#13 R.P.I. virginia @ #4o R.P.I. Virginia Tech:

Virginia Tech basketball hosts hateful uva Sunday night at 6:30pm on ESPNU (check your local listings).

The boo-hoos of uva have been pretty dang crispy in hoops for a number of years and 2o17 is no exception to that— as the gridiron nadir cavaliers have ruled over Virginia Tech in roundball terms less one game last year for quite some time. The hoos enter this one at 18 up and 5 down overall and 8-3 in Atlantic Coast terms. Thus ranks uva #12 nationally and this is the first of two dates in three games or twice in less than 11 days if you are keeping chronometer score at home. As uva beat us pretty dang bad (48-71) over in C’ville a couple of games back… now that being fairly said, virginia has been playing .5oo ball in the last two weeks and this basketball game is in our very own Cassell. So our homesteading odds have to be a little better here. As any game with the hoos is a big big deal in Commonwealth Cup terms; much less twice inside of a fortnight. Although hoo or should I say who will win this one down in the New River Valley? Keep on reading to find …out.

virginia Head Coach: Anthony Guy “Tony” Bennett: Age=47, 252–109 (.698) overall, and 183–76 (.707) at uva. $2,100,000.oo

Anthony Dominick Benedetto (born August 3, 1926), 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.

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 a efficacious as can be, albeit overshadowed a bit by his much vaunted 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 annexed basketball player developer or the coaching (verb) in the truest sense. He has only won nine Coach of the Year Awards at Washington State and uva combined, and yet curiously enough Coach Bennett only wears three conference crowns to show for it. 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  a Green Bay Wisconsin Pt.Guard who balled for coach Dick Bennett (is pop’s); 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! He was awarded the Frances Pomeroy Naismith Award in 1992 as the nation’s top player under 6′ in height and was an Academic all-American in ’92 on top of all of that. 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.

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 penetration and post play. i.e. this is not a good match-up in theory for the Wing slashing coach Buzz offensive set.

wahoos at a glance:

• #1 in scoring D (54.o ppg allowed)!
• 3rd fewest fouls whistled against (231 pf’s).
• 6th in assist:turnover ratio (+1.51)!
• 8th in FG percentage O (49.5%).
• 16th in FG percentage D allowed (39.5%).
• 22nd in 3-pont FG percentage (39.8%).
• 41st in rebounding margin (+5.5 rpg).
• 321st in 3-pointers attempted (392).
• 345th in FTA’s (315).

cavalier Returning Starters=2

uva Strengths:

• I’d say being named Lindy’s Best Defender in the A.c.c. counts; and so does 6’9”, 232 lb. junior year one #1, Austin Nichols. Austin Nichols is uva’s second leading scorer 11 ppg and he is still perfect for the year on FTA’s. Those plus three boards on 57% shooting do not suck; unless of course this Memphis transfer has been dismissed from the team. Ergo, therefore, to wit, gone is an all-conference caliber performer and pack-line defensive anchor. This after a sanguine transfer from Memphis that was taken to judicial court and a two game pre-season suspension to boot. This is quite the major defensive departure as Austin averaged 3.4 bpg for Memphis and was penciled in for at least 15 ppg after sitting out last year per transferring rules for 2017 uva.

  

  PEACE–out, mitch!!!

