(old: #59) now #55 R.P.I. Virginia Tech vs. (old: #27) now #15 R.P.I. Virginia:

Virginia Tech men’s basketball -to borrow from Coach Rock himself- needs to “…and know your… role.” Or our Hokie roll is now our, Hoggie sammwich?

The Hokies have got their (winning) moufs shut. Going o’fer or zero, that’s (o) dub-a-u’s in one month or a handful of days prior to Christmas ’22; and now having gone for two, that’s (2) wins in their last ~45 days before this one pops off. As things stand, the standings say we are a: 13 vs. 9 overall and yet a lowly defending 12th-place Atlantic Coast Champion (3-7) in league play. Oui-oui, Eye know… it is fair to type that they are also only 1-shot, 1-point, 1-shot, 1-shot, 2-shots, and 1-point removed from being 19-3 on the year. And so far, as I know, if my Aunt Kim had nutz-n-a-bolt she’d be my Uncle Tim. So, that and fiddy cents (¢5o) will get you a ¼-cup of Owens Dining Hall coffee. Now the Hurrying Hokies get *the* team that everyone O&M loves to hate. The hooVa cavaliers check in at a shiny looking 17 up against 3 down and a 2nd-best .818 (9-2) in A.c.c. play. Or, rather; a mere ½ game outta conference-calling 1st-place. Nevertheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, rights? So, read on; to find, out!

Crooner: Anthony Dominick Benedetto: age=96, with 19 Grammy Awards (including a Lifetime Achievement Award, presented in 2001) and two Emmy Awards, and was named an NEA Jazz Master and a Kennedy Center Honoree. Bennett has sold over 50 million records worldwide.
$200,000,000.oo (est. net worth)

This Tony, known professionally as Tony Bennett, is an American singer of traditional pop standards, big band, show tunes, and jazz. He is also a painter and the founder of the Frank Sinatra School of the Arts in Astoria, Queens, New York.

Virginia Head Coach: Anthony Guy “Tony” Bennett: Age=52, 402–153 (.724) overall,
and 333–120 (.735) @uVa.
$4,150,000.oo

The other Tony Bennett is also a pretty fair to middling basketball coach up at uva. In point of fact, he is basically the Bud Foster of D-1 men’s hoops in defensive terms. His motion offense is about as efficacious as can be, albeit overshadowed a bit by his much-ballyhooed pack-line defense. Coach Bennett is the only A.c.c. coach to win 16 conference games in consecutive seasons, and one of three in A.c.c. history to enjoy back-to-back 30-win seasons overall.

Coach Bennett is known as a rapport-annexing basketball player developer or the coaching (verb) in the truest sense. He has only won (an updated) 16 Coach of the Year Awards (national+conference) at Washington State and uVa combined, and yet curiously enough Coach Bennett only wears six conference crowns to show for it. He does own the single-season win records at both Virginia (35) and Washington State (26, twice). And he does sport a: FIBA Under-19 World Championship gold medal to boot. As a Christian, coach Bennett is known for the use of his father’s “Five Pillars”: humility, passion, unity, servanthood, and thankfulness.
Amen!

Baller Bennett, one (retired #25), was a 6′, 175 lb. lowercase shooting man’s Jeff Hornacek/Jonny Stockton hybrid type of player of a Green Bay Wisconsin Pt.Guard who balled for coach Dick Bennett (his pop’s); and oh yes… Tony Bennet the now elite coach, and formerly ex-baller, is merely the #1, as in first-best all-time in college basketball history for career three-point field goal accuracy, at 49.7%, peaking at 53.3% in 1990–91; wow! i.e. baller Bennett is the best shooter in college basketball history; all-time; ever! He was awarded the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 1992 as the nation’s top player under 6′ in height and was twice an Academic all-American in ’92 on top of all of that. While merely being the 2x M.c.c. (today’s Summit League) Player of the Year; mind yah! When Bennett left college, he was the Mid-Continent Conference’s all-time leader in both points and assists before being drafted 35th overall in the 1992 NBA draft.

