Oh, hey!  There you are!  We’ve missed you!  I knew you’d be back.  Sure, that ACC title and Orange Bowl Championship in football was great and unexpected.  And maybe that 5-4 start in hoops scared you away.  But I said back in August this basketball team was better than our football team.  Do I still say that?  Hmm.  That’s a tough one.  I think they are close to equal in talent.  Let’s face it, the ACC is a heck of a lot better in basketball than football.  And it was Skyline-chili-eating cincinnati in the OB, for goodness sake.  I knew these guys could play, I was just surprised that several players seemed to have regressed this season (sophomore slump) instead of stepping up their game. So maybe I’ll give the football team a slight edge but not a big one.

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So welcome back!  There’s plenty of room on the bandwagon!  As it stands now, seven more wins and VT is in the Big Dance with 95% certainty, unless they go 5-7 in ACC regular season play the rest of the way and win two games against crap teams in the ACC Tourney – then they would still be on the bubble.  But if the Hokies get their seven more wins, you have to think they are in.

Well, now here we are.  Winners of eight of our last nine games.  That is the second best run in Greenberg’s six seasons here.  The Hokies won nine of 10 back in 2006-07.  Tech can also tie for the longest winning streak under Greenberg (five) with a win on Sunday at miami (won’t be easy).  VT has twice won five in a row under Seth (2004-05 and 2006-07).

Here’s some comments on the win at wake and more:

• Have to give it up to the Hokie big men.  Thought wake’s bigs would dominate, but instead the VT big & tall stole the show.  Tech’s low post players were an eye-popping 12/16 (75%).  Cheick Diakite hit two big jump shots and even his 4/6 performance from the line was solid, although he could use ANY arc on his foul shots.  If those missiles had been any higher they would have broken the backboard. 
• The point above will be crucial on Sunday – miami is very big inside, too.  They just aren’t as talented.  I compare the miami low post to a hockey goon line.  The canes are very dependent on getting second chances, so the Hokies must keep them off the glass.
• VT’s guards were just 13/34 from the field, and 13/20 from the line.  Neither are worthy of writing home about, but Delaney and Vassallo always had an answer when wake went on a run.
• I don’t know how to grade Delaney’s game last night – he had 21 points and 8 rebounds, but his four turnovers pretty much all led to easy buckets for wake.  He also wasn’t his normal automatic at the line.  But like I said above, when VT absolutely needed it, he was the man.  And he helped keep VT to just 13 turnovers (I said 12 was the goal so not bad especially against the aggressive wake defense).
• Jeff Allen picked up two fouls on the offensive end, which has to end.  Although he did make up for it in part by drawing two charges in the second half on Aminu, one at a critical time.  But the offensive fouls cost him the last 10 minutes of the first half.
• The VT defense in the first half was about as good as I’ve ever seen.  It also helped that wake’s three talented big men, who average 38 ppg, were on the bench with three fouls (McFarland), two fouls (Johnson), and a wound that would make a hockey player miss a shift (Aminu).  Other than the unstoppable Jeff Teague (hope this kid goes pro after this year though he probably should stay and work on his outside shot), Tech did a tremendous job.  In the second half, the D softened up a bit, not getting back as quickly, allowing wake to get easy transition points.
• Tech did use the 2-3 zone a tad.  It had mixed results.  In the first half, wake shredded it for an easy bucket.  In the second half, it confused the deacs a bit.
• The Hokies now have that marquee win they needed!  Remember last year they didn’t, other than the late miami game.  Beating miami on Sunday would be huge, too, since the canes are currently in the top 30 of the RPI (or RPI like substitute).
• After this game at miami, and home against clemson next Thursday, the Hokies have a fairly easy five game stretch by ACC standards.  They play the bottom four teams in the ACC (all are currently under .500) and at maryland (who is currently 2-2).  As of right now, the Hokies would be favored in all of these games except at maryland.  If Tech can get one of these next two games, they will be in great shape going into this stretch to really do some damage and work towards a NCAA bid.

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Highlights | Box Score

The Virginia Tech Hokies upset No. 1 wake forest tonight in Winston-Salem, 78-71, handing the demon deacons their first loss of the season. Sophomore Malcolm Delaney led the Hokies with 21 points, while the other two members of the “Big Three,” Jeff Allen and A.D. Vassallo, added 16 each. wake’s Jeff Teague got 23, but his two big men were in foul trouble early and that hurt wake’s inside game.

The game was a bloody mess — literally. Early in the first half, Vassallo caught wake’s Al-Farouq Aminu with an inadvertent elbow to the forehead that left a huge cut above Aminu’s eye. Blood was literally pouring onto the court. Aminu missed much of the first half after leaving to have his axe wound stitched up and bandaged.

The game was a slugfest. A donnybrook. A slobberknocker, if you will. Early in the second half, wake’s Chas McFarland committed a flagrant foul against Delaney, but the refs only called a personal foul. Then later in the second half, McFarland and Tech’s Cheick Diakite both received technical fouls for a mild altercation at mid-court as the players were heading to their benches for a timeout. The foul was McFarland’s fifth and he was on the bench for the rest of the game.

Despite all the physical play, wake forest attempted zero free throws in the first half. None. The wake fans were about to run the refs out of the building. But the refs more than made up for it the second half, calling the Hokies for seven personal fouls in the first four and a half minutes, including some really iffy calls away from the ball. Even the announcers commented that Tech would have to adjust to the officiating in the second half.

Regardless, the Hokies played an outstanding defensive game. This was a wake team averaging 85 ppg, and the Hokies held them to 71. At the end of the first half, Tech had muzzled the potent offensive attack of the deacons to just 24 points.

