#53 R.P.I. Wake Forest  @ #85 R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s hoops are back on the schneid. Road warriors gone the baby-face O.G. cage-fighter road-weary. As that ‘snap’ sound you just heard is close to being this 2o23-2o24 menz hoops squadron going from Spring Break to spring… broke.

The Hokies are mercifully back home in the about-on-temperature New River Valley. And home is (so far) where the Hokie heart is. Or, for any real chance to win vs. anybody real themselves is to boot. Now the F’n Gobblers draw the Wake Forest Deacons inside their very own Cassell. Wake checks in at: 18 up vs. 1o down and a nice looking +3 > .5oo or 1o-7 in All Championship Conference play. That should be post-season enuff; granted. Tho’ beating us would not hurt their Q1 NC2A chances. Not one iota (1ι). Nonetheless, what you wanna know is… who is gonna win and by how much; rights? So, reads on… to finds, out!

Wake Forest Head Coach: Steve Forbes: Age=57, 321–127 (.739) overall*, and 68–50 (.576) @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:

• was: 1oth best in FT percentage!!! (nearly as great as us). NOW: 36th best. (⇓, a bit here…)
• was: 32nd fewest fouls ‘whistled’ against/game!! NOW: 78th best. (⇓, not getting as many calls).
• was: 37 most in Swats!! NOW: 76th best. (above average, not as defensive, however; ⇓)
• was: 41st best in Effective FG-percentage O! NOW: 37th best. (⇔, still very good!)
• was: 52nd best in 3-point shooting percentage! NOW: 22nd best! (⇑, even better than b4 on 3’s!)
• was: 6oth most in Scoring O! (They will tempo a bit). NOW: 54th best. (pretty ⇔ or lateral here).
• was: 351st best in Benching ppg tallied! (wow, 1’s get no support here nearly at all). NOW:
• 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: 13.6 ppg on (a 2nd-best) 6.6 rpg with 1.4 apg and a team-leading swat (1.4 bpg!). This Carr starts for an okay 38.3% from downtown and 52.8% overall. A solid 78.5% free-thrower to boot. ‘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.
  (UPDATE: …down everywhere; kinda has that look-n-feel of fatigue-limbs/tired-legs, ⇓)
• * 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 13.5 ppg. This is with a (very) surprising: 4.9 boards with 2.6 dimes and  1.o swipes. 44.7% overall and 36.4% from beyond the arc is solidifying. The rebounding and overall hardwood acumen are intriguing. As this was said to be only a penetrating typea 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!
  (UPDATE: dropped everywhere less defensing, ‘nother guy wearing down a bit… ⇓)
• 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: 18.3 ppg with 2.1 rpg on 2.6 apg and a second-best .9 spg can-do. As in it tells you he can do it when he wants to. As 5o.4% fielding, 79.1% free-throwing, and 42.8% 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).
  (UPDATE: every single shooting metric went up; and smartly— that is very rare to late-year, do ⇑!)

  

• 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 14.5 ppg with 2.7 rpg on 3.8 apg are a bookend 2nd and 1st-best for the team is all. 46.5% from overall and just below 34.1% from behind the 3-point arc are spot-welding enuff. The (now) 1.3 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?
  (UPDATE: up-n-down, alternated on updates; very mixed-bag or lateral here… ⇔)

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.
  (UPDATE: NOW back: now hitting for ’24: 5.1 ppg with 2.2 rpg and .6 apg on 34.7% long, or: ⇓ here). (see: below):
• (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.
  (UPDATE: still OUT: Coach God Bless!)
• 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=4’ish)

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. 9.o ppg married to a nifty 8.o is industrial strength enuff. 1.3 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.
(UPDATE: now up to a whooping +2o% better (51.4%)! Way ⇑-vote here! +much DAP). 👊🏿

6′1o″, 228 lb., Zach Keller is your second frontcourt reservist here. 1.9 ppg and 2.2 rpg alike on a somewhat undercooked 37.2% 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…
(UPDATE: pretty flat guy; not much moved not much this year, ⇔)

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). Decommitted 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. 4o.7% 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. Bullpen getting you: 5.5 ppg and 1.4 rpg in relief. 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.”
(UPDATE: a bit down; has hit a wall or chilled since mid-February …⇓)

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 1.9 ppg and a useful 3.1 rpg in only 17 mpg of pine-squad relief. The ~65% shooting may not last (and: it did not)— 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 really interesting to see where Monsta Marsh finds himself come 2o25 too.
(UPDATE: down, quite a bit actually; like he is mueling a hurt about… Coach God Bless:⇓)

Damari Monsanto (as said: above) is back. That makes the Wake rotation+1. And it is a highly or right-tailed Experience Curve+1. Caveat being… D.M. is close to –¼ to –½ down or off of his career-best numbers on a percentage basis. Like he is still not right on that gimpy knee. St.Culbreth bless!

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 pulpit @Tech=6 or 7 give/take.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is…

…not to be too taken with… Mike Young the noun.

See here…

Now the one thing you (could consider) taking away would be… D.

It is down.

Tho’ so his Young’s internalized or Key/Post defensive acumen. O, halting Talent down low.