Then playing three years for the Charlotte Hornets and several more in Australia and New Zealand, where he started coaching after foot and knee injuries forced the now highly esteemed coach Bennett to suit-n-tie, up.

And oui-oui oh by the way… he just won a National Championship on a magical 35-3 2019 maddening title run. Thereby thereafter Coach Bennett declined a raise when extending his contract before the season, leading hooVa President James Ryan to call him “one of the most selfless people I’ve ever met.” (As inside this hoo there is a Hokie screaming to get out!)

Daddy Bennett and his wife, Laurel, have two children
—a daughter, Anna, and a son, Eli.

Tutorial: The Pack–Line 1o1:
The “pack line”, is a defensive strategy that was actually convinced by his father (Dick). The pack line is designed to clog up potential driving lanes to the paint by forcing ball handlers to the middle of the floor where more “help” is concentrated. It forces opposing teams to pass and shoot well while limiting dribble-drive penetration and post-play.

(tho’ I do feel our Youngling version of the elbow-high-post Point-Forward set would work well here; if/when Coach Mike can find that very Point-F kinda playar…)

france at a glance:

• un in Grey Poupon.
• 4th fewest Turnovers/Game… therefore…
• 5th best in Assist:Turnover ratio!!! (Now: ⇑ to #1!!!)
• 11th best in Scoring D allowed!!! (Now; 9th or ⇔).
• 23rd best in 3-point percentage O!! (Now: ⇑ to 18th!!)
• 32nd most fouls ‘whistled’ against per game! (Now: 24th, or ⇔)
• 39th best in Swats/game! (Now: 45th or ⇔ here).
• 46th best in FG percentage D allowed! (Now: ⇓ to 6oth, still good…)
• 59th most FTA’s on O/game. (Now: ⇓ to 111th, solid tho’ softer here).
• 86th best in Effective FG percentage O. (Now: ⇑ to 64th best).
• 243rd most bench ppg. (Now: 234th or lateral/⇔).
• NO injuries reported. (“thx” @Coach God!)

NOTE: This is a dang solid team— that has actually improved since we saw them last and they cut us up,
up at c.Ville, Va. Not flashy, not stary, extremely solid all-’round roundball group.

Returning Starters=5! (1oo%!!!)

virginia Strengths:

• Experience!!!
  Systematic experience is keepin’ it, one hundred.
  EVERY single one came back One through Five as the 1’s or starters go.
• Lindy’s All-A.c.c. 3rd-string: One #o, 5′9″, 167 lb. mighty-mite former caddying now starting and four years ago the former alpha-recruit, Pt.Guard, fourth-year Kihei Clark is a fun little grad’-year Sr. bugger to watch and an instant fan-favorite for it. Ditto, any kid who refuses to sit and balls out in a left-wrist cast/brace for it. That makes him a tough little bugger as well. Per his bio’, this hawt Cali’ recruit: “spent several hours at the Children’s Hunger Fund in Sylmar, Calif.” whatever that means though “yes” that is more hours than I spent there, admittingly. That “look@me” jab being rightfully placed… Lindy’s says Clark has: “extreme quickness” and is a dangerous open-court player for it. Kihei is your Pt.Guard du jour for the french here. Cali’ Private School (Taft, not the New England Kennedy one); as a scrapper who has willed/worked his way into some bonus A.c.c. play. Although the book reads that he must improve his shooting depth (9.8 ppg on 21.4% deep last year, up to a now a sporty 39.7% this season) and avoid 1-on-1 myspacebook type tête-à-tête battles for it. Although he did (somehow) find one inch (1″) in height (allegedly); and he did grow in the weight room by a much-needed ∼15 lbs. So, there is that, or at least there was… as he cut -9 lbs. from his frame this off-season and looks kind ’23 Jenny Craig spindly for it. The Senior-year Clark enjoys a good set-up or Qb tag’ to his Pt.Guard swagg and he did end up starting 20 games last year. Now mix in a nearly doubled since last year 2.7 rpg and a franchise-best 6.1 dimes-dropped (apg) with a highly serviceable 76.2% FT-shooting and you get a well-rounded albeit sawed-off baller. Second best in pointing at 11.4 ppg. Albeit again, one who has significantly improved in rebounding, assisting, and both 3-point & FT-shooting alike since we saw him last. So, this Clark kid is not shy about tasty development at this late/exiting career stage. And apparently, he has now recovered from the broken left wrist (his off-hand as an orthodox shooter) surgery; may St.Julia bless. That all said, this Clark bar has only taken 1 single solitary bite outta anyone in the last few weeks; and seems slumped and/or dinged-up 1o1. Finally, Clark is the only real perimeter penetrator that uva enjoys, as he did enjoy nearly 38% more FTA’s than anyone wahoo else backcourt does to this… point. (Get it?) Although that keying you up was last year… this year he is only 3rd in FTA’s or again, a bit contact adverse or trying to preserve what he still has physically left. His Old-Man (Malik), played Division II basketball at the University of Hawaii at Hilo; so that does not hurt. His resumé courts about as many goodwill or volunteerism thingys as you can count. That does not hurt, either. Really came on his final senior season in H.S. terms; may have been a bit overlooked for it. Said to be a fair-to-middling defender. And Lindy’s had him on their 2nd-string All-A.c.c. team pre-season. As this is a savvy, seasoned, gritty, gamey kinda One; and prolly one who is pretty close to being a fringe overseas Pro’. Plus he keeps mo‘ hairstyles than you!!! LOL… (UPDATE: vitals are similar, tho’ shooting is up, as in: ‘warming’, hence the: ⇑-vote here).
  (see: pic)

  

• r-Jr., Kadin Shedrick is a 6′11″, 231 lb. (was a): raily looking C-P/F from Raleigh, Nc. last year. hoo has now gone out and weight-room recruited all the way up to a useful-looking 231 lbs. this year. Po’ Kadin was out with an: “Illness“ for parts of the last season(s), God Help. (Tho’ one vibe did say nothing 2020-2021 or cv19 related). All-A.c.c. Honor Roll member does not uva.edu hurt. Propper’s a.c.c.ordingly. Now back this year would-be Kadin’s 7 ppg, his 3.5 rpg, and his 69.4% all ’round his box-scoring all the way out. Likewise, his: near-team-leading 1.2 spg pared with his team-leading 1.4 bpg on 82.6% FTs and 25% 3’s. Again, that is a pretty useful nearing completion overall guy. Which has now morphed into starting minutes of late. Godspeed to 247Sports 68th nationally ranked rim-protecting rebounder here; as his 2o23 digits are flirting with being at or about ≈200% up since this time last year. And a 2:1 betterment per season really does put in work long-term. Said to be a pretty fair seamstress or baseballer in H.S. (albeit one with a Goliath-type strike zone). Seems to be developing and feeling his way out on tape to me. Tho’ again, doubling your previous years’ vitals is trending in the right direction. And for a kid with a finesse tag that is “it” strategically speaking. And do recall, Mr. Shedrick only took up hoops (full-time) at age 16… so, hoo knows where he is come 2o24? As Lindy’s describes him as a very ‘skillful’ baller. (UPDATE: this is an unselfish team-1st, 2nd, next, middle, last guy… tho’ he is down nearly everywhere, hard ⇓-grade to give, tho’ it is square).
• Lindy’s All-A.c.c. 2nd-string: Jayden David Darrel Gardner is a 6′6″, 233 lb., bonus-Sr., final-year transfer whom uva Pirated from East Carolina University this off-season. Big ole, meaty-looking P/F trapped in more of an S/F’s body; at least height/reach-wise. Tho’ he has cut about 15 lbs. and is not as lumpy mashed potatoes looking as before. American Athletic Conference First Team last year for E.c.u., where he was averaging 18.3 points, 8.3 rebounds, and 35.2 minutes per game. This year for hooVa Mister Gardner is netting you a bronze medalist: 1o.8 ppg with 4.9 rpg on a reasonable 52.8% overall. This is a solid dood, tho’ J.D.D.G. has dropped to ~62.9% free-throwing and 0% 3-pointing and he is better than that. His career tradecraft (~75% FTA’s and ~27% 3’s) says so. Solid defender, 1 swipe/game. And did Eye mention the meatiness, yet? As Jayden is a Jay-Z or real overload for most any modern era Wings or Threes down-low. A.A.C. Player of the Year for the Pirates two years back. A.A.C. Conference All-Academic Team to boot, so his Buccaneer G.P.A. does not have to walk the… plank. Where he set several Fr. year recs’ for E.c.u. and frankly stayed pretty much on his Fr. year level for the duration. This is better than backtracking— and less than progressing as well. Big-time scholastic rebounder (nearly 15 rpg, with 24 ppg). Curiously has shrunk 2″ and found ≅25 lbs. since high school. Where he had good North Carolina numbers, on a not-exactly-good team. Takes contact very well, and gets to the charity stripe often enough for it too. Did Eye mention the mini-me Anthony Mason look, yet? Has run a bit hawt-n-cold of late… what with single-digits or mid to uppercase 20s as scoring output goes. Is a little bit foul-prone due to the use of said chunkiness. Willing, bulky guy, prolly a De in American football terms in another life. Prolly is an overseas Pro’ too… as his heft will give their finesse/Euro looks a hard way to go. (UPDATE: little mo’ efficacious overall, a bit ⇑ for it since we saw him last).
  (UPDATE2: warming baller of late and ridin’ clutch late in games to boot).

