#221 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #3 R.P.I. virginia:
#2 overall, and 26 hyphen Duke (26-1) uva is up next up in The John. Where the 14-1
inside the Atlantic Coast Conference hoos will look to flush all things Virgina Tech.
uva is a very good basketball team and coach Tony Bennett is a men’s hoops Bud Foster corollary coach.
Gonna take a lot to beat uva on the road over in C’ville Va., as you have to think the cavaliers will remember how close our last outing vs. them truly was, and wish to do something about that on their very own home-court.
hoowever, uva is pretty dang beat-up in their starting backcourt, so if there is such as thing as catching the #2 ranked team overall … this is it!
wahoos at a glance:
- #1 in scoring defense allowed! (49.8 ppg)
- 2nd in FG percentage defense allowed (35.1%)
- 4th in defensive rebounding!
- 7th in Rebounding Margin (+8.6 rpg)
- 7th in assist:turnover ratio (+1.49)
- 293 in 3-makes per game (5.o)
virginia Backcourt: (returning starters=2 of 3)
#1 Justin Anderson: if there is a star of the team, this “Mister Anderson” is it. From 6th man of the year for the whole darn A.c.c. to leading man this year for the uva Cavs. A 6’6” 220 lb. former 2012 Gatorade Maryland Boys Basketball Player of the Year in high school now gone 14.1 ppg leading scorer for uva. Now mix in 4.6 rpg a couple of assists on an absurd 53% from 3-point range and you suddenly have a long-shot player of the year –pun somewhat intended. Anderson did post good though not quite epic or off the chat numbers in high school. Nevertheless, this Mister Anderson has a knack for blocking game winning clutch opposing shots; and he 50% from the floor and 80% from the FT-line. He’s one of those rare guys you might just wish to become just a little more selfish and take more of the game over with his very tough to cover 6’6” 228 lb. third-year physique. As this kid is likely a Pro just on shooting alone, be that home or abroad. (UPDATE, Out, late March expected return, finger fracture! Godspeed)
London Perrantes Jr.: 6/2 191 lb. sophomoric Los Angeles native true Point-G with Mike’s favorite first-name. A pass-first throwback flavored Pt.G who has started for uva almost from the very first day he arrived. Won the high school John Wooden Award and was 86th in ESPN’s top-100; was also a pretty fair to middling Qb in high school so he does get leading an O up-court or down-field. 5.9 ppg with 2 boards and a team leading 4.4 dimes or apg. He did lead uva in FT-shooting, although now he checks in at 8o% and has enough range to keep you honest at 31% from the arc. Does not however employ the greatest overall FG percentage at 33% in total! A solid player who appears to need another year or so to fill out his all-’round offensive game. (UPDATE, Questionable for o2.28, busted nose and concussion like symptions, God Bless!)
Malcolm Brogdon: a 6-5 215 lb. r-junior off-Guard from the ATL. (see: pic) All-A.c.c. caliber guy who is prolly now all the way back from a broken bone in his left-foot to close out action two campaigns ago; (Godspeed on that). A good shooter, who is a steady and reliable scorer, if not quite an outburst or explosion based baller. Mr. Basketball down in Georgia with 27 and 13 as a Guard in high school does not suck; and it almost makes you wonder what kinda numbers Brogdon would tally in a more offensively free-flowing system? Honor Roll student who nets you 13.5 ppg on 32% from downtown and a team first best 86% from the charity-stripe. Runs down 3.9 rebounds and 2.7 assists on 44% overall. Might just be a sleeper overseas pro as he sure seems like he could be doing more on O to me.
hooVa Frontcourt: (starters back=1 of 2)
Anthony Gill: 6’8” 233 lb. r-junior Power-Forward from Charlotte N.C. A former Gamecock who transferred in from South Carolina after 2011-2012. Top-100 ESPN.com recruit who has started basically since he got to college –be that at U.S.C.-East or at uva. Leading rebounder for hooVa at 6.8 boards and third in scoring at 11.3ppg. Efficacious as opposed to rangy at 57% overall with no 3-point range whatsoever (zero%). Smart, heady guy who plays within himself and does not step outside of his range nor outside his coach’s prescribed game. Does seem to embrace the bigger stage with bigger numbers his ownself, enjoys a few post-season honors accordingly. Best offensive rebounder at uva.