The Hokies jumped out to a quick 6-2 lead, delivering the first blow in what was a highly entertaining, if stressful, game to watch. wake answered to take a 7-8 lead at the first media timeout. After that, it was all Hokies for the rest of the half. Delaney hit a pull-up jumper with 12:50 left to give the Hokies a 10-8 lead, and they would never trail again.

The deacs kept it close and pulled to within one, 15-14, before Tech went on a 15-0 run to take a 30-14 lead with 4:15 to play in the first. wake tried to answer, but every time the home team hit a big shot, the Hokies would answer to silence the crowd and kill the momentum. Tech took a 34-24 lead into the break.

The first few minutes of the second half belonged to wake forest … and the officials. J.T. Thompson was called for four fouls in a span of 3 minutes and 41 seconds. It appeared that the refs were anxious to make up for the lack of free throws for wake in the first half. In the first 4 minutes and 23 seconds of the second half, Tech was called for seven team fouls:

19:18 – J.T. foul
18:45 – Offensive foul called on Allen
17:27 – Delaney foul
17:24 – Davila foul
16:52 – J.T. foul
15:48 – J.T. foul
15:37 – J.T. foul

The seven team fouls put wake in the bonus for the majority of the second half and that helped them chip away at Tech’s lead. At one point, the Hokies had a 15-point lead, 43-28, but wake didn’t let up and eventually cut the lead down to two, 71-69, with 1:42 left.

The Hokies should have put this game away a lot earlier, but shot just 22 of 37 from the charity stripe — that’s 59 percent … awful. In the final two minutes of the game, the Hokies missed 7 of 14 free throws, allowing wake to hang on. But the deacs went cold from the field and couldn’t hit a shot in the final minute, and the Hokies picked up their third win ever against a No. 1 ranked team — their second in the last two years, and first time ever beating a No. 1 on the road.

As Niemo pointed out in his preview, the deacons are not a threat from behind the arc, and tonight was no different. When wake’s big men were sitting on the bench with foul trouble, Tech tightened up in the middle and forced wake to shoot from the perimeter. wake ended up shooting 5 of 16 from three-point land and all of those came in the second half as they tried to play catch up.

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Recap | Box Score

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The most lopsided un-rivalry in sports will be put to the test Wednesday night when the #10/9 clemson tigers head to Chapel Hill to take on the #5/6 unc tar heels.  For those of you that don’t know about this series, here’s all you need to know: clemson has never beaten unc in Chapel Hill.  Ever.  Never.   0-53.  Zero for fifty-three!  And 44 of those losses have come as co-members of the ACC, since both schools were ACC charter members in 1953.  That means with a level playing field in terms of conference, clemson is 0 for 44 at unc, despite playing there almost every year since 1953.  Every year, no matter how up clemson was or how down unc was, unc has come out on top in chapel hill since the series began in 1926.

clemson has beaten unc 19 times over the years — 15 at home and 4 on neutral turf.  They are a very respectable 12-24 against the tar heels at Littlejohn Coliseum, cu’s home. 

To put this in perspective, VT has completed four full seasons in the ACC.  Despite not playing every team on the road each year (except uva), the Hokies have won on 9 of the 11 opposing courts, including unc and duke. 

Surprisingly, the only schools VT has not beaten on the road as members of the ACC are nc state and fsu.  I guess nc state shouldn’t be a surprise if you follow VT basketball, but considering how bad nc state has been the last few years, it is.  The Hokies are 0-3 in Raleigh and Tallahassee since joining the league.  But, Tech has won at both locales before.  Tech is 2-19 at nc state and 5-13 at fsu all-time.  The last win at state was in 1917 (yeesh), while VT won at fsu in 1990 as part of the Metro Conference.  And don’t forget the Henson Heave that won the 1980 game there.  Tech has lost 19 in a row at nc state… but still well short of 53 and as I said, VT has won there at least, even if it was during World War I.  Tech plays at fsu to end the regular season this year, but Tech does not play at nc state this season.

Fun Facts:

• There have been 15 US Presidents (including leitao/obama) since the streak started in 1926
• 11 US Presidents have graced the Oval Office since both teams joined the ACC in ’53
• clemson had never even taken unc to overtime at Chapel Hill until last year, when clemson blew a late double-digit lead and lost in double-OT
• Both schools have had 12 head coaches since the streak started
• Bill Foster, who led Tech to a NIT title in ’95 and a NCAA appearance in ’96, is a part of the losing clemson coaching lineup

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THE SETUP

Spread: wake by 13.5

The Virginia Tech Hokies only do two things well: kick wake forest’s butt and chew bubble gum… and we are all out of bubble gum!

On Wednesday night the Hokies travel to Winston-Salem to take on the #1 wake forest demon deacons.  Oh, no, we are shaking in our high tops!  Excuse me if I don’t have a ton of respect for the third best NC ACC school.  They are good, but are they #1 good?  Nope.  Not in my opinion.  Should they be #1 right now?  Probably.  At least until Wednesday night.  Don’t forget — the Hokies own the deacons.

• 2-0 against wake in football in ACC play
• 4-2 in basketball (includes a win in the 2007 ACC Tourney)

Alright, maybe that’s not “owning” them, but it does have to give VT confidence.  Tech choked away an eight point lead with 1:22 to go in regulation at wake in December of 2007, losing 77-75 (Recap) in regulation on a jumper by Ishmael Smith.  Then, the Hokies waxed the deacs 80-58 (Recap) in Blacksburg in March of 2008.  Yes, Tech has lost Deron Washington since that point, while wake has returned all five starters from last year and several key reserves.  They also added three 5-star (according to Rivals.com) low post players.  But only two of those play, and only one contributes significantly, Al-Farouq Aminu. 

Speaking of owning — A.D. Vassallo has averaged 21 ppg in his previous five meetings against wake.  They have never held A.D. to fewer than 14 points, and he had 29 points and 10 rebounds as a freshman at wake for a very short-handed Hokie club.  He had 19 in the trip to Winston-Salem last season.

