#251 R.P.I. Virginia Tech @ #179 R.P.I. Florida State:

I find it worthy to mention, that Virginia Tech and Florida State are your 14th and 13th ranked Atlantic Coast men’s hoops teams –albeit separated by 71 spots in national terms overall.

Says a little something-something; don’t it?

As these are not exactly epic Atlantic Coast men’s hoops squads, at least not this particular season. However, there is a particular gap in play here.

Or at least so it would seem.

Because this is not one of the more dominate Seminole hoops teams under coach Hamilton. This one may ever so slightly actually be within …reach.

Florida State at a glance:

• 42nd in shooting overall at (47.5%)
• 95th in offensive rebounding
• 348th in 3-point shooting at 25.7%!
• Go fig’ on that shooting disparity?!?
• LEADING scorer: junior lead-G, Aaron Thomas 14.8 ppg, Ineligible!)

State Backcourt: (returning starters=2 of 3)
Devon Bookert: 6’3” 193 lb. rarefied Alaskan baller in his third season outta Anchorage. Very experienced point-G, who has a history of late game heroics. Won an Alaskan state championship, and had a pretty nice looking scoring rep’ coming outta high school up in the Great White North. Pretty even looking player right now, with 9.7 ppg, 4 rebounds and 2.6 assists, with good defensive skills and good range at 40% on his 3-ball thus far. Enjoys a pretty handsome rep’ for homeless community type service, +1 just for reaching out like that. And oh by the way, Bookert only leads the whole entire A.c.c. in FT-shooting at a scorching 93.3%! As you surely do not wanna foul #1 late in the game.

Montay Brandon: third year 6’8” 225 lb. jumbo sized off-G who is prolly more of a home position Three. Versatile backcourt guy, like a utility+, as he has already started games at the F.S.U. Point and as the F.S.U. Wing-G. Athletic turbo defender with great wingspan backcourt built-in advantages. A formerly second best and now team leading 13.7 ppg with 4.8 boards and the ‘Nole lead in swipes (1.4 spg) is no bad work, if you can get it. 59% overall is pretty sharp as well, now mix in a whopping 22 offensive rebounds from a backcourt baller and you might just have an overseas pro on your hands thanks to his defensive acumen alone. Which is pretty heady work from an academic honor roll on top of everything else. Just 3-4 more ppg and this is a guy who is gonna get paid at the next level, for his match-up foibles if nothing else.

Xavier Rathan-Mayes: 6’4” 190 lb. West “by God” Virginia rookie year baller with a big time scoring rep’ coming outta the 3o4. 24th ranked baller last year by ESPN.com, a shooting-G who can actually slash and finish at the rack. 11.7 ppg, 3.3 rebounds and a team leading 4.8 dimes per contest. Does need to collegiate his handles with a whopping 4.1 turnovers per game (tpg) and his range with a somewhat clanking looking 23% from downtown. As both metrics appear more Tallahassee senior prom than they do A.c.c. His father balled for the 76’ers and Clippers before averaging nearly 20 over in Europe. Did sit-out last season due to clearinghouse eligibility issues of his own, now a 19 year old rookie for it. Said to be a pretty fair athlete in his own right, does appears to have a bright future as his scholastic dossier is start-studded and VHT (very highly touted) to put it mildly.

F.S.U. Frontcourt: (starters back=zero)
Michael Ojo: a true 7’1” 296 lb. Center in a 3-Guard offensive set; or something you just do not see all that often in the Swing, Stretch, Lead and habitual ‘tweener modern-era. One of my more favored non-Hokie A.c.c. ballers, as Mr. Ojo may never be great, though his efforting always is, as he just grinds away as best he can. Tough to ask more of someone when they willingly -of their own accord- self-engage in Mr. Scott Ethics. “I’m giving you all she gots.” That being said, Michael is not giving you much at all this year, although I suppose that 3.1 ppg 2.4 rpg on 57% with just under one swat, in merely 9 average starting minutes of P.T. is none too shabby. Seems flat, or unimproved, almost to the point of being regressed, at least to me. Has a jump-hook, will dunk on you, although seems lead-footed, gawky in a bulky way. Is a certifiable match-up problem when in the game on sheer girth alone.

Phil Cofer: 6’8”2o5 lb. freshman leaper-Forward. Phil is an An athletic Four who attacks the glass on both O and on D,  and he clearly has the ability to play above the rim on both ends of the court. Father was an N.F.L. Pro Bowler (DET Lions 1988), so you know that he has the Sporting Genome Project stamped all over his fast-twitch double helicies indeed. The book says he has an extremely quick first-step and that he runs the floor like a gazelle. Nearly 7 ppg with nearly 5 boards on 56% is pretty decent work for only being 14 games removed from High School. Where he did enjoy more of a defensive scholastic rep’. Pure athlete, who we need to check back with come 2018 and see just how far his all-’round game soared.

Seminole Bench: (depth=2)

1. Boris Bojanovsky: skyscraping 7’4” Solvack Repulick towering true-C at an actually thin looking 240 lbs. in his third year outta Bratislava. More of a length based defender who allegedly has a ‘feathery touch” around the hoop. Tallest player in the history of Seminole basketball, ever! Former J.J. recruit who flirted with Tech. 5 ppg, 4 boards and a block in relief.
2. Jarquez Smith: 6’9” 225 lb. junior year chiseled Forward. Said to possess true star potential, does lead F.s.u. in shot blocking at 1.1 bpg, does net you almost 7 ppg with 3 rpg as a sub’. The book says he has the best hands on the team, and is another pure athlete for coach Hamilton. Only 15% from beyond the arc says he is a unrefined athlete at this stage. Was a bit more of a defensive stalwart in high school down in Georgia.

Illation, conclusion (s) and OPT digits:
This isn’t quite your momma’s or yesteryear habitual Len Hamilton looking Seminole hooping squad. It’s not quite as vertically (i.e. tall) blessed in terms of production or talent, and not coincidentally, it is not as feisty on defense nor in rebounding alike.

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It is however, still an on-paper match-up problem for coach Buzz sans the suspended indefinitely services of J.V.Z. There are no two ways about that, all the more so out on the A.c.c. road where our fearless Techsideline.com founder once taught us all that the visitor wins 30% of the time, historically, no matter what.

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Or in other words, it is not that F.S.U. is unbeatable, they do not shoot well enough from range, nor do they generate enough points most nights to just run away and hide. In point of fact, they are one of three or four A.c.c. teams that we/Virginia Tech do enjoy some measure of a shot at, when hosting them inside our very own Cassell. (Klempson, B.C. and Wake being the theoretical others)

Nevertheless, in the final analysis, you do have to favor the ‘Noles in their own backyard with such an awkward internal match-up on tap. Although I do give Tech a modest shot in this one; something like 1 in 4 odds.

(73% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=51, Florida State=63

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**