Darion Atkins: 6-8 241 lb. final year P/F. Darion gets you 7.3 ppg with nearly as many rebounds at 5.8 rpg and then he mixes in a team lead in swats at 1.1 bpg. Those may not be epic numbers, they may not be eye popping, however at a nifty 51% from the floor, they get the pack-line job done. Atkins is not a sexxy player, he’s a workhorse, or a glue guy that does the dirty work. This from a kid who went Smith Barney and earned his way into B.C.S. power-conference men’s hoops the old-fashioned way. Off of scholastic rebounding and defensive shot-blocking career which fit the Bennett stop-unit scheme to the proverbial Tee. Honor student who is a highly experienced baller who does all of the little things right. Not the worst guy to have around.
french Bench: (depth ~4)
- Isaiah Wilkins: 6’7” 224 lb. well built Fr. year S/F who can check Fours as well. Twice AA state titlist in Georgia; Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in 2014. Just outside national top-100 lists, big time shot blocker and dunker who can and will soar on you. Step-son of none other than Dominique Wilkins of N.b.a. ATL.Hawks super-fame. Gets you 1.9 ppg and 2.8 caroms on a somewhat unrefined 41%.
- Mike Tobey: 7′ 253 lb. signature pack-line baseline anchoring defender as a PF/C in his junior year. 7.5 ppg, 5.2 rpg and a block in relief does not suck, as this is a kid who could prolly start at some other schools. Enjoys a FIBA gold-medal, did not enjoy mononucleosis. Runs his own youth summer basketball clinic. +1 just for that.
- Evan Nolte: 6/8 228 lb. Power-Forward third-year baller, who same as Tobey, could prolly start somewhere else. Seems to have a knack for playing very well vs. Vah.Tech, keep an eye on #11 this Sunday. High experience guy, with very good hands for a big, who will deflect some passes as well as some shots. ‘nother Honor Roll guy who was also Georgia AAAAA Player of the Year. 2.6 ppg, 1.4 boards on 34% from the floor.
- Marial Shayok: 6.5 209 lb. off-G true freshman outta Ottawa, eh. Migrated to Jersey where he won Jersey single-A player of the year and and a state title this time last year. Has the look and feel of a scorer and does have me curious come 2018. Almost 5 ppg and a couple of boards in a substitute role; does already lead uva in steals (.9 spg). Could stand a little collegiate work on his range however. (this is the one hoo in progression or on the rise as improvement(s) go, now up to 4 ppg with 2 boards, an assist and 39% from deep.
- B.J. Stith: 6-5 2o5 lb. off-G in this first year now in the substitute rotation no thanks to injury attrition in front of him. 1.1 ppg on 16.5% from the perimeter. National Honor Society member whose father is a basketball coach at Old Dominion, so you know B.J. came up right on hoops. State champion in the 300m hurdles, won 4 total states in high school (3 round-ball, 1 T&F); was the 48th recruit in the nation according to ESPN.com. Solid all-’round athlete, who averaged a mere 12.4 ppg scholastically.
Loading ...Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:
One of the very curious things about updating and revising the hoo hoops preview -each and every year- is thus…every year that I do this, I am left nearly always adjusting the individual hoo averages; downward! Nearly across the box score or stat-line board, as it sure as hell takes a lotta effort (and focus) to play and maintain the much vaunted signature Pack-Line defense that year in and year out is nothing short of gold medal best in the whole entire A.c.c.
Same deal this time around, the cavalier defense is indeed cavalier enough, and yet it takes a few less point to beat hooVa this time of they year compared to a month ago. 
Though do be fully awares gents, that nobody has broken fiddy (50 ppg) on uva since St.Valentine’s Day! And Wake just bricked up a positively football like 34 –for the game!
Virginia Tech is one of only two power conference teams without a win away from home for a very simple reason. The short answer? Youth. Youth typically does not travel well, nor settle down well when things go ‘rong on the road vis-à-vis when at home. Now observe that we have 7 L’s decided by 7 shots. Big big difference between 10-18 and 17-11; ain’t there? And the difference is youth. Lack of experience. Call it what you will, as experienced teams have their A, B. C’s all figured out. Always, Be, Closing.
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As this debut Buzz season draws to a close, after running the home/away splits and each team’s most recent last five respective games; I’d give us a shot at home and a football shout out on the road. uva is only allowing 47 ppg on 37% shooting at home this year; that’s a problem. As it only took 48 to technically beat us last time out vs. the hoos, and that one was at home.
(9o% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=51, virginia=65
“LETS GO!”
“Hokies!”
bourbonstreet**