Like I said, I just don’t see the Hokies being intimidated in this game like they seemed to be at duke.  This team should believe they can beat wake, because they can.

Note: VT is 2-6 all time against #1 teams, beating memphis (state) on 1/10/83 in Blacksburg by a 69-56 score, and unc at Tech by a 94-88 margin on 1/13/07.

THE SERIES

VT has won four of the last five meetings with wake, with the lone loss being the game mentioned above, a game that VT had and let slip away in the final 80 seconds.  Keep in mind, that was the first ACC game ever for six Hokies that see significant minutes.  The guys have come a long way since then.

• All-Time Series: wake 26-24
• At wake: wake 14-5
• In ACC Play: VT 4-2 (includes a win in the 2007 ACC Tournament)

LINEUPS

BREAKING DOWN THE OPPONENT AND KEYS TO THE GAME

wake forest is TALL, I’ll give them that.  They can throw more bigs at you than a Weight Watchers information session.  And they are talented inside.  James Johnson made the All-Rookie Team in the ACC last season, Chas ”Michaels-Michaels” McFarland is a 7-footer that can score, rebound, and block shots in the low post.  And Al-Farouq Aminu was a top-10 recruit that is third on the team in scoring, leading wake in rebounds, and tied for the lead in blocks.  If that wasn’t enough, wake can bring 6’11″ Tony Woods or David Weaver off the bench to eat up minutes, though they aren’t much of a threat offensively.

Despite averaging 85 ppg, good for second in the ACC, wake cannot kill you from deep.  They are last in the ACC in threes made per game by a wide margin.  The Hokies have to pack it in defensively and dare the deacs to beat them from deep.  Will we see some zone?  Possibly.  But I’d expect if we do it will be the 2-3 zone.  That is less susceptible to giving up offensive rebounds.

The star of this team though is their do-it-all guard, Jeff Teague.  He moved from shooting guard, where he played mostly last year along with Ishmael Smith, to the point.  When Smith comes in, Teague will help out with ballhandling, but shift to the two.  The sophomore has increased his scoring from 14 ppg to over 21 ppg, good for second in the ACC behind Tyler Hansbrough.  Teague is shooting a phenomenal 53% from the field and 52% from behind the arc, although he picks and chooses his spots to shoot from deep.  He only attempts about 3 three-pointers per game.  Instead, he uses his athleticism to get out and run for fast break points, or he can break teams down in the half court set.  Teague is also second in the ACC in steals, so he can create his own opportunities to run.

The Hokies need to keep wake well under their 85 ppg average to have a shot in this one.  The keys to doing that are two things: limit wake’s ability to get out and run, and limit Teague’s penetration in the half court set.  Neither will be easy. 

To stop the break, VT must limit their turnovers.  Anything north of 12, and VT is likely in trouble, especially if those turnovers are not of the dead-ball variety.  Aminu and Johnson are both very athletic big men, along with Williams at the guard spot.  They can turn this game into a dunk contest in a hurry. 

To limit Teague’s impact, VT’s guards (Delaney, Bell, Hudson… maybe even Thompson) must be able to keep Teague from beating them off the dribble or screen to get inside the arc.  Since Teague does not attempt a ton of threes, it will be wise for the defender to go underneath screens on the perimeter.  Stopping his penetration has to be a concern for the Hokies though as their guards have been beaten off the dribble like a rented mule by quick guards at times.

Stopping Teague off the dribble is important because of the options he has once he’s into the lane.  He shoots 53%, yet teams are afraid to leave their man to help, because Johnson, Aminu, and McFarland all can score.  They average 13.4, 12.8, and 10.5 points respectively.  So whomever leaves their man to help is exposing another talented finisher.  VT will really have to collapse well.  Whomever is guarding L.D. Williams can leave him to help out inside, he isn’t much of a threat from deep but does average 9 ppg.  Or maybe a fan will help stop McFarland (if you haven’t seen the clip, a clemson student grabbed onto Chas after he dove into the stands saving a loose ball at clemson — this takes arm-curling to a whole new level!).  YouTube Clip

Teague will make mistakes though.  He averages 3.7 turnovers per game.  If you can force him to dish, he throws it away at times.

In the half court set, another key is where wake receives feeds inside to the post.  Tech’s big men have let opposing low post players receive the ball too close to the hoop a lot this season, especially Davila.  That cannot happen in this game.  The VT low post players must not let the wake bigs, especially McFarland, set up on the low block.

Another must for the Hokies is limiting the deacs’ second chance opportunities.  The deacons are tied for third in the ACC in rebounding margin (VT is sixth).  wake can dominate on the glass due to their height, allowing their poor three-point shooters to take some bad shots.  Aminu (8.8 rpg), Johnson (8.1), and McFarland (7.1) are all in the top 13 in the ACC in rebounding.  Tech must keep them off the glass.  In the bc game, the Hokies seemed to have bad positioning at times, turning bc misses into 50/50s that were basically tip drills.  wake will take bad shots, so all five guys for VT must support on the boards.

Off the bench, wake doesn’t get a lot of points.  Harvey Hale is the lone shooter off the bench, but he’s struggled this season shooting just 38%.  He is a streaky three-point shooter.  If he hits his first, he’s another weapon, if he misses, you may not notice him the rest of the game.

Ishmael Smith, who has been demoted to backup point guard, is a pass-first guy.  He is lightning quick, but the Hokies don’t have to panic when he is penetrating.  They can back off him on the outside since he is not a three-point threat.

Woods and Weaver are mostly just support players to give the low post guys a rest when they need it or are in foul trouble.

