What a wild Thursday. We were within an eyelash of having the four lower seeds win to start the tourney, three without their leading scorers (uva – Landesberg, miami – Collins, and unc – Davis). But gt stepped up and saved Paul Hewitt’s job. Then nc state may have saved Sidney Lowe’s job by knocking out clemson as a heavy favorite for the second year in a row.

Instead of calling it the ACC Tournament they should start referring to it as the Department of Redundancy Department for the Hokies. Stop the presses – for the third year in a row Tech will face the hurricanes in Tech’s tourney opener.

The canes stunned everyone except our own Balla in beating the deacons by an 83-62 score. This is the second straight year the 12 beat the 5. The u led by 14 at the half and then used an 8-0 run to open the second stanza and buried wake. miami used their superior outside shooting, hitting 8 threes by my count.

But the shocker was miami’s inside game. Playing without their best low post player and leading scorer, senior Dwayne Collins, the u got a career high 22 points from redshirt freshman Reggie Johnson. He redshirted last year because of how fat he was/is. But Reggie made that blubber work today and he played well against the Hokies in miami. But the Staypuft man should struggle to play on consecutive days.

miami shot the three against wake almost as well as they did against VT in miami when they torched the Hokies at a 70% clip in the first half and a 17 point lead. Let’s hope the rims aren’t as kind and the shots are off tomorrow.

uva: The hoos took down the eagles 68-62 in the coveted noon “where is everyone” game without Landesberg or Baker.

With the win, uva plays duke in quarterfinal noon game. A major streak is on the line – the cavs haven’t made the ACC semifinals since 1995, a run of 14 straight tourneys. Not quite to the level of clemson at unc but it is getting there.

In the evening session, the yellow jackets actually won a critical game! I know! I’m stunned, too. This should make scalping a lot easier the rest of the way.

unc used a 19-4 run in the first half to quickly build a 12 point lead and led by 9 at the break. But that lead was gone quicker than you can say NIT.

Derrick Favors dominated the second half and georgia tech won by 4, much to the delight of everyone not in powder blue ( about half the crowd).

The pack got a huge game from stat Tracy Smith and survived to live another day. Is clemson now on the bubble?

Friday:
- Noon: #1 duke vs #9 uva
- 2:20ish: #4 VT vs #12 miami
- 7: #2 maryland vs #7 ga tech
- 9:20ish: #3 fsu vs #11 nc state

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Read into it what you will, but this was freaking awesome! ESPN’s PTI Show will probably show this tonight at 5:30.

Popularity: 32% [?]

UPDATE: For the third year in a row the Hokies will face the c-a-n-e-s canes in their first ACC Tournament game. The u, playing without their leading scorer Dwayne Collins, absolutely took the deacs behind the woodshed to advance to the quarterfinals (props to Balla for picking the u). The Hokies and canes split their two games this year (more on that below), but Tech beat miami two years ago in the quarters and last year in the first round. In the early game, uva stunned bc even without Landesberg. What an odd start to the tourney.

THE SETUP:

Alright, ladies, play time is over. The clock has tolled and it is officially March Madness. The Hokies head to Greensberg-o to participate in the granddaddy of them all, the ACC Tournament. This will be the first ‘true’ tournament Tech has played in all season, but the Hokies have some great tournament mojo working. VT has won their first game in 10 consecutive tournaments, and the current junior class is 8-0 in tournament openers.

The Hokies, thanks to their victory over georgia tech last weekend, get to enjoy an extra day of rest as the #4 seed with a First Round bye. The Hokies will have to wait and see who their opponent is as the #5 seed wake forest battles the #12 seed miami hurricanes at approximately 2:20 PM on Thursday. The extra rest is huge for Tech, who have two starters (Jeff Allen – shoulder and Zo Hudson – foot) battling injuries, along with reserve Cadarian Raines. Both Allen and Hudson should be good to go for Friday but we will see how well they hold up, especially Hudson who has been battling the foot injury for a while and missed the georgia tech game to rest it. While these injuries may not be a factor on Friday, they certainly could come into play as the tournament goes on if VT survives. The Hokie starters play a lot of minutes and playing on consecutive days can take its toll. Again, that’s why the bye was so big. We’ll see if Head Coach Seth Greenberg uses a guy like Manny Atkins, who played more minutes against georgia tech than he had in all other ACC games combined, to rest Zo. Allen’s foul trouble usually insures him plenty of rest, and senior Lewis Witcher has played well off the bench of late.