G-play is close to the same; if not a mite better— or at least mo’ productive.

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Or, in final words… Mike has had a tag for mid-year slumping as an attempt at gaining a runny-go at late-season to post-season peaking itself. He gets that at his okay to okay+++ Talent level(s) it is a marathon not a sprint.

The caveat being… ’24 has yet to find its closing kick of a stride; hamstrung in a word…

And is now left straddling the post-season of any sort(s) fence itself.

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a total LZ 129 Hindenburg kamikazeing of the R.M.S. Titanic or a triatic –127-point ass-beating here. That’s all… LOL. Even the most/lowest N.A.T.T.’s among you could not even call for that. Will & Chris could play in that and that would make no never mind. So, when taken pro rata the Forum Guide called for a: vastly mo’ reasonable –8.66 VomiTorium of a 24o6o afternoon. The hard-to-shake part was… Wake shook us 12 outta the 15 times in this here roundball round-robin format. And the only winners/betters we enjoyed were multiple weeks ago; quite plural (4yah411). Ouch.

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… Wake is up close to ~+5% in shooting percentage margin (per: being a little better on D and a mite better on O, neither one epic; both slowly adding up, however); with Wake up another near ~+4% in 3-point percentage margin (from: this one was nearly evenly split +2% better on 3-O and another –2% stricter on 3-D; again, nothing epic, jus’ enuff to add up), and Wake completed the heard to do triune sweep via being up +2 caroms corralled in rebounding margin for the year-to-date. (see: neither team is any good off the O-fiberglass; tho’ Wake is much better off the D-fiberglass itself).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… the Decs are now sermonizing fire-n-brimstone and up just over ~10% in shooting percentage margin (due to: Wake is straight stroking us on D overall, and even up a deuce percent over on O itself; yikes!); with the Deacons up another pretty preachy lookin’ +9% in 3-point percentage margin (of: same drill as above; Wake is working us in 3-D terms and a bit better in 3-O terms as well), and the Deaconate completed the triune Holy-Roller sweep being up a decent +4 misses collected in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of industry. (here: we see that Wake is just above the break-even point off the backboard of late; however, the Techmen are in a growing gathering hole in Windex Wipes. They are not strong, jus’ “K+” whereas we are lilting here).

Armchair Pt.Guard’s:

Hemmingway Hoops: “To have and to have not…”

• vs. no-names? +124❗️ Wake was about 72 strokes or par for their O.O.C. (out of conference) scheduling in earlier ’23 terms. Zero upsets is always a neat and tidy look. Tho’ two trends emerged; they did not play a total Hostess or cupcake schedule. And/or, they have a nice-guy non-R.U.T.S. coach. That, or they really were/are not that fabulous. As the only punked two, that’s only (2) little guys and frankly Eye’ma pinch inclined to side with the latter in lieu of the former. Something here struck me as struggling to let your hands go’ mo’ so than just going Pee-Cee all over the place.
• vs. Surnames? +129❗️ However, then I ran the Surname numbers and they pretty much null-n-voided what I just wrote. As there appears to be a near Identity Crisis or many faces of Eve flavoring to this poor Deacon menz hoops squad here. They are either nearly dy-no-mite and pretty much punk some pretty fair to middling name opponents. Or, they end up in a 2 or so shot struggle (+/-) either way or they get done out by double-digits or they get punked themselves by truly uppercase surnames. That last part is what said a lot to me— in good health and in good forum they punch above their weight {sic: class} a mite. Tho’ even with that, coaching the verb can only conjugate so far (upwards) and it goes BabelFish and stutters/sputters here-n-there when it seemingly should not.

Nobody is up any% at the charity stripe for the year. Virtually, tied.
VT is a .857 host; whereas Wake is .2 as a guest.
VeeTee is up a nominal +1 in R&R.

The Call…

No.27 Net Ranking Wake Forest @ no.59 Net Ranking Vah.Tech:

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The VerdicT:

The rendering here is that this is one squirely Hokiebird (menz hoops) club to pick.

They seem to have nothing to close with @Away.
And yet then they (somehow) find something to close with @Home.

That’s not (actually) S&C -or the lack thereof- it is just downright hard to figure.

⛪️ ELO #59 >>> ELO #98 🦃

The digits:

Though you can figure on this one being a 125-mile roadie Nor-by-only-slightly-Nor-West for Wake.

That… and as Will schooled us all long ago… the All Compass Challenger only nets about 3 in 1o roadie wins for their traveling troubles in this here league.

Ergo, therefore, to Whit… mea culpa… there is a temptation to take Tech here.

Wake has been up-n-down since the close of January business… with March Madness neigh upon us. Some might even say a scosche mo’ down than up ever since.

–oOo–

That, and they are 1 for their last 9 @Away!
So, if there is ever a time to take Tech, take Tech; here.
(As you sure as Hades should not take Tech to take anythang @Away).

And here you thought I was gonna call for a Wake-up, call…

…oh wait, Eye; did!

 

 

 

💯

 

 

(55% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech=7o, Wake Forest=74

please support the VT F.C.A.!

“LETS GO!”

“Hokies!”

 bourbonstreet**