• With Nichols and his G.Allen ‘esque attitude now formally kicked off The Lawn, London Perrantes is basically the alpha-hoo, if only via default. London is a 6’2” -and like Fletch, 6’5” with the ‘fro- 197 lb. Los Angleno t-senior native lead-G for uva. London leads uva in scoring at a mere 12.2 ppg, although he did lead the whole darn A.c.c. in 3-point shooting last year on 48.8% from range. This year London is knocking down 45% overall and just over 41% from deep. A noticeable decrease in AT&T or dialing long-distance acumen. London does run down 3.1 boards per game and he drops a team leading 4 assists as a Pt.G. who can shoot. He does pace uva at 51 FTA’s (78.4%) and the book on him says that he plays some tough in-your-shirt D, and yet more was expected of him this year.  Never mind more being needed sans leading scorer Austin Nichols. And that is interesting, as this is (seemingly) a leadership or at least a loquacious oriented former high school Qb type kid who was thought to be a fringe overseas caliber Pro’, with an offensive exit strategy kinda final year. (UPDATE: ↑ (up) a little in his play of late).
• Isaiah Wilkins is a 6’7”, 225 lb. third year Forward who leads uva in rebounding at 6.1 rpg. He drops you 7.7 ppg on 61% from the floor. Isaiah also leads uva in steals and in swats at 1.4 per game alike. The footnotes merely say he is a solid, sturdy looking interior player who rebounds and defends well and that uva wanted him to take over Gill’s role from 2o15-2o16. This all from the 2o14 Georgia Gatorade Player of the Year in high school ball who seems like he could -and possibly even should- being doing more in collegiate terms. Although three is no biological relation; yes, his step-father is none other than “The Human Highlight Film” or one Dominique Wilkins of surreal mid 1980’s dunk contest winning high-flying fame. So maybe that has skewed some surname expectations in a trampoline type direction(s)? Still yet, Isaiah is a member of the A.c.c. Academic Honor Roll and there are worse things you can say about a 2o17 kid than he leading his team in rebounding, stealing, blocking and schooling; just like ^that^. (UPDATE: ↑ in every single metric across the board)
• The Ottawa Ontario native Marial Shayok is third in scoring at 9.6 ppg and the 6’5”, 213 lb. Jr. year Wing can score inside and out after going N.A.F.T.A. up in the Great White North, eh. 2.6 rpg with an assist and a dime, this from the New Jersey Prep Player of the Year (2o14) who has a Single-A jersey shore title bling to show for it. Basically his whole family has balled hoops in college (brothers), or overseas (pops); so the hoopology pedigree seems wiling indeed. Right now Marial splashes you 46% overall and 32% from 3-piont land from a trade-craft skill set that still seems a bit  more physical and a bit less refined. (UPDATE: ↓ of late, in particular from range)
• Seven, that’s (7) different hoos net .5oo or more of their shots! Talk about an efficacious motion-offense and you are really talking about uva.
• The 2016 ***** or five-star cavalier recruiting class was whispered to be coach Bennett’s best recruiting class, ever!

  

  Less being in a Tux, bow–ties are always, a, weakness!

uva Weaknesses:

• Ahhhhh, errrrr, not much.
• That said Brogdon, Gill and Tobey only took ~40 ppg and 15 boards and 1.5 decades worth of experience with them.
• Although 6’6”, 214 lb. final year S/F Jeff Jones being ruled academically ineligible for the spring semester did not help. Yes, his dad was the coach and yes his hoops career is now effectively, over. Godspeed.
• Not the best offensive rebounding team this year (313th).
• uva does lack a credible offensive star sans the Austin dismissal. So hoo will get you that necessary 20’ish ppg and star-power carry uva in the post-season clutch?
• 3-point shooting is off a bit since we last saw the hoos as well.

virginia Bench: (depth=5)

6’3” nugget or rookie year oppie (see: abov pic) Kyle Guy is the gem of said recruiting class. And he only won a slew of 3-point and slam dunk contests along the way to being named Mr. Basketball for the hoops happy Hoosier state of Indiana. He also won the U.S. Marine Boy’s 3-point championship– so thank you to any member of his family in Service for my freedom(s). This is basically another kid with a very wiling very sporting family tree, including a grandfather twice in the Indiana Sports hall of Fame {sic: football and hoops}. Kyle however brings a rep’ for hitting the 3 and being electric in the open court, and yet he could mix in a steak and a protein shake at 165 lbs. Nonetheless, 7.6 ppg with a couple of caroms and dimes on 48% from the outside with that kinda resume` makes this guy one to watch going forth. (UPDATE: ↑ just a smidgen better)

6’4”, 196 lb. r-junior year and Tennessee transfer Darius Thompson is said to be good off the dribble and able to hit the outside shot. He wears #51 for a backcourter which is very out in front of him. Darius hits for 6.7 ppg and 35% long and is said to be a capable distributor as a back-up One. He also industrializes a clutch reputation and was only the 4th ranked G in the nation four years ago.(UPDATE: ↑ has cooled a bit in recent play)

Ty Jerome is a 6’5”, 195 lb. substitute 3.4 ppg combo-G in his freshman season of play. Ty is said to be most comfortable on the Wing where his nifty 41% outside shooting best comes into range. Ty is a honor roll student who came to uva with a scholastic rep’ as a long-range scorer extraordinaire. (UPDATE: ⇔ pretty well level since last time)

Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:

Number of hoos who could start @V.Tech=3'ish.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… oui, the talent gap has finally narrowed in hooping Commonwealth cup terms; and oui-oui, won’t take a whole lotta points to upset uva in this one here. Although, can you tally enough points vs. the starch, staunch, downright stiff pack-line D? That is another matter, entirely…

---

That’s what I wrote just two weeks ago, and I stand by all of that as points are at a premium whenever you play uva.