On defense, wake will take chances to try and jump start their break.  The extra pass can lead to easy buckets, but Tech has to be careful to not throw it into enemy hands.  Also, VT will really have to protect the ball if wake presses a lot.  Tech doesn’t have a lot of ballhandlers, but have done a good job of breaking presses so far this year.

Foul trouble likely will be a concern for the Hokies in this contest.  wake gets to the line a lot, in fact, only unc has attempted more free throws in the ACC.  With so many offensive threats inside, a great fast break, and a slasher guard extraordinaire, wake draws a lot of fouls.  Jeff Allen has managed to avoid foul trouble of late, but this game will be a real test for him.  He cannot afford to give up any fouls on the offensive end.  Expect to see Diakite, Witcher, and Davila see a lot of time and have to give up some fouls.

On offense, Tech must slow the tempo and not fall into the trap of playing at wakes speed.  Cutting down on the number of possessions in this game by using clock will also help prevent the opportunities for fouls to VT’s big men.  As much as I beg for more up-tempo, fast break chances for Tech, this isn’t the game I necessarily want to see it in.  VT needs to make this a half court game.

Another key will be the play of Jeff Allen.  After struggling in recent weeks, Jeff was able to back down and out-quick the bc low post defenders.  Can he do the same against wake’s talented bigs?  We shall see.  Jeff has had trouble with taller defenders.  Tech needs to involve him early, and if he can hit a jumper or two to draw the defense out, it could open up things inside.

Hey, they may be #1, but they are beatable.  They are young.  Their top three scorers are freshman or sophomores, and the other two starters are juniors.  After big wins in two of their last three games (unc and at clemson), this could be a let down game.  How will they respond?  Will they come out and play like they want to look like the #1 team?   Or will they think they can coast in this one and focus on their game with #2 duke next week?  We’ll see on Wednesday.  Either way, the Hokies on the court know they can play with this team.

BORING FACTS ABOUT wake

• ACC Basketball Championships: 4 (’61, ’62, ’95, ’96 – in other words, only back-to-backs)
• Final Four Appearances: 1 (’62)
• wake is the only NC school to win an outright ACC football championship (in 2007) since 1980.  Only one school has tied for an ACC title in that stretch: duke.  How sad is that, unc and nc state?
• Founded in 1834 in Wake Forest, NC, just outside Raleigh.  Moved to Winston-Salem in 1956… that’s right, they aren’t even in the town they are named for!
• Undergrad Enrollment: 4,400
• Type: Private (and uppity)
• Ties: Baptist
• Students: The screamin’ deacons wear tie-dyed shirts to games even though it looks dumb and has the entire five years they’ve been doing it (hence why I hated the VT Hokies on Fire shirts last season)
• Biggest Jerk Alum: Billy Packer
• Nicest Alums: Arnold Palmer and Tim Duncan
• Other Famous Students: Chris Paul, Randolph Childress (his performance in the 95 ACC Tourney was nothing short of incredible), Dr. Jerry Punch (sideline reporter… got his doctorate at wake… why does a sideline reporter need that?… played QB for Lou Holtz at nc state… OK, enough about this dude), Brian Piccolo (of Brian’s Song… great movie – see the James Caan version), Rodney Rogers (who recently became paralyzed due to an ATV accident), Lanny Watkins, and Lee Norris (been in a bunch of TV shows I will never watch like 1 Tree Hill and Boy Meets World)

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This past week the Weekend Warrior (WW) went to see the ultimate Hokie band – Metallica!  Tell us Enter Sandman doesn’t make your hair stand up any time you hear it, whether it be as the Hokies charge out of the tunnel at Lane, in your car, or before you arm curl somebody.  Well our own WW went to try and see it live…

Click ‘Read more’ to hear the blow-by-blow details of his adventure…

Continue Reading

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Recap | Niemo’s Notes | Box Score

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Random thoughts on bc and more:

• Jeff Allen’s 30 points against bc mark the highest total ever scored by a Hokie in a home ACC game.  The previous high was 29 set by A.D. Vassallo in the uva game the week before.  The 30 points are tied for the second-most scored by a Hokie in ACC play home or away.  Zabian Dowdell had 33 at unc two years ago, and 30 at miami the same season.
• Allen finally displayed his deadly drop-step yesterday.  A lot of his points came when he’d get the ball in the low post (usually to the left side of the hoop) with his back to the basket.  Jeff would then drop-step towards the baseline with his right leg, seal the defender with his right shoulder/arm, and then shoot a reverse layup up-and-under the basket.  bc had no answer for this all day.  Against other teams with bigger men guarding him, he has been forced too far to the baseline, causing him to drift out of bounds or too far under the hoop.  Or he hasn’t even been able to make the move as heavier opponents push him out and don’t let him make the move.  We shall see if this was just because of bc’s defenders or if Jeff can consistently do this.
• Jeff hit his first three of the game and that seemed to give him a lot of confidence.  The Hokies kept feeding him the ball every possession early on.  Finally!  When you get Allen involved early in the game, he’s a totally different player.  Yesterday showed the results.
• Tech used a 15-2 run in the middle of the first half to turn a 21-13 deficit into a 28-23 lead.  During the run, four different players drained threes – Delaney, Vassallo, Hudson, and Thorns.  It was awesome.
• Malcolm Delaney continues to aggressively go to the hoop and that is a good thing.  He wasn’t afraid to get out and run or drive at the hoop and go hard to the tin.  10 of his 12 free throws were from playing aggressively, not from getting fouled at the end of the game.  That is certainly a good thing for Tech.  Good things happen when Malcolm drives.  It didn’t always work out, but it is better than when he sits out on the perimeter.  He is a good slasher.
• Delaney has scored in double digits in 22 straight games and is the only Hokie to do so in every game this year.
• Tech was losing bc’s Trapani on the perimeter yesterday on the pick-and-pop play.  The Hokies haven’t faced a lot of bigs that can shoot.  He’d set a high screen for Rice, then drift to an open spot.  The man guarding Trapani would flash to Rice to help, leaving Trapani wide open.  He killed VT in the first half with this, including two three-pointers in the final minute.  But in the second half VT did a better job defending this, limiting Trapani to just five points in the final 19 minutes of the game.  The Hokies need to do a better job of stopping the guard after a high screen while also defending the picker, if he can shoot.  VT will face some bigs that can shoot coming up so this will be key again.
• Virginia Tech was 1 for 4 on the front end of one-and-ones yesterday.  That is pathetic.  That means six points were wasted on those three missed on front ends.  Vassallo missed one and I believe Allen missed the other two.  He could have had even more points if Jeff had hit those free throws!  He was 7 for 12 from the charity stripe, and threw two more attempts in the trash by missing those front ends.
• Tech, who had trouble inbounding the ball under the basket on the offensive end against uva, did a much better job yesterday.  Their screen and flash to the hoop play led to a couple of easy buckets.
• The Hokies clinched at least a .500 record at home this season.  They are 7-1 at the Cassell with six to go.  That means that Tech still has only had one losing season ever at home in the history of the Cassell (back to ’62).  If you read this site regularly, you don’t even need me to tell you who the coach was for that losing season.  Ah, I can’t resist – ricky stokes!!!
• Tech has won 14 of their last 18 ACC games at home.  Amazing!
• Congrats to Seth on his 100th win at Virginia Tech.  You really can’t say enough about what he has done for this program.  The wins are never pretty, and rarely easy, but they keep on coming – 100 times in fact.
• Six of VT’s last 10 ACC regular season wins have come against bc or uva over the last two seasons.  Those two teams were picked 11th and 12th in the ACC preseason poll this year, and finished near the bottom last year.  What’s that tell you?  The Hokies are great at beating the teams they should, but until they start beating the teams they shouldn’t, no NCAA Tournament for you!  Wednesday night VT plays a team they shouldn’t beat.  On the road.  The last remaining undefeated team, who may be #1 in the polls, and likely will be.  The [blank blank] wake forest demon deacons.  [blank] those jerks.  Let’s do it!

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Box Score

The Hokies got a monster game from center Jeff Allen who scored a career-high 30 points as Tech beat the boston college eagles, 79-71, for the fourth straight time. Allen added three blocks, three steals, and finished one rebound shy of a double-double.

Tech successfully defended bc’s 10th year senior Tyrese Rice in the first half, holding him to just 8 points, but Joe Trapani stepped up with 16 first-half points to keep pace with the Hokies. However, Tech out-rebounded the eagles 17-11, got 13 points from Allen, and got a dozen from A.D. Vassallo to take a 41-37 halftime lead.

The Hokies fed off an energized crowd stocked with students back from the winter break and hungry for an ACC victory, which is exactly what they got. As if the fans weren’t already juiced for an ACC game against a team that has become a bitter rival, Rice had to up the ante with a hard flagrant foul against Jeff Allen in the first half. From that point forward, every time Rice touched the ball, the fans booed.

Allen really came on strong in the second half where he scored 17 of his 30 points and imposed his will inside the paint, though it’s clear that Allen’s lighter frame doesn’t allow him to out-muscle opposing big men. However, what he lacks in girth he gained in quickness.

The big three once again led the Hokies, scoring 65 of the team’s 79 points. Vassallo finished with 16 points and Malcolm Delaney added 19, though 11 of those were free throws. The next highest point total came from Dorenzo Hudson, who had five points. Hudson, however, blew back-to-back dunks in the second half and then missed a pair of free throws. The second missed dunk sent head coach Seth Greenberg into a sideline rage — I mean literally screaming at the top of his lungs and spit flying everywhere. Meanwhile, a couple of assistant coaches were smirking and trying to hide their amusement — not so much at Hudson’s misses, but more about what fate awaits Hudson at the next practice. Two words: dog house.

Minus Delaney’s 11/12 from the charity stripe, the rest of the team shot 9/19. As a team, they shot 60 percent — that’s WITH Delaney’s stats.

Despite getting most of their points from the big three, the Hokies got a balanced team effort. Nine players logged double-digit minutes. Cheick Diakite played only nine minutes. During his time on the bench, he and Greenberg had a chat, but it didn’t look like Cheick was too interested in what coach had to say.

This win was Greenberg’s 100th as the head coach at Virginia Tech.

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Lamont Jones, a Class of 2009 verbal commitment to the Hokies, has been nominated to the 32nd annual McDonald’s All-American Game.  He is one of 40 New Yorkers on the nominee list.  MoMo is from Brooklyn originally, though he currently plays for Oak Hill Academy.  He would be considered a long shot at this point to make the game, but being nominated is quite an honor.

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Spread: VT favored by 5

THE SETUP

On Saturday, the Hokies close out their three-game home stand against the boston college eagles.  Tech has won the first two games of their longest home stand of the season, a 78-75 win over arch-rival uva, and a 62-48 woodshed beating of in-state foe richmond.  VT has won six of their last seven games heading into the contest.

I called last week’s game against uva a must win if VT wanted to keep their Big Dance slippers handy.  While this isn’t a “must win”, per say, it is a “strongly should win” game.  bc was picked 11th in the preseason ACC media standings.  In all honesty, they are pretty close in terms of talent to the Hokies based on performances this year.  But this game is in the Cassell.  If VT is going to win nine ACC games (which they likely need to in order to have a shot at the NCAA Tournament), you have to beat a team like this on your home floor.

THE SERIES

The Hokies will look to continue their recent success against the eagles.  Virginia Tech has won the last three meetings between the teams.  That reversed a previous trend of failure against bc.  In Tech’s first 10 games against bc as a member of the Big East and ACC, the Hokies won just once. 