  

• Armaan Franklin is a 6′4″, 2oo lb., fourth-year off-G by way of home-spun Indiana U. Where Franky was named to Academic All-Big Ten honors. And said to be a 3-n-D baller (3-point range married to good defensive looks). Before that, he was the 151st or a rummy of a baller nationally per 247Sports.com. Stayed dinged-up at Eye-U off/on and missed multi-week span(s) of time. (Now team leading) 13.1 ppg with 4.5 rpg on 1.3 apg and a makers-mark looking 4o.4% from behind the arc is prolly not overachieving; tho’ it is prolly what you systemic fit net for Tony B. here. In particular, after netting just under 43% from deep for Indiana the last term. Has been better or more consistent of late… 73.6 percent on FTA’s is better; could be rounding into 2o23 forum after a chilly-looking 2o22 start. Pretty good defensive baller though (1.o spg, .6 bpg). Seems to play to his level of competition some nites (pro or con) as well. (UPDATE: has improved his 3-point-eye (+16%!) a bit of late, and his all-’round game we saw him last… cut ~5 lbs. and might be a bit quicker for it to boot). (UPDATE2: better here, scoring mo’ which is hard to systemically T.B. do, and shooting just as well, almost got himself two ⇑‘s for it to boot).
• Lindy’s A.c.c. Top Defender: Reece Beekman, who is a 6′3″, 19o lb., super-Juniorific year Pt.Guard who has the look-n-feel of more of a Lead-G; or of an outright leader his ownself. He has added some Joe Burrow -esque swagg to this team of late. Helping hooVa actually cop a bit of a ‘tude. Netting game-winners this year could be a sign; here, as well… the: 9.7 ppg with 3.1 rpg on a 2nd-best 5.1 apg could also be a clue. The sweltering (team alpha) 44.9% long though yield-curve inverting 43.8% from da floor do not paint the total picture for this kid. As the blue-ribbon 1.3 Swipes or 5-finger-discounts count enough to be ranked #1 in spg for the entire A.c.c. in 2o22. This from a kid that the only incoming (2o21-2o22) knock from my preseason magazines was: ‘range’ on his J. Although the fact that Mr. Beekman only pocked four, that’s (4) Louisiana High School Athletic Associate (LHSAA) AAAAA or penta-A state championship blings in a row-row-row-row, mighta been a can ride clutch hint as well. Ditto Reecey being named the: 2o19-2o Louisiana Gatorade Player of the Year. This is from an: Afro-American who lists: Game of Thrones as his favorite show… do not read that too much. Tho’ does also list an already reposed older bro (Bryce), do read that (sadly) from time to time (may St.Julia (momma-bears name) bless!). uva.edu Dean’s List honoree, that counts too. 51st ranked recruit nationally with improving high school digits each and every year counts as well. Ergo, therefore, to Whit; I fear this kid is a keeper… he has that *it* factor to his courtship look-n-feel. Has found a little sinew since the last time out and yet seems quicker to me upon breaking tape; best of both worlds. (UPDATE: still systemic strong, has cooled a mite on shooting, however… modest sized ⇓-drop here).

