#71 R.P.I. Notre Dame @ #117 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s basketball returns home after having gotten meatballs Commonwealth Cupped last time out. Stacked, like Spaz in a (seemingly winnable), word.

The Hokies now face BIG-name Notre Dame. Everyone is about to face the storm of 2o22 or a pasty-looking whiteout along the Appalachians. (God Bless!). Still yet, the Fighting Irish enter the fray at an improving 1o up against 5 down overall, and .8oo or 4-1 or a near shock-second-place in the Atlantic Coast Conference this far into 2o22. As these Coach of the Year garnering Irish now travel (pardon the pun) 569-miles So-by-So-East to attempt to lay hoopology warcraft siege to our very own Cassell. And a word to the wise… go Coach Clement Clarke Moore … and sleep on this Irish squad at your very own mid-winters nap risk. Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on… to find, out!

Notre Dame Head Coach: Michael Paul Brey: Age=62, 551–305 (.644) overall,
452–253 (.641) at Notre Dame.
$2,120,177.oo

Baller Brey graduated from the legendary scholastic hoop’s factory DeMatha Catholic High School in 1977. As a two-year letter winner under all-everything coach Morgan Wootten, Brey helped the team to a 55–9 mark. He enrolled at Northwestern State University, where he played varsity basketball -as a Forward- for three years (1977–1980). Brey was a standout guard in his collegiate playing days, competing for three seasons at Northwestern Louisiana State (now Northwestern State) from 1977-80. He led the team in assists and steals all three years and still ranks among the top 10 in career assists at Northwestern State. He played his final collegiate season at George Washington in 1980-81 after sitting out the 1979-80 season as a transfer. He averaged 5.0 points and 4.8 rebounds per game for the Colonials, serving as team captain and eventually earning the team’s Most Valuable Player Award.

Coach Brey returned to his former high school, becoming an assistant coach under Morgan Wootten. In 1987, he was hired by Duke to assist under coach K, and in 1995 he took over his first head coaching job at Delaware. Brey guided the Fightin’ Blue Hens to a pretty flighty looking 99–51 record over five years | leading Delaware to two America East Conference Championships and subsequently two trips to the NCAA Tournament. After that, in 2ooo, he got the big whistle job for the Notre Dame Irish. Notre Dame had not been to the NCAA Tournament since 1990.

Brey led the Irish to the NCAA tournament in his first three years as head coach (2001–2003), notching a Sweet-16 appearance in 2003. He has led his team to tournament appearances in 13 different seasons at two different schools. He has won six conference championships, four Conference Coach of the Year awards, and five National Coach of the year awards (all for the same season: 2o11). Good for two Elite-8’s and three Sweet-16’s overall. Coach Brey has only suffered one negative (<.5oo) L’ing season in 21 years. And his teams have enjoyed a post-season in all less three months of March. Coach Brey teams attend with an overall skillful, offensive, and a shooters marksmanship rep’.

Brey serves on the Coaches vs. Cancer National Council and has helped raise over two million dollars for the organization; felicitations on that.

Peep Brey was born on March 22, 1959, Brey is a 1982 graduate of George Washington with a degree in physical education.

Daddy Brey has two children – Kyle and Callie – and a granddaughter, Olivia Marie. Kyle was a Te/Fb for the University of Buffalo from 2006-09. Brey’s late mum (Betty) only held the
world record in the butterfly events and competed for the United States at the 1956
Olympics in Melbourne, Australia. God Bless.

Notre Dame at a glance:

• 46th in FT-shooting!
• 48th in Assist:Turnover ratio!
• 52nd in 3-point-makes/game. (These Irish will car bomb from range).
• (only) 298th in Swats!
• 326th on the offensive glass!!!
• 2 injuries listed. (Coach God twice bless!!)