Having a bye has other advantages, too. While you don’t know specifically who your opponent will be, you have a general idea. Especially in a 5/12 game where you figure wake will win (though the 12 seed beat the #5 last year). So while Greenberg spent part of this week focusing on just improving as a team, you know they’ve also prepared for both wake and miami to a degree. Both wake and miami, on the other hand, had had to focus on each other. Tech will also be rested on Friday. That can equal rust early on and give their opponent an early shooting advantage, but VT should have better legs as the game goes on once they get in the flow. Plus, you had the bye because you were better to begin with, which is always a nice advantage.

The Hokies haven’t had much luck in Greensberg-o before, Tech is just 3-7 in the Greensboro Coliseum, including 1-7 against ACC teams. Tech did win their last game there three years ago, but that was against unc-g’boro. VT lost at the Coliseum to uva in the 2006 ACC Tournament. I was there to watch VT play a great game but fall late to the #3 unc tar heels back in 1995, when the heels had Rasheed Wallace and Jerry Stackhouse. But this is a different Hokie team and they are all about breaking trends, so let’s see how they do in the Gate City this time around (I have no idea why it is called the Gate City).

Note: Dwayne Collins, miami’s leading scorer, is out for the entire ACC Tournament with an injury.

SIX PACK OF KEYS TO WINNING:

• Come out fast: Tech’s opponent will have played the day before and will have a game feel early. Tech needs to match that intensity. It will help that this game is the second game of the day. As Greenberg pointed out the other night, the noon game stinks. There is no intensity (or people) in the arena for the noon game. That picks up as the game gets late, but you can be done by that point if you fall asleep, too. The Hokies need to have a good start. If they are around even (or ahead) at the first and second media timeouts, that is a good sign.
• Ride the Inner Tube (#0): Jeff Allen, aka the Big Donut, has been riding the gravy train with biscuit wheels lately. He’s averaged 20 points and 11.3 rebounds in his last three games and has avoided foul trouble. Jeff has hit double-digits in points 9 of his last 11 games. He owned miami this year, averaging 16.5 points and 7 rebounds in the two games, but Allen had just 8 and 5 against wake, largely due to foul trouble. If the Hokies do face wake, Allen is vital to be in there to defend the wake bigs inside like Aminu, McFarland, and Woods.
• Call the M.D.: Malcolm Delaney, fresh off being named ACC Player of the Week and All-ACC First Team, has been red hot of late. He’s scored 19 or more points in six straight games (two of those he went over 30). He’s also 22/44 from the field and 8/17 on three-pointers in his last three games. If he can get hot like he was two years ago in the ACC Tourney, he could put on an absolute show and carry the Hokies to great heights, like Randolph Childress did about 15 years ago for the deacons in the ACC Tourney in Greensboro. Two years ago Malcolm went for 30 points on 10/15 shooting, including an amazing 6/8 on three-pointers in two games in the ACC Tourney. Let’s hope he can re-channel that magic.
• Shoot the Boot: Let’s hope All-ACC Third Team member, Dorenzo Hudson, can ditch his walking boot and be strong for the tourney. We know he’s tough, having played through the foot injury for a while. He’s reached double-digits in points in 18 of his last 20 games, including averaging 18.1 ppg over his last seven. Tech must have him to survive in this tournament, even if it is with some slightly reduced minutes. Tech got 37 minutes out of Zo against nc state last week and will need to him to battle as much as he can in this one.
• Don’t rest on your laurels: Everyone thinks the Hokies are in the Big Dance. They probably are. It would be easy to come out and play a ‘ho hum’ game because there’s nothing to prove. But THIS tournament is a big deal. Winning it would be simply awesome. It would mean more to me than anything the football team has accomplished since joining the ACC (I mean that). It would mean more to me than making the NCAA Tournament (heck, we could skip it and I wouldn’t care). uva has just one ACC Tournament title in over 50 years (and hasn’t even made it to the semifinals in 15 years). clemson has never won it. Heck, only duke, unc, and nc state have more than four. So this is a BIG deal. Play like this is do or die and give it everything you have. And a win in the quarters would surely lock up a NCAA bid as a nice safety clause.
• Stop [X]: For miami it is… well, to be honest, they don’t have anyone that scares me. You just have to hope they aren’t hot as a whole team like they were in miami or on Thursday against wake.

