#131 R.P.I. Wake Forest vs. #88 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops must be butter ’cause they are on a… roll? Or, at least margarine, or O&M Blue Bonnet, right? Or maybe Parkay if not Parquet, itself.

The Hokies are playing reasonably well to be south of reasonable well-being health-wise. What with an ankle-sprung Pt.G1 and a knee-knocked Wing hopefully on the come. This after having taken two (surprisingly) sharp-looking contests in a row @home. Now the F’n Gobblers attempt to feast upon the 8 up vs. 3 down Wake Forest Deacons as the All-Chamionship Conference officially opens for 2o24, business. Whether business is good or not remains to be seen… as Wake seems an improved lot to me and my poison pen. Most everyone else I read seemed to agree… the Deacons are testifying better of late. Nevertheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much, right? So, read on… to find, out!

Wake Forest Head Coach: Steve Forbes: Age=57, 311–119 (.738) overall*, and 54–42 (.563) @Wake. Has a rep’ for offense via offensive-sharing, steals, and for being a
Buzzsaw high-energy coach.
$2,041,000.oo; still paying Manning 3-Large however.

(*overall is ALL college levels combined, which is typically separated by the NC2A rules)

No. Not that Steve Forbes— no relation either; at least none that I could find.

(This) Steve Forbes is a native of Lone Tree, Iowa, Forbes graduated from Southern Arkansas University with a degree in secondary education in 1988. A former baseball student-athlete for the Muleriders, Forbes spent one year at his alma mater as the sports information director before embarking on a coaching career. (So, he did run at least one year of college ball).

Coach Forbes’ Division I experience includes five years at East Tennessee State, two seasons at Texas A&M, one year at Illinois State, three years at Louisiana Tech, and two years at Idaho. He’s also had assisting stints at mavens such as: Southwestern CC (ass.coach and Head), Barton County CC (ass.coach and Head), and at Idaho (assistant). So, this S.Forbes has surely cut his teeth and earned his chops.

Coach Forbes also only (helped) take UTennessee to a #1 ranking back in 2008. Big whistle Forbes has also only been part of two all-time winning seasons at: Texas A&M and out at Wichita State. Did I mention the ‘winning’ part, yet?

And he also only pocketed two Coach of the Year awards two seasons back: The Hugh Durham Award (2020) and SoCon Coach of the Year (2020).

However, it was over in the Tri-Cities where he really “made his (skull)-n-bones” … what with East Tennessee State Buccaneers having won 13o games and two SoCon championships during his tenure. While all 22 of his seniors earned their ETSU degrees! ETSU.edu love insert (____) here, ! While doing all of this… Forbes joined the elite company in 2018-19, becoming one of just 10 active Division I head coaches who have reached the 100-win mark in their first four seasons.

Big Pappi Forbes is married to his wife, Johnetta; and they have three children:
Elizabeth, Christopher, and Johnathon.

Wake at a glance:

• 1oth best in FT percentage!!! (nearly as great as us).
• 32nd fewest fouls ‘whistled’ against/game!!
• 37 most in Swats!!
• 41st best in Effective FG-percentage O!
• 52nd best in 3-point shooting percentage!
• 6oth most in Scoring O! (They will tempo a bit).
• 351st best in Benching ppg tallied! (wow, 1’s get no support here nearly at all).
• 2 injuries listed. Coach God twice bless!

Returning Starters=3*.

Wake Forest Strengths:

• * One double no.1 (#11), true-Sr., 6′1o″, 22o lb., Andrew Carr, Four or P/F. ‘drew is a Delaware Hen transfer frontcourter who gets you a most serviceable: 15.5 ppg on (a 2nd-best) 7.6 rpg with 1 apg and a team-leading swat (1.9 bpg!). This Carr starts for an okay 4o.4% from downtown and 55.7% overall. ‘Drew is also a: member of the National Honor Society, a member of the National Spanish Honor Society, and a member of the National Business Honor Society. And the next time I read that Nationally, regionally, or locally will be the second. A.C. is a true pasty-looking kid, who frankly (foreshadowing intended), reminds a bit of Mary Percy Shelley’s gothic gone Goliath big-man himself. Carr has been a bit chilly of late, tho’; he -same as Franky- he does maul his way to an outburst game or three here-n-there. As this is a true inside-baller, who defends well enough and physically maximizes his other (kinetic) limitations as best he can. There are worse things we could say… Fair enuff… tho’ it can additionally be said that this Carr is having his Porsché career year. He is way way up in scoring, swatting, shooting, and defending alike. Almost like he has shed some pain(s) on/off-court or whatever and is in a much better place. As he is ⇑ by nearly +3o-5o% categorically. And to be fair… this is living your best overseas backup life. Hope so… a neat kid who brings what he has and he has mo’ tools in his 2o24 shed, or so it would late ’23, appear.
• * Cameron Hildreth is an imported 6′4″, 195 lb., second-season off-G bloke by way of rarified: Worthing England. The next time I read that one will be the second time, too. Anywho… Cam’ nets you a second-best 15.8 ppg. This is with a (very) surprising: 4.2 boards with 3.3 dimes and  .6 swipes. 5o.9% overall and 39.4% from beyond the arc is solidifying. The rebounding and overall hardwood acumen are intriguing. As this was said to be only a penetrating type Wing who could set the table and/or teammates up at will. Looks like Cam’s game is mo’ than a pure camshaft itself, and is expanding as I type. Prior to all of that… Mr. Hildreth was only the top-ranked player in the U.K. by DENG Camps. He was only a (****) or Four-star player ranked No. 1 in England and No. 89 overall by 247Sports. And he only keeps one mo’ British Academy Basketball League (ABL) National Championship bling on his hand than you and I do combined. Where he was literally said to have been a: “dominating” player ‘over there’. Does rock a cinnamon beard and Bonding typea accent, so you’d prolly have to bet the (swooning) USofA girl score over here. Has raised his hardwood (collegiate) scoring by a nifty +315% last year, too. As this Two is one curious find. PROPs at the English scavenger hunt win from Wake’s hoops staff here. (UPDATE: PROBABLE: …banged-up after a bad fall earlier is the word. Coach God Bless). Also… this guy same as (now) pseudo-Ventnor Avenue not quite yet Park Place Carr… is ‘on the come’. Cam-shaft has been cruising his control with a mo’ sprite 2o23 game everywhere Eye looked less rebounding. And that is code for ‘developing’ the verb. To his and Coach Forbes’ creds alike. Bra-vo on going positive-slope this late in your given métier. props!
• 6′5″, 185 lb., Hunter Sallis G1, “fifty dollars says he eats it”… no wait… “forty says he picks (get it?)” it”… ahhhhhh, errrrrrr, eject. That impoverished attempt and some Bushwoood C.C. satire aside… this is your leading point producer thus far. Not a bushy efforting guy either. A cat synonym this kid jus’ ain’t. He tryin’. ex-‘Zaga transfer lead-G. Only the no.6, that’s 6th highest-ranked baller in all the land by: 247Sports. So, the stunning ~+44o% boost in scoring was either a most pleasant surprise or some might say: ‘loooong, overdue’. As his numbers before waking up had been under-bets to be sure. Dood did pick up a Single-A ring out in kinda nowhereville, NEB. And some thought that lack of cornhusking competition to be a retarding agent or maybe even a dormitory ceiling outright. First, that’s (1st) ***** or penta-star recruit in the State of Tom Osborne’s history, ever. Naismith Trophy National High School Player of the Year 4th place does not suck. Right at: 30 ppg with 5 dimes, rebounds, and stars High School alike. So, even on a lowercase states lowest-case circuit, a LOT was expected here. The whispers negged his: ‘lack of focus/dedication’ and ‘consistency’ alike out in Spokane. Tho’ they also tabbed him: ‘an all-conference Talent’ to boot. A teaming-leading: 18 ppg with 2.7 rpg on 2.2 apg and a second-best 1.2 spg can-do. As in it tells you he can do it when he wants to. As 48.7% fielding, 78.4% free-throwing, and 37.1% distancing would all seem to agry. This is a Talented kid, prolly overseas good at the moment and frankly, he seemed to *know it* upon breaking tape. Got a little salt in his pepper, and it prolly rubs a few the ‘rong way. Tho’: Most Improved Award (likely) winner is a good problem to have. Time=headroom tell… tho’ Sallis has come a long way. +12% better on 3’s this year makes you wonder where he goes after ’24. (true-Jr. year baller).