Returning Starters=3

Notre Dame Strengths:

• 6′6″, 2o8 lb., Senior year, Dane Goodwin… is a worker bee who ground his way to Most Improved last year. This year he’s all the way up to a pretty dang nifty-looking and likewise improved to scoring silver-medalist status at: 15.4 ppg; as less was expected here. And yet Goodwin’s goodwill delivered mo’… would that we could all say the Game of Life, same. This ‘good’ if not “great” Dane has had a Ragnar typea thing for VTech has he has lit the Hokies up a couple of times along the way. This from a kid who was only: the 2018 Ohio Mr. Basketball, only: the 2018 Gatorade Ohio Player of the Year, and only: the 2018 USA Today Ohio Player of the Year. That’s all. That and he was also only: the 77th ESPN national recruit and he only first-team all-state Golf as well. So, he has some skills, what with masterful shooting (5th best in NC2A terms… 94% FTA’s and 46% from behind the arc) and to be able to play the alpha technically proficient dimpled-ball sport itself at a teed-up all-state level. Which only afforded Dane being Honored on the floor of the Ohio state Senate on May 16, 2018, for his overall elite athletic accomplishments at Upper Arlington. Can’t say I’ve biographically read that one before. Dane’s old-man (Damon Goodwin), is the all-time winningest head coach at Capital University (a Division III school located in Columbus, Ohio, suburbs). After he only played basketball at the University of Dayton from 1982-83 through 1985-86 and was only a seventh-round draft pick of the Phoenix Suns in 1986. All his sisters are collegiate volleyballer’s and all his brothers are college hoopsters. So, you know the coach’s son-type head-game metrics should be firmly in place here. Now mix in 5.5 rpg and 1.2 apg and then mix in right at a 1o lb. plate of right-mass or much-needed sinew suddenly found you’ve got a very technically proficient textbook shooter on your hands with an all-around game. Likewise netting a smooth-belly looking 51% of all his shots. I’d say that sharpshooting, counts. And this is prolly a fringe overseas guy for it to boot.
• 6′3″, 176 lb. Prentiss Hubb is a froth-year Point.G masquerading as a protein shake kegger just looking for a headstand weight-room party-animal funnel to happen. As this is one lean kid who on an lb. for lb. basis is about as confident as they come. Last season finding a whole entire 9 off-season lbs. prolly helped. As has his now upwardly mobile 14.1 ppg and team pacing 5.3 apg which is not bad for being this young/lean. Or at least it was NOT… now it is all the 2o22 way down to: 7.7 ppg, with 2.6 rpg and 3.6 apg. His barely okay last year 39.2% shooting overall did need to dormitory Raman noodle microwave oven warm-up more than a bit. This year it needs an icebreaker to crack-up mo’ than a bit at a frigid looking 32% from the floor and 28% long. Hubb was a top-40 high school recruit consensus-wise prior to a senior year knee whammy (may St.Nikon help some more)— whereafter Prentiss only finished ranked no.83 in one national recruiting service. After being a lofty **** consensus pick prior to getting kneed like that. So here again, what would this cocksure One be doing on two good twigs? Tho’ the 82.1% from the charity-stripe was pretty generous indeed from a kid who can score off the dribble and from the perimeter alike. As of now it too is down to a lowly 62%. WOW. And dang! As this Hubby be cheating on last year’s metrics all over… and yet this year Eye could not find anything injury-wise to all this lipstuck on his collar. Go fig’ here??? Tho’ I can riddle out to you that his Hub’ has gone dad-bod’, what with adding a whole entire 16 oz. (or about 1 “burp”) this past summer. Again… strange, as in… very.
• Lindy’s 3rd-string pre-season P/F, One #14, Jr. year Nate Laszewski is a 6′10″, 227 lb. somewhat string-bean looking though springy P/F frontcourt baller from Jupiter, Fla. Nate nets you a most useful and now team-leading 16.6 points with nearly 7.8 rebounds and a swat per a stellar looking 64.6% from the floor (see: pic). Or at least he too… same as Hubby above was all dat and a 2o21 ‘snap’. This year he is mo’ parts: ‘snipped’. At: 8.1 ppg and 7.4 rpg. Accordingly, you were prolly professionally intrigued by what this thin big man can be if his body every big-baller fills out? As Nate added a 25-lb. ferrous plate last off-season and he prolly could add close to one more. As last year Nate led N.Dame in FT-shooting and from a big that is never a bad thing; tho’ 2 of 3 this season from the charity-stripe is a very middleocore thing. Lasz’ was ESPN’s no.51 baller nationally and he sure set a buncha New Hampshire scholastic 3-point shooting marks as a Euro-type Four. And oh by the way… Lasz’ is only splashing home a mind-boggling 55.1% of his three’s last campaign. Now down to a (still) very reasonable 44.8% long. Like last time I checked even Adrian Dantley did not net 6 outta 10 for N.Dame way way back when. And that’s a lotta long-range cheddar from a kid who only wore a 2-level scoring tag (down-low & mid-range) coming into last season.