THE opponent:

• miami: Recap – at VT 81, miami 66 | Recap – at miami 82, VT 75

c-a-n-e-s canes: Wow, what a tale of two games it was versus miami. In the meeting in Blacksburg, VT jumped out to a 48-13 lead in the first half and led by 27 at the break. The Hokies hit 7 of 9 threes in the first half, topped only by their 8 against georgia tech last week. miami made a bit of a run in the second half but they simply had to far to go.

In miami, it was the exact opposite. miami hit 5/8 on threes in the first half and 14/20 total shots (70%)! The canes led by 17 at the half, a 44 -point turnaround. Hudson, Delaney, and Allen scored all 30 of the Hokie first half points. In the second half, JT Thompson led the Hokies back with 14 points, and VT cut the lead to 5 on eight occasions but could never get over that hump and lost by an 82-75 score.

miami’s top three scorers (without Collins) are all guards. They have three guys (Dews, Grant, and Thomas) with 50 or more made 3-pointers, so defending the perimeter is a must. And without Collins, the canes have no true scorer inside. But Reggie Johnson had a career high 22 in the first round and played well against VT in the second meeting. But with his weight (290) he has to be worn down playing on consecutive days.

The canes had lost 5 of 6 and 11 of 14, I didn’t expect to see them Friday (especially with Collins hurt) but stranger things have happened (like a 2-14 georgia tech team beating a ranked clemson team last year). Tech must take away the three-pointer from the canes and exploit their porous defense by getting out in transition, or making the extra pass on defense as lazy defenders get lost. miami will likely to slow this game down and play in the half court. The Hokies usually do well in games like that with their solid defense but VT must also fuel their transition game with steals an turnovers from the canes. And let’s hope miami is fat and happy won a game in the tourney.

STARTERS:

STATS:

* I excluded Collins from miami since he isn’t supposed to play.

HIGHLIGHTS:

@ VT 87, wake 83:
ESPN Highlights

Watch VT Plays of the Week | 02.21.10 in Sports | View More Free Videos Online at Veoh.com

@ miami 82, VT 75:

@ VT 81, miami 66:

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By Thursday morning I’ll have my preview of VT vs wake/miami up, but for now let’s look at the 2010 ACC Tournament and who has the best chances.

ACC TOURNAMENT SCHEDULE:

Thursday:

• Noon – #8 bc vs #9 uva
• ~2:20 PM – #5 wake vs #12 miami
• 7 PM – #7 georgia tech vs #10 unc
• ~9:20 PM – #6 clemson vs #11 nc state

Friday:

• Noon – #1 duke vs bc/uva winner
• ~2:20 PM – #4 VIRGINIA TECH vs wake/miami winner
• 7 PM – #2 maryland vs georgia tech/unc winner
• ~9:20 PM – #3 fsu vs clemson/nc state winner

Saturday:

• 1:30 PM – duke/bc/uva vs VT/wake/miami
• ~3:50 PM – md/gt/unc vs fsu/clemson/ncsu

Sunday: Championship Game at 1 PM

Let’s breakdown Thursday first:

• #8 bc vs #9 uva – I cannot even imagine what the spread will be in this game.  But if I were a gambler (I’m not), I wouldn’t touch this game.  Classic trap game.  The eagles won 3 of their final 5 games (including blowing out VT and beating uva by 13).  uva lost their final 9 games, including 6 in a row by double digits at one point.  The hoos have lost the services of Sylven Landesberg (academics) and Calvin Baker (family illness).  But the eagles were 1-7 on the road in the ACC, including a loss to lowly nc state in their regular season finale.  That’s why I wouldn’t touch this game as a gambler, but you have to pick the eagles to win.  After all, they just beat uva by 13 with Landesberg.  Pick: boston college
• #5 wake vs #12 miami – The game we all care about.  On paper, this seems like a slam dunk to pick wake – they finished 5 games ahead of miami in the standings; they are playing just a stone’s throw from their campus; they are the far superior team.  Not so fast, my friend!  Neither team is playing well right now – wake has lost 4 of 5 and miami has lost 5 of 6.  And last year the #12 seed, a 2-14 georgia tech team, upset the 18th ranked clemson tigers in the first round and lost to the 22nd ranked seminoles by just 2 points in the quarterfinals.  Plus, miami defeated wake by a point earlier in the season.  But that was at miami.  I just don’t see wake losing this game, especially since miami will have no fans there and wake should bring plenty.  Let’s just hope the c-a-n-e-s canes keep it close and wear down the deacons for Friday.  Pick: wake forest
• #7 georgia tech vs #10 unc – My buddy, vt1fan, has already predicted unc is going to the ACC Tournament Finals (he may have even said they win, I can’t remember).  unc, who always has about 40% of the seats at any tournament, should have a solid crowd since the game is in NC even with their terrible season (for the first time ever, no heels were named All-ACC).  Adding to the pressure on the jackets is the fact they must win this game (maybe even two) to have any shot at a NCAA Tournament bid.  Add georgia tech’s AD announced Tuesday he’ll decide on Head Coach Paul Hewitt’s future after the season.  So you have one team with every thing to play for, and a team with absolutely no pressure.  Hmm… I’m so torn here.  gt is 6-34 in ACC road games the last 5 seasons, but their one win on the road this year was at unc (whom they beat twice).  Plus, the heels are without Ed Davis, the one man that can match up with gt’s bigs.  But, whenever any chips are on the table, bet against the jackets.  Pick: tar heels (I’m with you so far, vt1fan)
• #6 clemson vs #11 nc state – I’m not wasting any typing, and risking Carpal Tunnel Syndrome writing about nc state.  They stink.  They will lose.  Sidney Lowe should be fired (and Hewitt if he loses to unc).  Pick: clemson

