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#197 R.P.I. Duke #3o R.P.I. Virginia Tech: 

Virginia Tech men’s basketball remains @Home inside our mid-Winter Cassell in host of what would be one of two very hot-hot-hot Coach Buster Poindexter intra-conference homesteading tix in more normalized times.

The Hokies now catch big-bad all-World recruiting Duke and Coach K. Duke enters this 166-mile nor-by-nor-east foray at 5 up and 2 down on the year, (1st-place at 3-nil in the A.c.c.). And at o-3-2 on postponements-cancelations. So, guess who’s coming to (Owens Dining Hall), dinner? The team that just had an all-things 2020 3-week furlough (Dec. 16th-Jan. 6th) and who is prolly now wanting for some real live on-court hardwood work. Nonetheless, you wanna know who is gonna win and by how much, right? So, read on; to find… out!

Duke Head CoachMichael William Krzyzewski: Age=73, 1,160–352 (.767) overall,
1,087–293 (.788) at Duke. Rep’=best, ever?
$8,982,325.oo

Coach K is pretty good, and this just in, rain is rumored to be, wet. As this is about as well preserved of seven-decade-years-old gentlemen as you will ever ever see. And his resumè is about as well-heeled as any you will ever sporting read.

Would that we all could age this, well!

Among them {sic: accolades}: Baller K Played at West Point under Bob Knight as a 5′10″ combo Pt.G/Shooting-G. He was captain of the Army basketball team in his senior season, 1968–69, leading his team to the N.I.T. as Vietnam era West Point finished fourth in the tournament. From 1969 to 1974, Krzyzewski served in the United States Army and directed service teams for three years. In 2005 he was presented West Point’s Distinguished Graduate Award. And thank you for serving –after that Mike has not really done much of anything as a coach…

…he has only won nine, that’s (9) Gold Medals for the USofA! He has only won five, that’s (5) National Championships in men’s hoops (1991, 1992, 2001, 2010, 2015)! He has only won thirteen that’s (14) Atlantic Coast Tourneys. Among men’s college basketball coaches, only U.C.L.A.’s John Wooden, with 10, has won more NCAA Championships than Coach-K.

Coach Krzyzewski has the most wins of any coach in college basketball history. Coach-K became the first Division I men’s basketball coach to reach 1,000 wins. And is only a six-time national coach of the year and a five-time A.c.c. coach of the year; that’s all. He is a two-time inductee into the Naismith Memorial Basketball Hall of Fame, in 2001 for his individual coaching career and in 2010 as part of the collective induction of the “Dream Team.

Additionally… Coach-K has only won 24 (varying) Coaching Awards, he is National Polish American Sports Hall of Fame inductee (class of 1991), he was the 2011: Sports Illustrated “Sportsman of the Year”, the United States Military Academy named the “Coach Krzyzewski Teaching Character Through Sports Award for him, and he was merely inducted as a Laureate of The Lincoln Academy of Illinois and awarded the Order of Lincoln (the State’s highest honor) by the Governor of Illinois in 2014 in the area of sports. That’s, it!

Coach K is back after a (family) contact-tracing close call.
St.Nikephoros bless!

And God Bless the Emily Krzyzewski Center (charity) that he and his wife (Carol “Mickie” Marsh) founded to honor his reposed mum. Daddy K and Carol have
three daughters and nine grandchildren

Duke at a glance:

  • 9th most steals/game!!!
  • 45th on the offensive-glass!
  • 54th in swats/game!
  • 274th in FG-percentage D allowed!
  • 298th in FT’s-made!
  • 3o1st in 3-point percentage D allowed!!
  • 2 injuries listed (Coach God twice bless!)

Dukie Returning Starters=2

Duke Strengths:

