Spread: uva by 7.5

Who can play the role of spoiler this year? WE CAN! uva swept the Hokies last year, effectively knocking the Hokies out of the Big Dance. Well, revenge is a dish best served cold, and the forecast calls for pretty cold weather on Sunday. We are 0-4… boo who. Let’s kick their butts!

My how the tide has turned. Over the last four years, the Hokies have finished fourth or tied for fourth in three of those years. uva, meanwhile, has been in the bottom half of the league each of the last four seasons. But now Tech sits at 0-4, and the hoos are ranked and well on their way to a first round bye.

uva is led by Mike Scott. Yep, the same Mike Scott that has been around since the dawn of time…

• Mike Scott’s so old, he had a class with Thomas Jefferson
• Mike Scott’s so old, he babysat Doe Doe
• Mike Scott’s so old, his birth certificate is in Roman numerals
• Mike Scott’s so old, he can remember the last time uva made the ACC Tournament Semi-Finals (1995)
• Mike Scott’s so old, over 100 current, active NBA players are younger than him (that’s an actual fact)

All kidding aside, Mike Scott is probably the MVP of the ACC this year. He may not be the best player in the league, but he means the most to his team. He’s averaging 16.9 ppg and 8.9 rebounds per game, both top 5 in the ACC. Oh, and have I mentioned he owns the Hokies?

Mike Scott has 100 career points and 52 career rebounds against VT in 7 previous appearances. He’s scored at least 20 in the last 3 meetings and snagged over 30 total rebounds.

Is it all bad for the Hokies? Well, Assane Sene, uva’s 7-footer (yep, every team except for VT has a serviceable 7-footer) rolled his ankle at the end of the 1st half against georgia tech and, based on what I saw, won’t play Sunday (not confirmed).

If you are wondering about uva’s playing style, my buddy said it best… “You’ll want to walk down on the court, over to their bench, and punch Tony Bennett (their head coach) in the face.” And he went to wazzu, (aka: washington state), the last place he coached at.

If Bennett’s style was an animal, it would be a python. Like his dad, they love to milk the clock and keep everything in the half court. They won’t attack the offensive glass with more than a couple of guys, falling back and forcing you to beat their man defense in the half court. That said, Scott is so talented they’ll still get offensive rebounds. And uva is one of the top teams in the nation at Defensive Rebounding, while VT is the worst team in the ACC in that stat (largely thanks to unc’s 19 offensive rebounds in 36 opportunities Thursday).

They really only have 2 1/2 guys that scare you on offense, with everyone else focused on defense.

PG Jontel Evans can’t shoot, but runs the O and is great on D. Sene is their force inside with no post moves what-so-ever. Meanwhile, Scott is extremely talented, both with his back to the basket in the low post and he can go out and hit midrange jumpers. Joe Harris can shoot the lights out (as he did against Tech last year). He’s a tough match-up because of his height (6’6″). 50% of his shots are 3s, but he also shoots over 50% inside the arc. But you worry more about him on the perimeter. And Sammy Zeglinski is dangerous from 3-point range (he also won’t buy Callahan Auto Parts!).

FYI: Yes, I plan to man-up on my personal bet — I guaranteed a win against bc or I’d wear uva stuff to this game… stay tuned.

THE SERIES:

• All Time: uva 81-52
• At uva: uva 32-12 (but VT has won 2 of the last 4 after a 40 year drought)
• In ACC Play: uva 8-7
• At uva in ACC Play: uva 5-2

STARTERS:

*Sene rolled his ankle against ga tech and did not return. If he’s out, Akil Mitchell (6’8″, Sophomore, 3.4 ppg, 3.9 rpg) will likely start.

uva does not have much depth due to transfers so this could be a big issue for them.

STATS:

Note: these stats are for ACC games ONLY (4 for VT, 3 for uva). uva’s defense is allowing the 2nd fewest points per game in the nation (not good news with our inept offense).