Friday – I’m not going to pick games after Thursday because I’m really uneasy about the Hokie game if they are playing wake.  The team that played the day before has the advantage of being in the flow and usually comes out shooting better than the team that has been off.  But they usually tire as the game goes on.  However, the Hokies will be playing with two starters nursing injuries – Dorenzo Hudson’s foot and Jeff Allen’s shoulder.  Both were limited in practice this week.  I’d be more worried about that but Hudson hasn’t been practicing much the last two months according to Greenberg.  And, VT has won their first game in 10 straight tournaments, so that’s some solid mojo.  So who knows.  Of course, Friday morning, I’ll be 100% sure the Hokies are going to win like I always am on game days.

Here’s my odds on the top four seeds winning the whole tournament:

• #1 duke – They won 10 of their final 11 ACC games, with their lone loss at maryland.  I still think they are the best team in the league and well better than maryland on a neutral court.  They will have a lot of fans there, though everyone not in royal blue will be rooting against duke.  They are my favorite to win.  Odds: 40%
• #2 maryland – The terps were 4-1 against the other three teams that got byes and have won 7 straight.  They are the hottest team heading to Greensboro.  They also boast the leagues Player of the Year in Greivis “Greasy Face-quez” Vasquez… and the Coach of the Year in Gary Williams.  If they can get by the gt/unc winner, they would face fsu or clemson in the semis.  clemson and maryland split on each other’s floors, which the terps swept fsu.  But honestly, I think the yellow jackets could give the terps fits if they beat unc.  The jackets should have won at maryland but lost on two shots at the buzzer.  The terps don’t have a lot of depth or bulk inside, and if Jordan Williams gets in foul trouble, they are in real trouble.  I think they’ll have a hard time making the finals unless they get unc and then fsu who simply can’t keep pace with the terps’ scoring.  Odds: 25%
• #3 florida state – clemson swept the noles this year.  And even if fsu beats clemson, they likely would have to face maryland who also swept them this year.  It’s not a good thing when your likely first two opponents went 4-0 against you (4 of their 6 losses).  They have a great defense, but they stink on offense, and you need good guards in tournaments.  Freshman Michael Snaer is playing better of late, but when you have to play on consecutive days, defense tends to suffer as you get tired.  Luckily, fsu’s players don’t average that many minutes, but I think their lack of offense will cost them dearly.  Odds: 12.5%
• #4 VIRGINIA TECH – I talked about us up above.  The pros for VT are this is a down year for the ACC and the Hokies can play with anyone.  A con is the Hokies’ starters play too many minutes and if they keep winning, may tire as the tournament goes on, especially guys like Hudson and Allen that are battling injuries.  Another pro is VT has one of the top three back courts in the league with Delaney and Hudson, who both made All-ACC teams – one of only two teams in the league to accomplish that with duke.  A con is VT’s struggles to rebound most of the second half of the season, especially when Jeff Allen was in foul trouble.  A pro is the way Manny Atkins and Terrell Bell stepped up with 20 combined rebounds at georgia tech and could provide additional minutes.  A con is VT will likely have to play duke in the semifinals if they are able to get past the quarters.  A pro is everyone in the arena will be pro-VT in that one except for the duke nerds.  And this may be the best opportunity the Hokies have at the title (especially if Delaney doesn’t return next year), with unc in a down year and no real dominant team.  Odds: 12.5%
• The Field (seeds 5-12): Hard to win 4 games in 4 days.  Very hard.  Odds: 10%

So there you have it.  Check back for my game preview on Thursday morning before I head out to Greensberg-o with the Weekend Warrior and DuffHokie!