And yet when I went back in and updated the uva Team Stats and individual baller metrics, (most) had suffered a positive movement to the good; less cavalier 3-point shooting which has cooled off a bit for whatever reason(s). And yet uva is only playing even or .5oo ball of late and we are at home, none of which can injure our chances to win this one here.

Though hoo will win on Sunday night?

the skinny…

•  uva is +2 on rest . EDGE=uva.
• Our hand-dandy friend the Forum Guide connotes a 13.6 point uva VicTory on average. EDGE=uva.
• In the overall stats uva is +9 in scoring margin, +6% in FG percentage margin, +3% in 3-point percentage margin and +7 in rebounding margin. EDGE=uva.
• The Home/Away splits are more favorable however: VT is +6 in scoring margin, +4% FG percentage margin, uva is +6% in 3-point percentage margin and yet is is actually VT who is +1 in rebounding margin… modest EDGE=VT.
• The most recent 5-game trends are not quite so grim, although they too are cavalier indeed. +17 points in scoring margin, only +2% in FG percentage margin, +16% hooever from deep percent, and a brutal +19 on the glass. BIG EDGE=uva.
• Possible let-down clinical trap-game (after beating #4 Louisville) for uva. EDGE=VT.
• Possible look ahead clinical trap-game (to Duke) for uva. EDGE=VT.
• uva has a 2o-29 all-time mark in Blacksburg, in the series that dates back to 1914-15. EDGE=VT.

Ergo, therefore, to wit, Thomas Jefferson State is indeed a 7 point visiting favorite with good reason(s); plural; although Virginia Tech is .923 or 12-1 at home this campaign for good reason(s); plural, again. And that the aforementioned Home/Away splits do mean there is a chance.

Nevertheless, Coach Buzz and Co. have not played a great game -possibly not even a really good one- in 42 days, having gone .4oo overall since upsetting big name Duke. Virginia Tech is also precisely two shots (or two points) removed from being 2-8 over the same time frame.

***

“As I’m not want to publish that Virginia Tech basketball has hit the proverbial wall, as much as I am want to say that Virginia Tech basketball has hit its level, or in the case of this metaphor, its… ceiling. As coach Buzz has done about as much as can be done with this small-ball frontcourt very needy eight man line-up.” -bourbonstreet-

(mini-me Tech Thoughts):

That’s what I wrote just under two weeks ago in the VT @uva preview. Then sources told me the following things… firstly, that the players themselves said they had only really fought hard (in-game) for one another once since Duke (the 82-81 well won VicTory @Clemson). Secondly, Coach Buzz himself told the forth-estate, that he (B.Williams) had over-coached this team of late in terms of his coachly tinkering and puttering with the team itself on O and on D alike, which had created something of a stall-speed as efforting goes… i.e. he out-thought things when the team had been doing pretty good on a high octane out-fought vector before all of that. Finally, sources also hinted that the 68-74 L @Miami was the best game we’d played since upsetting Duke. I’m not (entirely) sure I make purchase on that -as I thought we played Boston College really well for ~25 minutes- nonetheless, that is what I am getting.

So that all being said, “oui-oui”, there is a chance to upset uva; primarily because we/Virginia Tech basketball are at home in this one; and because uva has only been so-so out on the road of late.

The good news is that uva has scored 62 points or less in  three of their last six offensively challenged games | and that Virginia Tech has only scored less than 62 points once all season —albeit the last time out @uva.

The upsetting news however is, that just nicking arch rival uva with 63 is gonna require no less than an A-game Hokie effort and honestly? We’ve not seen that in over 1.25 roundball months. And yet I did like the attack oriented 25 FTA’s and the fought to a stand still dead even +0 or 28-28 rebounding tally at Miami on Wednesday night.  That reads more like the out-of-conference and first 13 game(s) of the season Hokie hoops squad to me. That Hokie club will give uva a fit; the insouciant or over-coached Virginia Tech will get beat by at least 10, even at home.

I’m voting for pitching the fit; although it will still be a bitch to beat queenly uva, even inside our very own Cassell.

(79% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=60, virginia=7o

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**

V.A.D.A. approved