  • Matthew Hurt, P/F, is a sophomoric 6′9″, 237 lb. at least r-Sr. looking mop-top/flop-top dawgg. I mean, Alice the maid is well behind on her chores just ’cause this dood’s melon stole her mop. Seriously, this is nearly Joe Stalin territory or hair that just won’t stop. Anywho… Matty is a pasty gangsta, or at least he seems to shirt “DUKE” logo pop like he is. He does lead Duke in scoring (19.6 ppg) and historically typically speaking? That has typically tended to be a good and a lucrative fiscal sign alike. Second-best at 8.1 rpg, with 1.4 apg, 1.1 spg all married to 43.7% long is no bad gig. Only the FT-shooting (68%) could be said to need a little touch-up type of maintenance. As 54% from the floor is pretty dang productive. Plus, the medium-Hurt has pretty dang classy handles by-the-bye. The book says that Matty is already on the Naismith Trophy watch list, the Wooden Award, and the heretofore unknown to me Karl Malone watch list. That does not suck. Neither does his USA Basketball gold medalist from the 2018 FIBA Americas U18 Championship. Chicks may or may not dig mop-tops, tho’ chicks do dig carrots as in 24 qt. This hung on ESPN no. 10 kid two years back and their #2 P/F overall. This after only being a .6oo or 60% 3-point shooter in high school. Yah; I’d have to say that, counts. Lindy’s says to count on Matthew for a 4th/5th place frontcourt roster finish. Ergo, therefore to wit, 1st-best in scoring is quite the upward (unforecast) mobility for an inside-outside scorer alike. In Minnesota all-everything high school hoops you could count on him to average just south of 40 ppg and 13 rpg to boot. I’d say that counts, too. Finally, seems to have a streaky element to his game, as his efficaciousness is most efficient when he gets a real in-game hot-streak going. As this kid is a pro’, the only calculus would be just how Associative property sticky will he prove to be? And Matt’s en fυego from behind the arc of late, having netted 13 of 29 of his 3’s over his last five games.
  • 6′2″, 163 lb. Shooting.G, DJ Steward by way of the Windy City or Chi-town fame… has a twist-top fro’ that is big. I mean, nearly, huge. He also keeps an Ace of ♠️’s dawgg-tag so there is that too. In addition to that, Stew’ nets you 14.0 ppg with 5.0 rpg, 2.4 apg, and a handsy 1.3 spg to boot. On 43.9% overall with 77.8% from the charity-stripe and 32.4% when dialing long-distance does not seem like a pure shooting G to me. More like a gunner who never met a shot he did not like or would not, take. That being said, his ***** (5-star) ranking and #23 label in the nation (ESPN) is no bad thing. This after averaging 41% makes from 3-point-land in H.S. So, apparently DeeJay has more range than he has showcased thus far. This from a kid who also balled-out in gridiron terms in Chicago. And who is said to be able to score outside and breakdown defenders off the dribble; who can also lock opponents down on D when he wants to. As this is a good G, who may be kinda caught in between a home One or a home Two positional identity crisis of sorts. Tho’ there are athletics, quicks, and some measure of toughs here… so it may be best to give Mr. Steward a minute or three and ask back in 2022 or 2023. This kid is prolly an overseas pro’ at least.

    LEGIT all-‘round game/swagg 1o1!
  • Lindy’s A.c.c. Newcomer of the Year and the A.c.c.’s Best Pro Prospect would all be rolled into one (incoincidentally enuff) one #1, Jalen Johnson. Jalen is a 6′9″, 22o lb. rookie or nugget year voter who is getting you: 11.5 ppg, with a team-leading 8.3 rpg, 1.8 apg, 1.0 spg, and again the team pace-setting alpha with 2.0 bpg. Si amigo, mo’ scoring was expected here. Granted. Still yet, those are not the worst metrics when only 4 whole entire games into your college career down @Duke. A foot-injury limited career @Duke so far (St.Sebastian bless). As some reports read: “out indefinitely” some read: “QUESTIONABLE” and some also read: “close to returning, soon”. So, the intel is mixed here. What is not mixed however is #1’s talent-tag, which reads among other things: ***** or 5-star #12 ranked national recruit (per ESPN). Mister Wisconsin all-everything basketball award winner with 1 D-2 state championship bling. Then he transferred to an FLA Prep school and played not one single solitary game (for reason(s): undisclosed). Then he transferred back to the H.S. he just left midway his Sr. season and went for just south of 25 ppg and 11 rpg on 5 apg. A circuitous and curiously somewhat oval career to be sure. The book says that Johnson is a most-skillful and full-game versatile baller who can set teammates up or attack on his own. A hunter-gather aquarian baller who ‘carries a big stick’. His momma bear and poppa bear alike both ran ball at: Wisconsin-Milwaukee. Poppa bear balled overseas in Poland for a spell as well. Little bro: “Kobe” has inked with U.S.C.-West and yes, there may just be some N.b.a. D.n.a. here. The only real knock is FT-shooting (50%). As 54% from the floor and 33.3% from downtown are no bad true-Fr. season shakes. This kid prolly is a pro’, as any team needs a facilitator who can indeed still get his {sic: own} when needed. (and oh yes, he keeps really big ole icy, nuggets in his earlobes, plural. Did I mention that chicks dig carrots, yet?) (UPDATE: sources now hit Johnson may give it a VeeTee go!)