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This is Part 2 of our two-part interview with Hokie legend Chris Smith. Click here to read Part I.

This Saturday at halftime of the first ACC Tournament semifinal game, Chris Smith will be introduced as Virginia Tech’s 2010 ACC Tournament Legend.  Chris joins John Wetzel (2009), Glen Combs (2008), Bimbo Coles (2007), Dell Curry (2006), and Allan Bristow (2005) as ACC Tournament Legends from Virginia Tech.

Chris Smith was an absolute force inside for the Hokies from 1957-61.  He doesn’t just hold every Virginia Tech rebounding record, he has a padlock on them.  It has been almost 50 years since his playing days ended but no one has come even close to reaching his rebound numbers.  Chris had 1,508 career boards, 129 ahead of second place (Bill Matthews) and more than 300 ahead of anyone that has played since Smith.  Smith has three of the top four rebounding averages in a season for the Hokies.  He averaged 20.4 rebounds in 1958-59, his sophomore season.  Chris followed that up with a 19.0 average the next year and “slipped” to 16.5 rebounds per game his senior year.  He also holds the single game record with 36 rebounds in a game against washington & lee in 1959.  To put that in perspective, that’s more rebounds he had by himself than VT had as a team in 12 games this season!

Chris was more than just a rebounder.  He still ranks 13th on the VT career scoring list with 1635 points.  But that doesn’t do him justice, as Tech played fewer games back then.  Smith averaged 18.6 ppg for his career, 8th best in Virginia Tech history.  His junior year Smith averaged 22.2 points per game to go along with those 19.0 rebounds!  And Chris believes that had blocked shots been tracked back then, his numbers in that category would have been even more astronomical.

The Hokies went 62-26 during Smith’s career, including losing to wvu in the finals of the 1960 Southern Conference Tournament.  After his career in Blacksburg was over, Chris was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.  Chris decided to take a job with Union Carbide as a Production Engineer in his home state of West Virginia over trying out for the NBA.  We asked him about that decision and more.

Chris was selected as a charter member of the VT Hall of Fame in 1982.  Chris now has a web site at ChrisSmithPublishing.com and has published two books – ‘It’s More Than Just Winning!’ – focuses on Chris’s basketball experiences, amusing stories at Charleston High School and Virginia Tech, and the importance of character. Chris’s second book, ‘From the Shenandoah to the Kanawha’, is a biography of his first Smith immigrant ancestor.

TechHoops.com interviewed Chris Smith as he prepares for his induction as an ACC Tournament Legend.  The interview has been split into two parts, the first part focused on Chris and his career, the second part looks into his thoughts on the game, Virginia Tech, and the rivalries.

Q: You missed playing in Cassell by a year – what was it like playing in War Memorial Gym?  How many did it seat?

Chris: War Memorial was a great place to play.  We would cram about 4,000 people into it and pack them everywhere, especially on the indoor elevated track.  The football players would sit behind the visiting team and the band would play from one end.  Often the crowd, mostly our students, would just yell to make noise. Sometimes they would stomp on the elevated track, and it was so loud sometimes that I would become slightly fearful that it might drop down. War Memorial was a great place for the students to “let off steam” after a few days of hard studying.  We only lost two games there during my freshman season and we won our last 26 straight homes game over a stretch of more than three years.  We were glad to see Cassell under construction, even though we did not get to play there, because we felt we were a big part of providing the enthusiasm to get it built. Consequently, we had pride in the construction of Cassell just like everyone else.

Q: What do you think of home court advantage VT has now in the Cassell?

Chris: I think it is great!  I feel it is because of the enthusiasm of Hokie fans, just as it was when we played in War Memorial.

Q: What are your impressions of the Hokie program today and Coach Greenberg?

Chris: I like and respect Seth Greenberg and his staff.  He is an extremely hard worker, and he strongly believes in character as I do.  The players also respect him.

Q: Who was Tech’s biggest rivals during your playing days?

Chris: Even though we only played twice, I would say WVU was our main rival since we were always competing for the Southern Conference Crown.  In 1957-1958, WVU was ranked #1 for more than half the season.  The next year, they went to the NCAA championship and lost the finals to California.  The following year in 1960, we won the regular season conference championship with a 12-1 record while WVU was second with a 10-2 record.  We played them in the finals of the Southern Conference Tournament that year and lost to them after Jerry West fouled out.  [Note: We will have more on the 1960 Tournament from Chris's perspective later in the week.]