virginia Weaknesses:

• This season (2o23) T-ball incarnation is said to have: “…a void” of shooters. Not quite as rangy or as floor-stretchy as before.
• ^that^ hooever has been proven unfounded, as the cavs have found their A.c.c. 1st-best overall team range on a spritely 38.5% from the roster itself.
• Bench/subs are new… guess there is that… tho’ Talent(s) they do not want for.
• With all that in mind? Not a lot for T.B. to mind the Jeffersonian store on here. A solid if not spectacular squad so far.

french Bench: (depth=quadratic or four deep)

Taine Murray, is a chalky-looking Shooting-G, from Auckland, New Zealand. (Some of the most U.S.M.C. grateful peeps in the World you will ever meet). 6′5″, 2o5 lb., true-Soph. Well, not here of course, though Eye tangent. Steinlagers for all… oh wait, back to the preview… Anyhoo… this hoo only fields two, that’s (2) National Championship blings, by way of Kiwi clubbing itself. Played for the: New Zealand Tall Blacks (hilarious rugby satire), in 2019-20 and was selected for the 2020 FIBA Asia Cup team. Competed for the Auckland Huskies of the New Zealand National Basketball League in 2019-20. Also, a member of the New Zealand Breakers in the Australian National Basketball League in 2021. So, experience and/or matriculation are not wanting here. T.Mur’ was only named College Sport Male Sports Person of the Year in 2o19 and only won the Earned Rosmini College Sports Person of the Year honors in 2o19. I may not know what that means… tho’ I do know you and I have combined to win that not, once. Said to have been discovered (of sorts) at the Nike Asian Basketball Camp. 4.o G.P.A. in high school and his poppa-bear (Carl), played professional rugby in New Zealand for Counties and Waikato (1987-95) and the All Blacks. Dang, mo’ Steinlagers here we comes. Said to be a marksman from 3-point-land (∼38% career) good for right at 1.5 ppg with 1.1 rpg on 75% FTs in backcourt relief. A curious kid who has lived a neat-O life Globetrotting wise (born in: Hong Kong) already. Even mo’ curiously, Taine misplaced 2″ in height and yet found himself a 5 lb. plate in weight. Go fig’ on dat? (UPDATE: pretty balanced or level/⇔ guy, role-player 1o1).

Yet another skyscraping pack-line jamming C, although may St.Nikon bless this one’s, left-knee and get it all right. As Francisco Caffaro was done for the year last season. Thus, making this his r-Sr. debut at 6′13″, 254 lbs. of him— as ‘cisco has gruffly found right at a 15-lb. plate as right mass goes. And yet somehow found 1″ of verticality? As the second-fourth (cv19) year El Trebo, Santa Fe, Argentina imported native baller has a wealth of F.I.B.A. international hoops experience having balled for his nation since before he could drive (legally) in the states or since age 15! Averaging 16.7 points and 8.8 rebounds per contest in doing so and that makes this 2020 big-man addition no small measure indeed. Although his numbers (4.8 ppg and 4.3 rpg alike on 57.1% for his career) have yet to emerge as some had expected from this skilled big who is supposed to be able to score in close and crash the boards. Time=tell here… and so will leg-health. As f.Caffaro actually, is just starting to contribute this term, 75% so far overall, and yet his P.T. or mpg have been cut. (UPDATE: same (foreshadowing intended): as above… pretty straight guy here, not much movement… ⇔)