  

• Kevin Miller, r-Soph., G 6′, 175 lb., ex-post-up-o of: Central Michigan. Kev’ is a jitterbug contest just waiting for a Sat. Nite Drill place to happen. Quickster on tape. The 17.2 ppg with 2.8 rpg on 4.3 apg are a bookend 2nd and 1st-best for the team is all. 49.3% from overall and just below 37% from behind the 3-point arc are spot-welding enuff. The (now) 1.6 spg is a nice gravy as Miller-time has hovered at/near these good digits his whole collegiate career. Lindy’s says he is a ‘scorer’ who can be a ‘willing’ passer. His medical jacket sadly says he has a history of foot dings and dents alike. (St. Sebastian help). Has an AA FLA state-bling; that counts. Had a 2nd-team All-M.A.C. label last year. Carries something of a pure-scorer tag, hit for close to 29 ppg in High School. Runs a bit warmer/cooler on O though… and yet the heat-check version of K.Mil’ will mill a lotta wood for Wake Forest if/when he pops clean on the sudden. Good player… is he mo’ than that?

Wake Forest Weaknesses:

• Last year’s very legit Qb1: Tyree Appleby’s has sold out and so have his 35 ppg and rpg and apg combined. My magazines all say this is a Qb1-derby as Pt.G1 honors go here. Cox vs. Greenwood way back or Drones vs. Wells recently enuff.
• * Lindy’s Top A.c.c. Shooter, is; all… (OUT). Damari Monsanto is limited due to a kneecap issue, and he is expected to remain sidelined until the beginning of January. St.Nikon help. As this is the third/other returning 2o22-2o23 starter once he gets back. When he does get back… back will be his… 6′ 6″, 225 lbs., on a pseudo-Swing-S/F game. Near: 14 ppg and near 5 rpg all on near ~45% when dialing long-distance is quite a presence of his absence subtraction from this ‘tweener of a 3. r-Sr. year kid from FLA. ex-E.T.S.U. over in the Tri-Cities, Buc’. Got dinged up on some kinda ‘leap’ conditioning thingy. Which does not read fun/good to me. St.Culbreth bless too. Was merely the Sunshine States Sun Sentinel’s Class 9A, that’s AAAAAAAAA, nine-A Player of the Year! Near 3o-ppg scholastic tallier. Sadly, has only played ≥2o games once in nearly a half-decade. Sucks… as this kid has Talent(s), plural. Getting cleared: weapons-free from the Training Room not being among ’em. Tho’ this is a big miss for Wake’s shooters at the moment. To be sure. Nearly a fringe export-caliber baller.
• (OUT). Jao Ituka… Ituka is idle with a knee injury, and he is expected to miss the entire 2o23-24 season. Yikes. St.Nikon keep helping, please. Marist ex. Where he only netted you just south of 17/game last year! Dang. A ‘nother BIG miss here for insalubrious Wake. 6′1″, 196 lb., Qb1a-derby or near starting overlapping Pt.Guard’s go. M.A.A.C. Rookie of the Year last year. Eastern Collegiate Athletic Conference Rookie of the Year last year too: (The ECAC consists of over 80 Division I schools up in the USofA Nor.Eastern panhandle, so, this is a pretty keen shakes of an Award). 2nd-string All-M.A.A.C. too. 41% 3’s last season shows Jao has length. Ituka was Wash.Post all-Met’ as a lead-G. More of a scorer/slasher than pure Joe Montana or setter-upper. Apparently, has had dinged-knee(s) for a spell… sucks. He can do his thang and get his on O when rolling on closer to ~1.9 good wheels. Godspeed here.
• That’s… close to nearly –35 ppg from not W.O.K.E. Wake as P.ure C.ontributions go, all on the sit.
• NOT a very heavy team in the seat of the pants… this might be one you can try to lunch-money push/bully a bit in the paint or on the way to the hoop.

Deacon Sanctuary: (depth=)

Observe: not a lotta points production to be found here— as here role-players abound.