Q: Who would you compare Jerry West (the wvu legend who played at the same time as Chris) to in terms of playing style and how good he was compared to everyone else?

Chris: Jerry West was a great competitor who was extremely quick, fast, and agile.  His defensive ability was second-to-none, and he continually worked hard to improve, year after year.  Several broken noses did not keep him from rebounding during his college years and for his fist couple of years in the NBA.  Some thought he was second best only to Oscar Robertson, but I thought Jerry was the best.  My book describes my opinion of Jerry in detail.  [Jerry West is the player in the NBA's logo, though some talk of changing it to Michael Jordan has been discussed lately.]

Q: How much of a rivalry was VT and uva?

Chris: VT and UVA had a State Rivalry since we had what was called the Big Six including VT, UVA, VMI, W&M, Richmond, and W&L.  We only played UVA once each year, and it was most intense my sophomore year.  After losing during our freshman year at Charlottesville, we opened with UVA at Blacksburg.  My book describes a personal rivalry I had with Herb Busch, the huge UVA center.  He had earlier broken jaws and knocked out many teeth of opposing ACC players.  I describe in detail how I coped with this, and I was finally able to dish out some of my own elbows in self-defense.  Anyhow, we beat UVA at Blacksburg in War Memorial Gymnasium with our sophomore-loaded team and received a lot of attention.  UVA then received considerable attention when they went to Charleston, played the first game in the Charleston Civic Center, and beat West Virginia’s team that had been led by Jerry West and ranked #1 most of the previous year.  During the next two years, we were able to beat UVA easily.

Q: What are the biggest differences between the game when you played and today?

Chris: The players have gotten bigger and I feel (I’m sure to your surprise) that the game seems slower due to less fast breaks.  On the other hand, our offenses were more deliberate with more plays, shuffles, etc.  This has been replaced with more perimeter passing ending with long three-point shots.  I think this style of offense has been caused by the 3-point shot and the offensive time clock.  Walking was a strictly enforced rule in my day and seems to be ignored today.  I not saying that these differences or bad or good for the game.  I’m just pointing them out as differences.  As far as the knowledge of the game and the offensive and defensive techniques, I don’t feel that has changed so much.  While I played, basketball innovations such as the zone press and the four-corner slowdown offense were developed.

Q: Which of your teams was the best?

Chris:

Our freshman year was our weakest, but when we were on, we were competitive with almost any team.  We were on when we were focusing on rebounding and defense because we had an excellent fast break when we defended and rebounded well.   People forget, but Bobby Ayersman led the Southern Conference in scoring his freshman year with a 20.7 ppg average.  Also, we often shot well, but not always.  Bobby, Jitterbug Gilbert, and I averaged 21, 15, and 13 ppg for a total of 49 ppg as freshmen.  Our weak spots were we sometimes did not shoot as well and I was often in foul trouble.  Consequently, these inconsistencies caused our freshman year to be our least effective.

Several people thought our sophomore year was our best because of our rebounding, our excellent ball handling, our relentless fast break, and our outstanding outside shooting.   Dean Blake, Duke Rice, and I provided the rebounding, Louie Mills and Terry Penn were outstanding ball handlers, and Jitterbug and Bobby were superb in filling the lanes on fast breaks.  With regard to outside shooting, I’m not sure anyone could match Jitterbug when he was hot and that was about 60 to 70 percent of the time.  He had a 30-foot push shot that was outstanding, and it was not unusual to see him make 6 or 7 of these long-shots in a row.  Even though he substituted behind our Captain Terry Penn, Jitterbug still averaged about 16 ppg.  During our sophomore year, Bobby, Jitterbug, and I averaged about 60 ppg.  At the end of our regular season we were 16-4 and we were ranked in the top 20.  After the tournament, we fell out of the top 20 due to our first game tournament loss to GW, whom we had beaten twice during the season.  That year we lost to Marshall @ Huntington, 85-80, and we avenged that loss later in Bluefield; we lost to VMI in Lexington, 81-78, and we also later avenged that loss by beating them in Blacksburg by 58 points; we lost to W&M in Williamsburg, 59-58, and again we later avenged that loss by beating them in Blacksburg 74-68.  Our only other loss during our season was in OT to a good Louisiana Tech team in the championship game of the Gulf South Classic.  One other factor was that we only played eight games in Blacksburg, and we won all eight. In my opinion, we were good when we were on!