7′ –1″, 231 lb., r-Jr., Kadin Shedrick… is a Four-point-five or P/F-C combo off the hooVa pine. An All-A.c.c. Academic Team off-the-court; good on dat. Kid sis’, Kari, who plays softball at Providence, whereas Kadin played baseball until taking up hoopz at age 15. Hence, his scholastic digits were good, tho’ not great. Has a history of lower-body dings and illness misses as P.T. itself goes (Coach God Bless). Went as high as 63rd in the National recruiting rankings (Rivals). 7 ppg with 3.5 rpg and the team lead in swats (1.4 bpg) married to a very handy swiper (1.1 spg) make Mr. Shedrick mo’ manly than he looks. A very solid relief frontcourter with a likewise team pacing 69.1% shooting overall, with an also 1st-best 82.6% free-throwing and a so-so 25% from behind the 3-point-stripe paint the picture of a pretty well-rounded round-baller himself. Lindy’s went so far as to call Kadin a: “strong interior player who impacts both ends of the floor.” She’ finishes well on the rim, as Kadin will 2-hand dunk on you. And frankly, Kadin would start at a good portion of the rest of D-1 ball and prolly really crank-up his vitals at anywhere south of P5 F.B.C. ball. (UPDATE: dropped everywhere Eye looked, dingy or fatiguey looking baller, Godspeed: ⇓).

Academic All-M.A.C. Ohio Bobcat, grad’-transfer Four or P/F, Ben Vander Plas goes:  6′8″, 236 lbs. Ben was a 1st-string all-Big-M.A.C. big-man last year who showed he could score from all over; (i.e., all 3-levels: short, mid, and long-range). Thus, making Bennie something of a Ventnor Avenue man’s Euro-Four or stretch-F of sorts. Do like the mid-range quasi-surfer dood hair flow paired with the Walton -esque headband. The: 7.7 ppg with 4.6 rpg on 1.7 apg and 33.3% from 3-point-land are substitute-teacher reasonable enough. This from a: 14.2 points, 6.8 rebounds and 3.1 assist gamer last year over in Ohio tells you he could be doing mo’ somewhere else (same as: Sherick above) as he did so mo’ somewhere else (over in Athens, Oh.). This tells you both are high on buy-in and low on selfies themselves. ’23 plural PROPs on that. Dad (Dean) and older sister (Taylor) both played and won conference rings (Green Bay & Cedarville University); so, you know the hooping D.N.A. is at least NC2A willing here. (UPDATE: Tony is now starting his most ‘versatile’ Five as a pseudo-true-C 1. And this starting Five is said to make the T.B. O go. I personally did not see that in the film room, tho’ T.B. is such quality I will just leave this flexible Five as a starting 1 right here. If Tony says so I’ma letting go). “His sureness and catching and his decision-making with his passing and threat from 3, it just pulls more people out so there’s more driving opportunities,” Bennett said of Vander Plas. Plus, Plas be keeping the totally 80’s look totally, ‘fresh’. (see: above: pic).
(UPDATE2: mostly upward and that is hard to bench do, ⇑; if he only had a mid-range game (41.4% flooring).