The eagles’ talent has fallen off a bit over the last few years, and Tech has been able to exploit them.  VT has superior athletes to bc.  boston college historically wants to grind things out and play a Big East style of ball.  But the Hokies have been able to use their athleticism to beat the eagles.  Last year at bc, the Hokies led most of the game before a late rally sent the game to overtime.  Hank Thorns scored nine points in OT to lead VT to a 81-73 victory.  Jeff Allen was suspended for this game.  In his place, J.T. Thompson continued his coming out party with 14 points and 12 rebounds.  J.T.’s hustle helped Tech get numerous second chance points.  (Game Film)

In the meeting at Cassell, VT played fantastic defense and used a 19-3 run in the second half to roll to a 67-48 beat down of the eagles.  Tech dominated the glass again, out-rebounding bc 46-31.  Jeff Allen had 13 points and 10 rebounds in his debut against the eagles.

• All Time: bc 9-5
• At the Cassell: 3-3
• In the ACC: 3-3
• Streak: VT 3 in a row
• In the Big East: bc 6-1

LINEUPS

THE OPPONENT

In just a week, the eagles have gone from the penthouse to the outhouse.  After upsetting #1 unc in Chapel Hill in front of a national audience over a week ago, the eagles have dropped three straight games at home, and lost their short-lived ranking.  This streak includes an embarrassing loss to cross-town “rival” harvard, marking harvard’s first ever win over a ranked team.  Then, bc lost to miami and got waxed by wake (83-63) in Beantown. 

I wouldn’t be surprised to see Al Skinner mix things up in this game with his lineup to send a message.  He has to be disappointed with his team’s effort against wake.  wake could have easily had a let down after an emotional with over unc on Sunday night, but instead they scalped the eagles, jumping out to a 20-point halftime lead.

It is not that surprising that the eagles have been up and down of late, especially now that they are in ACC play.  They are a very young team.  They have just one senior (Rice) and one junior (Roche).  The eagles play two freshman and six sophomores, including one player, Joe Trapani, who is in his first season with bc after transferring from vermont.

The eagles are led by their lone senior, Tyrese Rice.  Rice is from L.C. Bird HS in Richmond, VA.  He earned first-team All-ACC honors last season and is well on his way again this year (he was All-ACC 2nd-team his sophomore year).  Tyrese is averaging 17.5 ppg and 6.0 apg, but also 3.8 turnovers.  The offense runs through him, plain and simple.  His career reminds me a lot of Zabian Dowdell’s, and not just because both are left-handed.  He started as a long range bomber (and he has NBA range), but has developed into a player that can split any double team and get to the hoop.  Tyrese gets to the line a lot and nails free throws at an 84% clip.  He shoots 38% from downtown, though his three-point shooting has become less frequent (better shot selection).  Rice is similar to Malcolm Delaney in that he is more of a shooting guard playing the point. 

Shutting Rice down is not the key to victory — he is going to get his points.  The key is to limit what he creates for others.  In bc’s five losses, he has been held to 4 or fewer assists in each game.  In their 13 wins, he has had at least 6 assists in 11 of those games.  Tech does need to keep him from going nuts, which he did in two of their bigger wins against st. john’s and unc.  Last year he nearly beat unc by himself, scoring 46.  He had maybe the greatest half of basketball I’ve ever seen in that game.

The big surprise for bc this year has been the play of Joe Trapani.  The 6’8″ transfer from vermont has averaged 13.7 ppg and 6.9 rpg.  He was a good player as a freshman for vermont, but has really stepped up his game in the ACC.  However, he is lanky and can be out-muscled on the glass.  Joe has a good inside-outside game.  He hits about 1.5 threes per game, but also can score in the low post and gets to the line a fair amount.  VT will have to guard him from anywhere on the floor.

Corey Raji and Rakim Sanders start on the wing for bc.  Both average around 11.5 ppg.  But Raji is in a major slump.  He has scored 6 points or less in four of the last five games, after hitting double digits in six straight.  He has seen his minutes greatly reduced the last two games in favor of freshman Reggie Jackson.

Sanders is a streaky shooter.  If he’s on, he’s deadly.  If he’s off, he can become invisible on offense.  If he makes his first three-pointer, look out.

Josh Southern is the classic bc goon they like to have inside.  Big body.  Not a great scorer, but decent on the boards.  He isn’t a great shot blocker, either.

Jackson, bc’s top recruit from this past class, has seen his minutes increase since his career high 17 point effort at unc.  The 6’3″ guard chipped in 14 against miami, but pooped the bed against wake going 1/6 from the floor.  He is also foul prone, reaching in too much instead of moving his feet.

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Boxscore

Many things are known for being cold: Alaska, Greenland, Antarctica, MGD, women at fancy clubs.  But now there’s a new kind of cold that trumps them all: richmond basketball.  To say the spiders came out cold on this frigid Blacksburg winter eve is like saying Metallica is good — its quite the understatement.  The spiders started out 2 for 21 from the floor (9.5%).  They didn’t score for the first 5:44 of the game and did not hit a two-point field goal until less than six and a half minutes were left in the first half (they missed their first 11 two-point shots).  The Hokies used that opportunity to jump out to a 24-6 lead and never looked back, cruising to a 62-48 win that was no where near that close on the court.  richmond never led and never got within 12 points over the final 28 minutes of the game.

For the game, richmond shot just 31%.  That was the second lowest shooting percentage by an opponent on the season (longwood shot just 30%).  The spiders were a dreadful 3 for 22 on three-pointers for the game (13%), including just 1 for their last 15 long balls.  Tech wasn’t much better from behind the arc, hitting just 2 of 14 (14%).  In other words, it wasn’t pretty.