7′, 244 lb. Efton Reid III F, who is just four, that’s (4) games back into his 2o23 twilight form (been dinged up to start the year: lower-body). And he was clearinghouse dinged up a mite as well… waiting over a month on a ruling regarding his: eligibility waiver. Which did sort out in his favor, eventually. Still yet, Reid is your quintessential Richmond, Va. escapee turned banger if not hatchet-man. 7.o ppg married to a nifty 8.o is industrial strength enuff. 2.o swats though just 31% on O shows you why he plays… i.e., his D. A solid most useful frontcourt thumper flavored kid… kinda a Rick Mahorn lyte if you will

6′1o″, 228 lb., Zach Keller is your second frontcourt reservist here. 2.9 ppg and rpg alike on a somewhat undercooked 38.7% tells you he plays for his match-up size and not his O prowess. Though Z’ was Rival’s no.76 baller overall and the consensus #1 in-state in Colorado. So, that does carry some measure here. Does have a COL AAAAA title ring; that counts too. Circuit Academic All-American winner so Wake.edu is good there. That said… all my preview mags questioned his ‘shot’. Needs consistency there and maybe a little technical/mechanical fine-tuning. Though Keller is now up to 34% long and tho’ not killing it that has come a long way from 2o% on 3’s for a career. Good on dat… we shall see if he can become a super-Soph’ or not…

Parker Friedrichsen is a: 6′3″, 195 lb., Bixby, OK escapee. Pure shooter. Nugget or rookie-voting year in the season of life. Said to have added levels to his scoring (now). Decomitted from N.Dame. 121st baller in the land and #2 in-state per: On3. Near 4o% scholastic shooter from behind the arc and 29 ppg does not Sr.Prom suck. OK Gatorade Player of the Year and only won the TaxAct National High School Three-Point Contest at the Final Four in Houston last March; that’s all. He sucks, cut him now. 43.2% on college 3’s already is pretty dang 2o27 alluring to me. As this kids’ range is the gym, if he is in it this Parker-Bros’ is open. This one is a legit prospect if only for his range… we shall see where that goes/leads… to any international roster that needs another pure-shooter. And Friedrichsen goes deep; very. And Park’ has been on a blistering pace of late. VERY hot even as “Winter has Come.”

Matthew Marsh is a big ole, physically strapping-looking Center or Five all the way from: Cornwall, England. Really naturally strong kid upstairs, 7′1″ and 250 downright stacked-looking lbs. of piping might be a clue. Strong ole boy to be an import; or even a domestic for that matter. Following his stint with the Brit’s national team, and a little French League work, Matty moved from England to Spain, where he played with the much-vaunted FC Barcelona’s U-18 youth development team. Where he became the first British player to ever play for the Spanish club, where the team was two-time Catalonian Champions. So, international exposure, résumé, and passport stamping language skills he gots. He also gets you 7.1 ppg and a useful 4.8 rpg in only 17 mpg of pine-squad relief. The 88.6% shooting may not last— though it surely is hard to, miss. The only ill is his 42.9% free-throwing, which does need to come up-ins. However, as said, this is a brawny inside scorer, and those are hard to find these days. Be real interesting to see where Monsta Marsh finds himself come 2o25 too.

Vincent Ricchiuti F7, and Abramo Canka G6, made it just fo’ their names which I ethnically wanted to, include.

Illation, conclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Decs who could preach @Tech=handful, maybe 6 or 7 even.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…not to be too taken with much of anything All Championship Conference-wise just yet.

As you will see below… let me assure you that not many of my preview magazines had much of anything pegged as well as the current A.c.c. Standings go way back as September 2o23 A.D. predictions went.

---

---

As a couple to a few A.c.c. squadrons have moved both (⇑) or northward and at least 2 or 3 A.c.c. clubs have moved (⇓) or fallen off a bit.

Though, and still yet… Tech is tied for A.c.c. 1st-best, Wake is tied for next-place and we are their intra-league top-of-the-first. Or their initial Atlantic Coast Contest this season thus far.

That, and this one projects as two pretty efficient squads. Both lowercase B— or so, who do a number of things well, a few things downright good and not much of anything(s), great.