  

• Blake Wesley, is a 6′5″, Off-G or Wing —who looks bigger to me in the video room. Or at the very least, he plays stronger than his measurements hint. Strong, knifed-up looking rookie year to voting itself baller from: a homespun, homeschooled and homesteading… So.Bend, Indy itself! That’s pretty cool, rights? And so is his pretty much all-anything-everything-Indiana Hoosiers High School set of Award (nine, that’s (9) if you are keeping score @home). Per leading his unusual-looking 7-L scholastic team to the Indy Class Quad-A Championship. That counts, so did nearly 30 ppg in doing so. As did being named: ESPN.com’s four-star, No. 82 nationally ranked prospect. And so does his prospectus on dunking… finishing 5th nationally at the: 2021 American Family Insurance High School Slam Dunk Contest during the Final-4. His old-man: (Derreck, Sr.) Derrick graduated from Riley High School and played basketball at Ball State from 1984-88. Where he only finished as the Cardinal’s 3rd all-time leading scorer. Eye’d have to say det dat counts as well. Lindy’s says to count on this b.Wes’ for: “scoring and excellent defense (1 spg and bpg)”. And so far, you can count on him to place 3rd in scoring at:  14.7 ppg with 3.3 rpg and 2.1 apg. Married to a respectful 44.3% overall and an K’ enuff 33.7% from beyond the arc. This all from a kid the whispers say fields a: ‘complete game’ and was/is turnkey read. I’d have to agree after only 15 collegiate games and I’ll be curious to see where Mr. Wesley is crushing it come 2o25 give/take?
• MEMO: …so, either these two are taking two or three (lumps or, humps) from the Lepricon of N.Dame or something is way way off here???
• …cloning or twinning of your alpha baller has to count as a strength, rights?
• …doppelganger, much?!?

Notre Dame Weaknesses:

• Defense itself has not been and prolly never will be a Coach Brey strong suit.
• N.Dame did depart 2-parttime starters (~16 ppg and 8 rpg combined).
• …lotta roster or line-up movement has occurred here in rotation terms. With starters being cut-down or sat down on P.T. (playing-time). And frankly, you have to wonder how well that 2o22 social-needia tastes or sits over on the pine?
• This is not a super deep squad either. Tho’ it IS 7 or 7+ quality… with a drop behind that.
• 6′4″, 215 lb., Robby Carmody (St.Nikon bless) is OUT for the year (AGAIN, back2back, ouch2ouch); with a cracked kneecap. Dang… also out for the year would be his 5.4 ppg on a nice looking 50% overall with 1.6 rpg. This was after he blew his left-A.c.l. back in 2019. (St.Culbreth also bless). This after a shoulder injury (St.Christopher help) and this after a concussion (St.Blaise bless). Dang some more… as this former 2018 Gatorade Pennsylvania Player of the Year and 81st ranked kid nationally (ESPN) would have no luck if not for bad luck itself. Poor guy… as this was a lowercase 30-something PPP scorer in the Keystone State when he was still 5×5 physically. Dang, dang, dang… tough one to write up here.
• Likewise, back-up F: Elijah Taylor. (6′8″, 244 lb.). Taylor will miss the remainder of the 2021-22 season due to ND.edu academic issues. May St.Catherine bless. As this E.T. is a truly strapping-looking Philly inner-city baller (true-Fr.). Who really reminds one of Tim Anderson of the end of D.Curry era fame. Really physically sculpted kid here. No.212 overall ranked prospect by 247Sports. After only cutting down AAAA Philly City and State blings alike as a 12th grader. Curious guy physically… Lindy’s says him to be a: ‘mid-range post’ who is coming off of a pretty noticeable ankle surgery at the end of H.S. itself. (St.Philip bless!)  National Honor Society is however a nice .edu soft-touch.