The Hokies were led by Jeff Allen’s 15th career double-double, and fifth of the season.  The Dunking Donut broke out of his 3/17 shooting slump over his last three games with an 11 point and 12 rebound performance.  He also had 2 blocks and 2 steals.  However, Jeff was outmuscled down low at times.  Perhaps the theory that he needs some of the weight he lost is correct.

Tech had their most balanced attack on the offensive end of the season, a great sign as VT heads into their final 14 ACC games of the regular season.  Ten Hokies scored on the night and no one had more than 12 points.  Malcolm Delaney had a game high 12 points and J.T. Thompson added 10 points and 8 rebounds.  A.D. Vassallo was held to just 6 points, although he only attempted 6 shots.

A great sign for VT was the play off the bench of guards Terrell Bell and Dorenzo Hudson.  The two combined for 13 points on 6 of 9 shooting, although 11 of those points came in the first half when the game was decided.  Those guys entered this game shooting 36% and 29% respectively.

At one point in the middle of the first half, all five guys on the floor for Virginia Tech were bench players — Bell, Hudson, Thorns, Diakite, and Witcher.  Perhaps Greenberg was giving them their chance to earn their playing time before the schedule goes all-ACC.

A huge key to the win was Tech’s domination of the glass.  The Hokies allowed just 3 offensive rebounds to richmond in the first half despite all the spider misses.  At the half, Tech had a 26-12 advantage on the glass and finished the game with a 41-24 margin and just 6 offensive rebounds for richmond.

richmond’s leading scorer, David Gonzalvez, was held to just 4 points over the first 38 minutes of the game on 2/11 shooting.  He added 5 points in garbage time to finish with 9, but that’s more than 7 points below his average.  Only one spider reached double digits, Kevin Anderson.  He scored 11, but that’s 4 below his average.  Jarhon Giddings, who attended Blacksburg High, was held scoreless despite averaging 9.6 ppg.

Both teams might as well have called it quits at the half.  Neither team showed much in the second half.  With Tech leading 41-21 at the break, both teams went cold.  With 7:45 left, the score was just 52-31 — in other words, only 21 points were scored in the first 12 minutes of the second stanza.  After that point neither team showed much. 

Tech is now done with their out of conference slate, finishing at 10-4 outside of the ACC.  That’s one game better than last season (thanks to flipping the result of the loss at richmond last year).  VT has won six of their last seven games, everything except that forgettable effort at duke. 

The Hokies return to action on Saturday at 4 PM against the bc eagles at the Cassell.  The game is on ESPNU, so about 14 of you can watch it at home.  The rest of you will be scrambling for sports bars to see it.

Scoring Summary by Media Timeout:

First Half:

• Under 16 Timeout: VT 7, ur 0
• Under 12: VT 13, ur 6
• Under 8: VT 18, ur 6
• Under 4 (occurred with less than a minute to go): VT 39, ur 19
• Halftime: VT 41, ur 21

Second Half:

• Under 16: VT 45, ur 21
• Under 12: VT 49, ur 31
• Under 8: VT 52, ur 31
• Under 4: VT 57, ur 39

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I have updated Cadarian Raines’ page with stats and results from Petersburg High School’s first nine games.  Petersburg is currently ranked #1 in the state at the AAA level (the highest level) according to the Times Dispatch.  Look at the scores and you will see why.

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THE SETUP

Spread: VT by 8.5

Article about Jarhon Giddings‘, one of richmond’s big men who went to Blacksburg High for a stretch.

The Hokies conclude their non-conference schedule with a battle against an in-state foe, the richmond spiders.  Before you chalk up a ‘W’ for the Hokies, remember, the spiders beat Tech last season 52-49 in what could only be termed as an “Instant Crapper”.  Watching that game was like watching Roseanne Barr try to touch her toes for two hours while wearing a thong.  It wasn’t pretty.  And remember, nobody runs on richmond.

This game, believe it or not, is a big one for Tech’s NCAA Tournament hopes.  Lose, and the Hokies end their non-ACC season at 9-5.  Guess what their out of conference record was last season…  You got it yet?  Answer is 9-5.  With a win, the Hokies will hit the out of conference (OOC) finish line at 10-4.  Sure, they would lack a marquee OOC win this year, but they didn’t have one last season either.  Assuming Tech repeated their ACC record of 9-7 plus 1-1 in the ACC Tournament (and that’s an awfully big assumption), that puts the Hokies at 20-12.  You would have to be certifiably insane to not put an ACC team with 20 wins into the Big Dance, especially if some of those wins are over the wake’s, duke’s, unc’s, clemson’s, miami’s, or fsu’s of the world.  And Tech still has eight games left against those six teams.  That also means VT has a pretty tough road to hoe the rest of the way.

THE SERIES

• All Time: VT 68-39
• Recent Series: The teams have met the two previous seasons, splitting the action.  VT won at home 65-53 in 2007 and richmond won 52-49 last season.
• At the Cassell: VT 21-1 (loss was in 1991… believe it or not, ricky stokes wasn’t VT’s coach)
• Last Meeting: Dorenzo Hudson had 14 points off the bench to lead the Hokies.  Jeff Allen had 11 but battled foul trouble.  Vassallo and Delaney were held to a combined 12 points on 5/21 shooting (0/7 on threes).  The Hokies also were hurt by 23 turnovers.  It is hard to win when you shoot 39% and commit 23 turnovers, though the Hokies had their chances late.

LINEUPS

THE OPPONENT

How many spiders does it take to screw in a light bulb?  A: 3 — one to screw it in and two to make martinis to celebrate.  Let’s just say when richmond plays uva, the tailgating action will never be featured in a Miller High Life commercial. (“Ostrich?  That’s a bird, not a burger!”)

richmond enters this game coming off their biggest win of the season, a 60-48 woodshed beating at gwu in their A-10 opener.  And the game wasn’t that close — the spiders led by 20 at the half.  The spiders also played syracuse tough on the road and wake tough at home, losing in the Carrier Dome by just five, 76-71, and losing to  wake by only seven, 86-79.  They lost to odu, vcu, and vmi by a combined seven points.  In fact, only one of their losses was greater than the margin to wake, a 14-point loss to bradley.  So the spiders keep their games competitive.