I felt our junior year was “our best chance for excellence” even though we lost our outstanding outside shooting because both Jitterbug Gilbert and Terry Penn were gone.  On the positive side, we picked up Bucky Keller, Dave Demarest, and John Fleischman.  That year, we only had five games at Blacksburg, and we had 13 on the road including Dayton, Toledo, and Navy, who were all ranked in the top 20.  We started well, set a scoring record at Annapolis while beating Navy at home, had a 12-2 record, and were ranked 15th nationally.  Then we had a loss to Dayton, who was ranked and had not lost a game at home for several years.  The next night, we had a close OT loss to nationally-ranked Toledo, and a week later we had our third straight loss to GW in Washington.  A week later, however, GW beat WV who had gone to the NCAA championship the year before.  Then we regrouped and won our final six games and went to the Southern Conference Tournament as the top seed since we had a Southern Conference Record of 12-1 and WV had a record of 10-2.  Our first two tournament wins against Richmond and GW gave us a record of 20-5. I thought that year we were competitive with anyone on a neutral court, and I felt we could compete well against WV in the Championship Game.  We had great athletes.  Bobby Ayersman, Louie Mills, and Bucky Keller were each outstanding high school football quarterbacks.  Dean Blake and Duke Rice did a great job  during the game as they took turns guarding Jerry West.  They held him to 14 points.  When Jerry fouled out in the third quarter, we were tied 49 to 49. Unfortunately, the rest of the WV team responded well and they scored on several long shots during the final 10 minutes of the game.  That Southern Conference Tournament Championship loss to WV gave us a final record of 20-6.  During the Southern Conference Tournament, Chuck Taylor of Converse attended all of the games and he selected me for his second team All-American Team.  Jerry West and I were also selected unanimously on the First Team All-Southern Conference Team.  That year I led the team in scoring for the first time.

The next year I knew our team would be challenged because we didn’t have Louie Mills, who had been the best ball-handler in the Southern Conference for the past two years.  Often, he made it easy for Bobby and me to score with his accurate passing.  Also, Louie was an excellent defensive player due to his quickness and toughness.  During my last year in 1960-1961, I was captain of the team and our team was receiving some early positive publicity.  During the preseason, we were ranked 15th and I was selected as a Dell Preseason All-American.  Bobby, Bucky, and Dean Blake were still there, and we had a new sophomore Lee Malear on the team. Lee was an outstanding shooter, but we didn’t have anyone to replace Louie’s ball-handling skills.  Also, we were not effective against the zone press, and we lost three games because we couldn’t get the ball down the floor effectively.  These losses were against WV at Morgantown, Richmond at Richmond, and GW during our opening game in the Tournament.   If we would have had Louie or even Frankie Alvis who was a freshman at the time, we would have won those games and would have been in the top ten.   That year I was selected to be the Captain of the Southern Conference Team.  One accomplishment we did have as a team was we won all of our games at Blacksburg and that meant we had won our last 26 games at War Memorial Gymnasium over a three and one-half year period.

Consequently looking back, I would have to say our best team was doing my junior year in 1959-1960 with Louie Mills, Bobby Ayersman, Bucky Keller, Dean Blake, Duke Rice, Bill Shepherd, Dave Demarest, John Fleischman, Managers Bill Chrisman and Jimmy Graves, Assistant Coach Bill “Moose” Matthews, Coach Noe, and me.

Q: How would your teams have done against the Hokies of today?

Chris: We may have competed better than most of today’s fans would expect.  We would not have given up, and we would have scrapped to the end.  I am speaking as a person who competed against some of the best until I was 40 in 1979.  Our “old man” teams always competed well against the younger teams in independent competition.

Q: Do you like the addition of the shot clock and three-point line?  Would you have liked them during your playing days?

Chris: I think the shot clock took away some good coaching options such as some of the good shuffle and slowdown offenses.  I described several of these offenses in my book.  Being an inside player who fought hard for every goal, I don’t feel the long shot deserves anymore points that an inside shot, but I’m sure I would not get any long-ball shooters to agree.

Q: Any final thoughts for all your Hokie fans out there?

Chris: They have always been great fans!

TechHoops.com would like to thank Chris for taking the time to do this interview with us and congratulate him on being named Virginia Tech’s 2010 ACC Tournament Legend, a well deserved honor!  Last year at the ACC Legends ceremony, the florida state representative came out in a garnet and gold suit with matching hat.  Let’s hope Chris doesn’t show up in a maroon and orange suit!

