, Norchad Omier and Nijel Pack. St.Philip thrice bless.

Ergo, therefore, to Whit… this one could (now) actually be lame crime on lame-crime.

🦶️

If, that is the case… our dings (head/ear, ankle, and knee) might just feel no worse -if not a little better- sleeping in their own homesteading beds. As opposed to sojourning 9o9 miles Nor-by-only-slightly-Nor-East.

🌀 <<< ??? >>> ⚕️ <<< ??? >>> 🦃

As this one is prolly best described as whichever dingy team dings less laughs, last.

Take thy pick on which one has mo’ health or is less salubrious itself.

💯

🏀

💯

 

(5o% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=7o, Miami=77

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**