The spiders’ offense likes to spread you out. They have several options to shoot from deep, or they can break a defense down and go at the rim.  They are led by their starting back court: junior shooting guard David Gonzalvez and sophomore point guard Kevin Anderson.  The two combine for 32 ppg. 

Anderson is a slasher.  He will shoot a few threes a game, but not for a high percentage.  The Hokies need to keep him from penetrating in the half court set or release early and get out on the break.  Anderson gets to the line a lot.

Gonzalvez is a pure shooter and can exploit a defense from behind the arc or with his mid-range game.  He does not drive aggressively though and rarely gets to the line.  Tech must cling tight to him on the outside.  Expect Bell, Thompson, or Hudson to mark him.  David led all scorers in the game last season with 17.

The spiders also have another deep threat in 6’10″ Justin Harper.  The big man averages over 10 ppg. Half his buckets come from behind the arc, shooting 45% from long range.  He is a face-up player — Tech doesn’t have to worry about him as much with his back to the basket.  But when he wanders out to the perimeter, it will force the Hokie big man guarding him to go out with him, leaving the lane vulnerable to Anderson’s penetrating abilities.  Harper hit two three-pointers in last year’s match-up with VT and has hit 7/13 threes in his last two games.  Justin is vulnerable to foul trouble.  The quicker Hokies need to take it at him and force richmond to bench the three-point threat.

Jarhon Giddings is richmond’s best banger in the low post.  The 6’9″ forward scores just under 10 ppg, most in the low post. 

Kevin Smith, the last starter, is not a great scorer (despite what I say below) but actually leads the team in assists despite playing a forward position.  He can really dish the rock, either to a cutting Anderson or out to one of their jump shooters.  Last year against the Hokies he did have 13 points, which is more than he’s had in any game this year.  Perhaps the Hokies took him too lightly in terms of his scoring ability.

richmond just has bodies on the bench, no one to really be concerned about.  Their starting guards will play almost the whole game.

BORING FACTS ABOUT richmond

• Enrollment: ~2700 undergrad (one of the smallest in D1)
• Type: Private and uppity
• Founded by Baptists in 1830
• Conference: A-10
• 33rd among national liberal arts colleges according to the US News and World Report
• Their FCS championship in December was their first ever team national title
• Famous alums: Bruce Hornsby (singer), Leland Martin (astronaut), Tim Hightower (RB for AZ Cardinals), Sean Casey (baseball)… in other words, not much.

richmond does not rebound very well on the defense end and they are not a physical team.  The Hokies can get second chance points if they hit the glass hard and can actually finish their opportunities (flush it!).  But a guard needs to make sure he gets back to slow down Anderson in transition.

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Just a heads up that we have added a bunch of information to MoMo Jones’ bio page.  Information includes his stats from most of his Oak Hill games this season, including a 40-point effort in the finals of the Iolani Classic in Hawaii that earned Jones the MVP honors.  MoMo has verballed to VT as part of the class of ’09.

2009 Recruiting Class

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The Hokies took game one of this pivotal three game home stand with their 78-75 victory over the uva cavaliers on Saturday. There is no denying that A.D. Vassallo – 29 points, including the decisive turn around baseline jumper with 18.3 seconds to go – and Malcolm Delaney – 24 points to go with savvy ball handling and leadership – carried the Hokies to the must-win victory in Cassell. But there were some other positive signs that came from this game. One would have to include the play of Terrell Bell. Bell hit a three-pointer from the wing in the first half and played with confidence the entire game. His defense on uva freshman phenom sylvan landesberg in the second half was commendable and he had a huge steal off a uva baseline inbound attempt that led to a break away dunk by Delaney. Bell’s continued development will be key to whether the Hokies can make a run this season in the ACC.

Cheick Diakite and Lewis Witcher also gave the Hokies quality minutes, but they along with Victor Davila continued to miss way too many point blank shots. Every game from here out figures to be tightly contested so converting on these will be a must for the Hokies.

Jeff Allen continues to struggle, going 0 for 7 on field goal attempts againt virginia. He looked especially tentative against cavalier freshman assane sene. However Frank Beamer has to be taking note of Big Jeff, who is in the mold of current NFL star tight ends Tony Gonzales (cal) and Antonio Gates (kent st.) who were both college basketball stars before moving on to their prolific football careers. Will we ever see Allen line up at tight end in the fall for the Hokies? Who knows, but regardless, opposing teams who attempt to full court press the Hokies had better have their heads on a swivel. Just ask cavalier guards sammy zeglinski and calvin baker, both of whom were tko’d by Allen’s solid screens, much to the delight of the Cassell crowd.

Allen did seem to respond to his mid second half benching by Seth Greenberg and played better inside down the stretch, finishing with six rebounds to go along with a steal and blocked shot. Let’s hope the Dunking Donut can quickly regain his form starting Wednesday night against the richmond spiders.

The quote of the week this week came from ESPN broadcaster and former st. john’s and New York Knick star Mark Jackson, who was taking a break from his normal NBA duties to broadcast last Wednesday’s davidson – duke contest. Jackson described blue devil backup guard greg paulus as “A true professional…on the college level.”

Finally, the Mr. Inconsistency award has to go to the boston college eagles, who followed up their shocking win at #1 north carolina with home losses to harvard (the crimson’s first win against a ranked team, that’s right, EVER) and miami. It will be interesting to see which bc team shows up next Saturday in Cassell.

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