Ergo, therefore, to Whit… let the always rife with zany twist/turns A.c.c. March to Madness, begin.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a couple of mo’ weeks before the askback starts to Audubon round-robin roundball, hit.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… Wake Forest is up a decent enuff looking +5% in shooting percentage margin (all less than 1% of which was due to being better in possession of the rock on O); with Wake Forest up nearly the same nearly decent +4% in 3-point percentage margin (virtually all of which was the superior range in 3-O terms as these two slot nearly alike in 3-D), and yet VeeTee is up +4 caroms collected in rebounding margin year to date. (Per: the O&M good guys being just a little better off the offensive and the defensive fiberglass alike).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the Decs are up an altogether reasonable-looking +6% in shooting percentage margin (all of which is due to heightened offensive precociousness, as defending was only separated by a few 1/1oths of a point); the Deacons are not so bully-pulpit in 3-point percentage margin recently, only up +2% (this one is a mixed one, as Wake is up a sharp looking +7% on 3-O and yet VT is –5% starchier in disallowing 3-D), and yet the Techmen are up a keen looking +5 misses gather in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of play. (The Hokiebird be skying here of late, at +8 Windex wipes; tho’ the Dec’s are a positive +3 in backboarding too as well).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

VT is barely up a nominal +1% at the charity stripe for the year.
VT is a .ooo (o-1) guest; whereas Wake is 1.ooo (7-o) as a host.
This time VT is up a useful looking +5 in R&R.

The Call…

No.77 Net Ranking Wake Forest vs. no.5o Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

https://www.espn.com/watch/player/_/id/d539bb08-b289-4856-bcce-030edc647696

LAST 10 GAMES: Deacons: 7-3, averaging 78.9 points, 33.8 rebounds, 12.6 assists, 6.2 steals and 4.8 blocks per game while shooting 47.5% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 67.4 points per game.

LAST 10 GAMES: Hokies: 8-2, averaging 71.4 points, 35.1 rebounds, 14.9 assists, 5.7 steals and 2.5 blocks per game while shooting 43.6% from the field. Their opponents have averaged 63.9 points.

The VerdicT:

So, here we see that… we are your Military Bowl champions.

That and Eye apologize for that streak-busting S’y azz pick.
Double-dum’-azz all over me in triplicate.

My bad.
On me. Blame… same.

The Digits:

Eye type that ’cause… Eye needs a dorsal fin, a rally cap, and a slump-buster here… as the next game cannot start soon enuff when the previous game ends on an L.

Eye can tell you that we will not be getting a better shot at upsetting a kinda lame-O Wake Forest squadron. As this team will only get mo’ and mo’ preachy on O as they gather mo’ and mo’ pretty dang possession pulpit potent guys back to their full-strength rotation.

That said… both teams are a bit dinged up… Wake is still runnin’ ball @home. And we all recall what Will taught us all years ago… All Coaching Conference teams win about 3 in 1o times historically when playing on the hardwood @Away.

At full-medicine and Wake is the obvious @home pick here. And this just in… snow is still rumored to be, white.

VeeTee does have a small to small+++ look at this one, however.

And it is nigh on time to Wave goodbye to ’23 and buckle down for Spring Practice, get the Military Bowl (VicTorius) Eye in the Sky done.

❄️🏀❄️

’cause something has gotta give here between these two. As in… these two have not been got in nearly ≅75 days of on-again/off-again idling work. Over two months or basically five fortnights of runs.

The one caveat Eye did see was… Wake has won 6-straight by a noticeable +121 Σ or total point-margin. (The Hurrying Hokies are .667 (4 of 6) and +21 Σ or total point-margin).
The Deacons preach power to the Experience Curve itself; what with their Top-4
pretty dang on-trend warming-up scorers conspired to tally 192 Σ career games.

You just do not see that in the: myspacebook.me era any mo’.

Do you see what Eye mean?

–oOo–

What I mean is… someone is gonna see this two+ month streak go snap. And someone has a chance to streak into the 5 to 6-week barrier depending on how well they tack next.

The weather is getting a scosche nautical outside… ‘baby it’s cold outside’, and yet this one is down inside the: Lawrence Joel Veterans Memorial Coliseum, sea?

And this one is a curious and circuitous 225.2 So-by-So-Easter course to me.

As Eye confess, this one has me flummoxed a bit… is it a narrow VomiT or a narrow VicTory dance?

Though Eye do feel it is a narrow passage either way…

 

(59% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=68, Wake Forest=77

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**