Duke Weaknesses:

  • Roster turnover is massive here; yet again… as we only face one true rotational guy from what we caught from Duke at the end of last season. (and ‘yes’, I know… 337 other D-1’s would indeed like to have Duke’s Equipment Manager’s uniform issuing problems; indeed!)
  • Tho this is a lotta Exodus type basketball even for a 1-n-done true Factory School such as Duke. (Carney Jr., Jones, Stanley, et al… some real freaky talentS quite plural just went Exit State Left.
  • There is only one basketball to go, around.
  • This is not a highly experienced hoops club. Pretty nubile by-the-bye.
  • There are also a couple of low-volume whispers of a lack of newcomer vis-à-vis returnee mesh.
  • Reserve P/F Patrick Tape and his bad-back (St.Wolfgang help) have been out for a couple of games and he is listed as: “UNCERTAIN” here. Uncertain as well are his 11.8 Ivy League transferring-in Columbia ppg. Tho’ a 67% maker who gets you just under 6 rpg off the pine-squad is someone with some bullpen relief indeed.
  • Finally, as you can read above, Coach K’s seminal halt-unit on D this just, ain’t.

Dukie Bench: (depth=5’ish)

The one remaining legit frontcourt sub’ would be: 6′4″, 214 lb. sophomoric, Wendell Moore Jr. Wendell is an S/F who gets you 6.9 ppg and 3.7 rpg when pitch-hitting; which is not the worst production. Although his 31% overall and 21% from behind the arc strike out way more often than they hit. Tho’ do recall this kid was 2nd-string All-A.c.c. preseason and yah; mo’ was expected here. As this Wing struggled with turnovers last year as a super VHT (very highly touted) recruit two seasons ago. Tho’ the dutiful nod fo’ making the All-A.c.c. Academic team is rightfully bestowed. Ditto for the Two-time USA Basketball gold medalist for the 2017 FIBA Americas U16 Championship and for the 2018 FIBA U17 World Cup. And for being the #1 Carolina H.S. kid who was 18th in the nation (ESPN) and only won back-to-back N.C. AAA state titles along with winning back-to-back North Carolina state finals MVP honors. So, there has to be something real here, and Coach-K and Co. are really waiting for it to, Richmond, Va. homespun Wayans Bro’ lookalike emerge.

Jaemyn Brakefield is a 6′8″, 216 lb., 3o4 quasi-hommie by way of Huntington Prep (W.Va.). A rare mere **** or 4-star Duke recruit who was tabbed 29th in America (ESPN) and pronounces his first-name as: “JAY-min”. Jay-min was only named the West Virginia Gatorade Player of the Year as a sophomore, junior, and again as a senior. Thereby becoming the first player to be recognized three times in the award’s 35-year history! Shazam and Brakefield is said to be a stretch lefty or Koufax P/F at the Four spot. He has good moves to the hoop and is a strong constructive worker in the paint. 5.6 ppg and 3.6 rpg with the team lead at 50% long is encouraging, whereas 50% on FTA’s needs reps/helps plural. That said, most of my preview mags seemed to think Jaemyn was a year away anyway, so this too is s 2022 ask back of sorts.

Debut year, true-C and 7′, 244 lb., Va.Beach escapee Mark Oluwafemi Williams sure looks the physical/enforcing part. As this kid is really tore-up physique wise or physically speaking. 30th ranked baller overall (ESPN) and was more parts scholastic rebounding and defense with the offense hopefully collegiately emerging. 1.9 ppg with 2.6 rpg and a block speak to this. Tho’ MOW did net 24 ppg on the high school all-star touring circuit so there is some measure of developing a more powerful offensive game hope in play here. And who does not need size, rpg, and bpg down-low?

The pine-squad oddity here… is the total/entire lack of home position backcourters for Coach K to substitute in. Zip. Zero. Zilch. Nadda. None. Nil. Go fig’ on that?!?

Upsetting mighty Duke @home is all about... what(s)?

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Illationconclusion(s) and OPT digits:

Number of Dukies who could duke it out @Tech=9.

the takeaway:
The takeaway here is… some are not so taken away with this year’s Duke club. Or at least not so taken as in years, past.

And yet a lotta other men’s D-1 hoops squads won’t be crying Duke a river anytime soon. Let me tell you.


As roster turnover at the rate that Coach K and company are indeed experiencing does not build a lotta chemistry nor does it build a lotta familiarly or even any synergy.

Coach Mike Young being a synergistic max’ type coach— tho’ I tangent…

However, annually replacing ***** one-n-done’s with more ***** one-n-done’s is a 10-star kinda gripe cumulatively. Or, Bo Derek type of basketball.

I mean, who would you rather have kick sand up as she and her beaded look runs by?