F‘n Irish Bench: (depth=2’ish, 3 max’)

6′9″, 23o lb., Paul Atkinson Jr. is a senior year Grad’ transfer from the Ivy League. Where he ran ball in the S.A.T. Bowl for the Yale Bulldogs and netted a Business School (Finance) swagg fo’ it to boot. MEGA .edu props for dat Paul. Fiscal Godspeed in the game of… life. As the game of hoops goes… P.A.Jr. gets you 11.4 ppg and 6.3 rpg on an on-trend 59% at the scorer’s table subbin’ in. Two years back… (he sat out last cv19 season) he only knocked in just south of 18 ppg and 9 rpg for the Yalies while only carving an: The Ivy League Player of the Year Awarding winning notch in his bulldog collar. Hollaback hommie. Ditto only being Yale’s all-time leading shooter for a career at a truly stellar .661 or about 2 ‘n 3 makes overall! wowzo! Maybe Paul shoulda majored in Solar-Carpentry? As this kid prolly does chart as an export level hardwood pro’. Paul was also only ranked by ESPN+ as the fourth-best transfer prospect in college basketball in 2020-21. Did they spellcheck on: ‘third’ (or even: ‘second’)? Pretty body-shaped developed Gilad ESPN2 kinda guy back in the day. Kinda looks a bit like Derrick Coleman bleached out a bit on tape. No relation to The Zombie’s HOF lead-guitarist that I could find. Helluva a pick up for n.Dame and a kid will a helluva a future both on and post-court. (Pardon the double äntändrə).

Stanford transfer and last year’s necessary sit-down Cormac Ryan is a 6′5″, 194 lb. Junior/Senior reclassified baller with rulebook (now apparently) resolved eligibility issues. Tho’ his current So.Bend averages of: 8.2 ppg with 4.2 rpg and 1.8 apg per virtually matching 40% shooting from the floor and 38% from downtown seem rather rural to me. The rep’ here says that Cromac (cool-name) is a pressure-defender who can shoot and that’s not the worst scorers-table medicine coming in off your bench let me tell you. 85% on the FT-line is not a guy to horse-around with after practice, either.

Trey Wertz is a 6′5″, 192 lb. Jr. year off-G by way of Santa Clara. Where he netted you a credible-looking 11.9 points, 3.5 rebounds, and 3.9 assists per game with an engaging 40% from deep. Or at least he was… this year Trey is all the way down to: 4.6 ppg on 2.1 rpg and 2.8 apg. Father, Langston Jr., is a sports reporter for the Charlotte Observer— doubt that hurts, and Trey had good N.C. H.S. numbers. Good, not great or epic. Tho’ this seasons’ 31% from the floor and 25% from trifectaville reveal a kid who has missed a couple of games and been dinged-up a bit this campaign. Coach God Bless on dat. As poor Trey’s career digits have gone from: nearly 12 ppg, to 11, to 8 and now to the aforementioned 4-n-change ppg. Dang…

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Irish who could I.R.A. @Tech=5 or 6.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…it is really getting hard to be taken with this 2o21-2o22: “mercurial”, “underachieving”, or just plum ‘uneven’ men’s hoops club of Virginia Tech.