The 3o4’s very own: 6′4″, 174 lb., Isaac McKneely, is a backup Qb1 or Pt.Guard1 for uva. Isaac comes to c-ville via the greatest nicknamed Dub.Vee school of them all… or from the: Poca, Dots! No, I’ma not making that up. Nor am I making it up that this was actually a pretty big border-war recruiting get for the wahoos. As Mr. McKneely only nabbed: The two-time West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year (2o21 and 2o22). The two-time Bill Evans Award as West Virginia Player of the Year in (2o21 and 2o22). He only led Poca to the West Virginia AA state championship by averaging 22 points, 6.o rebounds, 4.o assists, 1.o steals, and 1.o blocks as a senior in 2o21-22. And he was only named: the West Virginia Small Town Player of the Year by Max Prep. That is all, he Dub.Vee. sucks, cut him now. Tho’ you would also be cutting: 6.6 ppg with 2.1 rpg with 0.9 apg and 42.5% netting from beyond the arc. 63rd overall baller from the People’s Republick of the 3o4 in all the land according to 247Sports.  Did Eye mention that he is from West ‘by God’ Virginia, yets? K… I may have said that already, tho’ he wants to be Coach McKneely someday alrighty enough. Lindy’s says that Isaac is a: “straight-line driver who can shoot and is strong with the ball”. Me says that this pasty kinda slight j.West-looking bullet-headed kid is a big-get over eastside Va. wise as I.M. will be your next k.Guy+++ for hooVa. (UPDATE: this Dub.Vee kid is: ‘on the come’, up everywhere I looked. 3.o4 ⇑‘s!)

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of hoos who could cavalier @Tech=5 to 7.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…it is hard to not be taken with what Tony Bennett is all about.

As he is just about as Fosterorian of men’s hoopz as a defensive wizard or halt-unit guru goes as it gets. Sans all the off-field madness and whispering.

As this is a clean-cut guy.

A stop-unit basketballer of a Coach-Fu’.

---

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And like uva or lump ’em, you just gotta respect on that. This guy is not less than a 10-8 round scored in his favor and if you are a Le Sabre visitor here, I’ll entertain you calling me out for not dropping 10-7 Bennett love. Tough guy to hate on— and frankly, this may be one of his better coaching (the verb) jobs in a bit.

As there are parts of this team that do not seem the A+++ pack-line fit as before.

That’s when you are indeed: “more than the, score“.

Or, inside every Tony Bennett is a Hokie trying to get, out.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a umpossible –77 point VomiT of a game. (And do remember, the Fourm Guide is perfected thus far this year). Not only that… it suffered a perfected 1:1 correlation here. “Everything VeeTee could not do hooVa did, BETER”. Quite a bit at that. And even suffered pro-rata… this still equates to a –15.2-point turkey basting by you know… hoo. wowowow!

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… uVa is now up +1$% overall in shooting percentage margin (per: both being close to +5% vis-à-vis; with Tech a slight bit better on O and uva a little better on D); hooVa is also up another +1% in 3-point percentage margin (with: both teams being positive, tho’ the cavs are netting better (+3%) and that is the difference maker (pun intended) here), and yet again, uVa is up an addition +1 overall in rebounding margin on carom collections. (Both: are positive, hooVa is a little mo’ positive, tho’ mostly off the D-glass mind yah).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the cavaliers are now up a sparse +2% in shooting percentage margin (due to: the Hokies are poppin’ on O of late (fiddy% from the floor), with nearly the same sieve like D though; whilst uVa is nearly 7% better on D and steady-Eddie on O); with the wahoos now up another slight +2% in 3-point percentage margin (via: the F’n Gobblers are pretty equal to the cavs here, VT is up +6% and yet uVa is up +8%, both netting and defensing well recently), and in rebounding margin we see the Jeffersonians now up a nominal +4 in back-boarding in the last fortnight Windex wiping of play. (‘cuse: VeeTee is holding steady lately; although, uVa is really gaining ground and quite superior in ‘glassing in the last fortnight of ball).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

Notable Quotables:

“We were struggling really to just shoot the ball and score in that first half and parts of the second, and then we said, ‘Let’s go small and take a look at a few things,’ ” Cavaliers coach Tony Bennett said. “And I think it just started opening things up.”

Cattoor averages 9.6 points and is the Hokies’ second-most-accurate shooter from beyond the 3-point arc (4o.3 percent). But most of all, the Hokies have missed his defensive presence, according to coach Mike Young, who regularly assigns Cattoor to the opposition’s best player.

“Hunter’s going to guard him and the other matchups fall into place,” Young said. “When Hunter’s gone, everyone’s got to move up a step.”