 ***

Our handy-dandy friend the so-called Forum Guide of Graham Houston fame is calling for a 3-point Tech Triumph in this one when in-common opponents are taken head-to-head.

7 PM kick-off!

The annualized year-to-date vitals say that… V.Tech is up +2% in shooting percentage margin (all per better D); with V.Tech up +3% in 3-point percentage margin (again, all per better D) and then V.Tech is up +1 carom in rebounding margin year-to-date (as both teams are very positive on the fiberglass for the duration).

The most recent 5-game metrics say that… The Hokies are up +6% in shooting percentage margin (virtually all on D what with Duke allowing nearly 50% of late); with the F’n Gobblers up an astounding +15% in 3-point percentage margin (same: nearly all on D as Duke is a user-friendly 3-point contesting sieve) and with nobody up much of anything in rebounding margin in the last fortnight of play (as these two virtually canceled each up +6 Windex Wipes per team perfectly out).

Then I found these little two in-game barometric nuggets…

The Hokies are 8-o when holding opponents to 43.6% or worse from the field, and 1-2 when opponents shoot better than that. The Dukies are 5-o when they make eight or more 3-pointers and o-2 when the team hits fewer than eight from long range

VeeTee is a .875 host; whereas Duke is 1.oo (1-o) as a guest.
VeeTee is up +3% at the charity stripe for the season.
Duke is up +4 in R&R in the last 2-weeks of play.

 The Call...

No.98 Net Ranking Duke @ no. Net Ranking Virginia Tech:

Generally speaking… as mentioned above, there is a distinct experience edge or nearly a k.Kong-sized ✔-mark to be O&M favorably found here. Check it out…

Seniors Keve Aluma, Tyrece Radford, and Justyn Mutts have combined to account for 44% of Virginia Tech’s scoring this season. On the other side, freshmen Matthew Hurt, DJ Steward, Jordan Goldwire, Jeremy Roach, and Jalen Johnson have combined to account for 77% of Duke’s scoring, including 91% of the team’s points over its last five.

Did Eye mention the experience imbalance (factor), yet?

oOo

Or, for that matter, did I mention the defensive-imbalance between these two, yet?
(neither of which should ‘go cold’. In very particular not @Home).

Still yet, I did see a few things that seemed to connote, aver, and posit that actually playing-ball (of all the things) is what Coach-K and Co. needed to actually work up their stop-unit approach.

Still yet again, can’t say I feel any less regarding our chances in Cassell compared to @Cameron.

And that makes this one about as close to being a toss-up or jump-ball kinda game as one between mighty Duke and typically lessor V.Tech in roundball terms typically goes.

VeeTee does have a shot, tho’ I’da rather played Duke last week when they were so very inexperienced and defensively stale after a 21-day layoff.

We do have a shot, tho’ that shot has narrowed a bit with Duke
started to widen on finally figuring their 2021 things, out.
As Eye figure Duke prolly would take this best 2 outta 3.
Let’s just hope this is our… 1!

💯🏀💯

 

(44% confidence interval)
Virginia Tech
=76, Duke=74

please support the VT F.C.A.!

LETS GO!

Hokies!

 bourbonstreet**

5 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. So I would have never thought that I would see VT PLAY Duke and and R.P.I. Rating of the two teams was 30 and 197 and VT had the 30. VT just has to win this game

    1. …it’s nearly senseless.
      (same as the recent 3-point percentage margin).

      In point of fact, one could be forgiven for saying something has to, give.

      b.street

  2. Appreciate the mind dump….couple of questions on the Category comparison table:

    – you have Coaching as a PUSH… I am a big fan of CMY, but you are saying he is just as good a coach as K?

    – you have dook with a strong advantage on the bench…I know they have talent, but they don’t seem to go very deep…are you saying better talent = better bench? ‘cuz if we are talking manageable depth, I think VT has the advantage…

    – can you expand on dook having the intangible advantage? Is this “chomping at the bit” alone? Or just ‘cuz we won’t have any fans in the stands? I would think our kids would be pretty fired up for this one…

    Appreciate your expanded thoughts on those items. Apologize if you covered these in your narrative, I certainly may have missed it.

    1. Eye figured that might draw some fire…

      On gameday? Yes.
      Does he have all the trophy case accouterments? Nyet. Not-yet.

      Bench=talent and size. That one big Center we can not touch –if they’d only give him post-up looks.

      Intangibles… this was pretty mixed to me. tho’ it sure feels like coach K was/is making progress with his team back playing where you can (finally) authentically survey the practicing results.

      good Q’s too!
      thank you RRHokie90.

      b.street

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