Something is just ‘rong here… be it…

• NOT injures (this is the one Winter is Here traction we do enjoy).
• Lack of athletics? This is true. Not a fast, quick or above the rim team. Floored, in a word.
• A lack of intrinsic hardwood fit? Traditional home-position 1-5 juxtaposition? Anti-Gestalt?
• …extrinsic, other, else???

I can tell you there are no torpid tales —or something chemical or locker-room wise. At least none to my privy. And yet, it is beginning to have that kinda feel… or: “When you have eliminated all which is impossible, then whatever remains, however improbable, must be the truth.” quoting: Coach Arthur Conan Doyle.

Yah, no shite… Holmes!

Something is mucked-up here gents.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a next-time raincheck. As these two are just missing on the All Championship Conference docket overall.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… VeeTee is up +4% in shooting percentage margin (mostly on D, tho’ a little on O too); with V.P.I. up a noticeable +10% in 3-point percentage margin (little mo’ on D, tho’ stroking it well on O as well) and Vah.Tech is up a nominal looking +1 board in rebounding margin or Windex Wipes year-to-date.

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the Irish are now up +2% in shooting percentage margin (all on O, with D nearly equal); then we sees that the Lepricons are up a substantial near 11% in 3-point percentage margin (a bit more on O, tho’ ahead on D too), and the F’n Irish is now up +2 caroms in |absolute value terms| in rebounding margin in the last fortnight on the backboard. (All due to the Hokies being negative of late, whereas the Irish are just breaking even on the glass).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

Dr. JACKYLL plays HYDE-n-SEEK?
Winning games by an average margin of 26.8 points and losing by an average of 7.3, Tech has struggled to put teams away, a most odd characteristic with so many veterans in the starting O&M lineup, including top Sr. season scorer Keve Aluma (15.7 points per game).

X’S and O’s:
Coach Brey’s kinda soft-zone D you ask? Geared to fight backcourt via playing ‘wide’ and trying to take away distancing in the spicey Curry era from behind the arc.

VeeTee is still up +11 in R&R due to their recent cv19 sitdown.
N.Dame is nearly up +3% at the charity stripe for the year.
VeeTee is a .714 host; whereas n.Dame is .5oo as a guest.

The Call...

No.69 Net Ranking Notre Dame @ no.39 Net Ranking Virginia Tech:

The Hokies like to think they should be an NC2A Tournament contender. Nevertheless, our record says we are in the Atlantic Coast Conference basement.

Slumping Tech (8-7, o-4) carries a four-game A.c.c. schneid into Saturday evening’s game against surging Notre Dame (1o-5, 4-1) when the Hokies will try to thoughtfully justify their lofty aspirations.

If you ask me -and you did via reading these very words… they had better think about justifying the N.I.T. or C.B.I. or C.I.T., first… or maybe even… last?

Pensively enuff in lieu of being… spring, broke.

–oOo–

Thus making this one my well-fabled proverbial “…two ships passing in the night.”

 

Caveat being… is N.Dame really this good -and for that matter- is V.P.I. really that bad?

Eye can listen to either one either way… as the toggling of the Irish rotation is
still baking my myspacebook brains that this team has social-needia
not only held it together, they appeared to have prospered for it.
(Go fig’ and kudos on dat to boot).

Or to put it another way… where is ’73 Bobby Stevens when you need(s), him?

Or to put it a final way… just how often does the last-place Atlantic Coast team successfully navigate the 2nd-place Atlantic Coast team, even when tying up and docking @home?

 Five outta four 3o4 dentists say: “Survey says…” not real, often…

…unless here we go (off) mercurially, enuff?

☘️>>>🏀>>>🦃

 

(55% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=69, Notre Dame=73

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**