Well, where is all of this? Am I the only one who is not ‘fraidy-cat of his D?

Coach Ray Stevens:

After both teams started the season strong, the paths of No. 6 virginia and unranked Virginia Tech diverged in January. While the Hokies were dropping seven in a row, the cavaliers pieced together a seven-game winning streak that remains intact. Or rather Coach Ro.Frost The Road Not… Taken?

V.P.I. … R.I.P.?

Miami pressor: “Is it fatal? The clock is ticking,” Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said. “We’ve got a big one at home on Saturday against Virginia. We’ve got nine more of these teeth-gnashers. We’ve gotta get on the stick here.“

france is now up a near-weekly +6 in R&R.
V.P.I. is up a slight +2% at the charity stripe for the year.
france is a .714 guest; whereas V.P.I. is .833 (o’fer 4) host.

The Call…

(Old: No.55) new no.54 Net Ranking Virginia Tech @ (old: no.15) new no.14 Net Ranking virginia:

…tough to not call for you know, hoo.
In extra particularly over in gay Paris.

And I damn well should have -last time out- over @C’ville- and I was ‘rong for it too.
Mea culpa frenchies.

This time out hoover, you see that hooVa -to T.B.’s credits- is a potent road team.

Whereas Will -freakin’- Stew’ schooled us all… All Coaching Conference road warriors tend to get rode hard and hung-up wet 7 times in 10 on visiting average. And frankly @home inside our very own Cassell and we might still be the vassal in this one here.

However, then Eye did what I do best(s) and dug a little Holden Hall (MINE, u.grad) deeper…

–oOo–

S0, this one… is a big one, an even bigger one than mere arch-rivalry itself posits, avers, and connotes in and of itself… check it out…

We/VeeTee enter this one on a five-game schneid and frankly me and chicken little know this one is really big, ’cause it could and possibly will only get worse for a spell from here on out…

…unless of course it, don’t!

As post-uVa, we draw five, that’s (5) beatable teams.
Just go Electrolux and Hoover and Shop Vac sweep them and we are not less than an: 18-win team.

That’s code for something of a post-season as the defending Atlantic Coast Champion.
Though there I goes again… always puttin’ the cart in front of the horse.

So, take the ~4PM O&M chill pill folks.

The VerdicT:

If you ask me -and you did via reading these very words… if you ask me… Mike has gotta be asking a lotta questions behind the O&M scenes…

…fortunately for Mike here we aim to not only ask the hardest questions,
here we aim to answer the same…

This one is a tough one… because… uVa offers you nadda, nope, nil to exploit.
They are like “sweat-pea” Whitaker or Ronald ‘winky’ Wright.

They have precious few as openings go and therefore, they
are very very very hard to look good against.

                                               

Meaning… you gotta go’on and whoop ’em.
Beat them clean. Not on the judges’ scorecard.

This is very hard to do, however.
Because…

• The above Forum Guide is a major no-no to not pick lè team.
  They are seriously beating the very same teams that we cannot even 1-point sneak one against.
• We are into something of a Doug Moe or Denver mcNugget offense, offense, and mo’ offense of late mode. That too is hard to Pack-Line do. As that’s one salty D and it really strangulates tempo or the amount of FGA’s you are like to get to boot.

Then I finally bothered to late Friday nite run the Home/Away splits: and here is where you find your one and only, O&M lifeline.

VeeTee is up a useful looking +7% from the floor overall in their very own New River Valley backyard.

I repeat… ‘overall’. ‘cuase hooVa (somehow) betters by a staggering +5% 3-point margin in your house!

(VeeTee enjoys the very same +5% 3-point margin betterment @home; although what uVa is doing there is Hawk & Animal Road Warriors clothesline on every eleventeenth prime number Mulkey Brother from the top-rope).

As this one is a race to 7o; or maybe even a race to a mere 65 {sic: points}.

The first one there wins.

(55% confidence interval)

Virginia Tech=65, virginia=7o

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

bourbonstreet**