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During the ACC’s final weekly teleconference, Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg spoke about Dorenzo Hudson’s status for the ACC tournament.

“He assured me he’s going to play on Friday. How will he feel Wednesday? I’m holding him out until we get to Greensboro,” said Greenberg. “When we get to Greensboro we’re going to put him through some shooting drills and have him cut and run some offense and do some things and kind of get a feel for how he feels.

“If he feels good on Wednesday, then Thursday, every other possession we’ll let him go live. I expect for him to play. Here’s a kid from NC with the ACC tournament in NC coming off a magnificent season. This is special to him.”

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This is Part 1 of our two part interview with Chris Smith, VT’s 2010 ACC Tournament Legend.  Click here to read Part 2.

This Saturday at halftime of the first ACC Tournament semifinal game, Chris Smith will be introduced as Virginia Tech’s 2010 ACC Tournament Legend.  Chris joins John Wetzel (2009), Glen Combs (2008), Bimbo Coles (2007), Dell Curry (2006), and Allan Bristow (2005) as ACC Tournament Legends from Virginia Tech.

Chris Smith was an absolute force inside for the Hokies from 1957-61.  He doesn’t just hold every Virginia Tech rebounding record, he has a padlock on them.  It has been almost 50 years since his playing days ended but no one has come even close to reaching his rebound numbers.  Chris had 1,508 career boards, 129 ahead of second place (Bill Matthews) and more than 300 ahead of anyone that has played since Smith.  Smith has three of the top four rebounding averages in a season for the Hokies.  He averaged 20.4 rebounds in 1958-59, his sophomore season.  Chris followed that up with a 19.0 average the next year and “slipped” to 16.5 rebounds per game his senior year.  He also holds the single game record with 36 rebounds in a game against washington & lee in 1959.  To put that in perspective, that’s more rebounds he had by himself than VT had as a team in 12 games this season!

Chris was more than just a rebounder.  He still ranks 13th on the VT career scoring list with 1635 points.  But that doesn’t do him justice, as Tech played fewer games back then.  Smith averaged 18.6 ppg for his career, 8th best in Virginia Tech history.  His junior year Smith averaged 22.2 points per game to go along with those 19.0 rebounds!  And Chris believes that had blocked shots been tracked back then, his numbers in that category would have been even more astronomical.

The Hokies went 62-26 during Smith’s career, including losing to wvu in the finals of the 1960 Southern Conference Tournament.  After his career in Blacksburg was over, Chris was selected in the second round of the NBA Draft.  Chris decided to take a job with Union Carbide as a Production Engineer in his home state of West Virginia over trying out for the NBA.  We asked him about that decision and more.

Chris was selected as a charter member of the VT Hall of Fame in 1982.  Chris now has a web site at ChrisSmithPublishing.com and has published two books – ‘It’s More Than Just Winning!’ – focuses on Chris’s basketball experiences, amusing stories at Charleston High School and Virginia Tech, and the importance of character. Chris’s second book, ‘From the Shenandoah to the Kanawha’, is a biography of his first Smith immigrant ancestor.

TechHoops.com interviewed Chris Smith as he prepares for his induction as an ACC Tournament Legend.  The interview has been split into two parts, the first part focusing on Chris and his career, the second part looking into his thoughts on the game, Virginia Tech, and the rivalries.

Q: How much of an honor was it for you to be named the 2010 ACC Basketball Legend for Virginia Tech?

Chris: It was very much an honor.  For one thing, it is the ACC.  I’ve always felt that the ACC was and is the best basketball conference.  We only played UVA, South Carolina, and Wake Forest while I played at VT.  We did scrimmage Maryland at College Park just before my junior season started and we did well.  I played head-to-head against Al Bunge, who was the star of the Maryland team that year and was an ACC legend selection last year.  Our team performed well on their home floor, and we won the scrimmage, 67 to 60.  I had 24 points and 28 rebounds.  I was able later to get a film of the scrimmage from Lefty Driesell.  After the game, Bud Milliken, who just passed away recently, asked me to test my jumping ability on a rebound machine he had just purchased.  I had gotten a couple of dunks during our scrimmage and he told me he was impressed with my jumping ability.  I told him about my jumping exercises that I had been doing since the start of my freshman year.  He was very interested, and we had mutual respect for each other.  When he tested me, he had also had a high school recruit there from one of the Washington City high schools. His name was John Thompson, who later became the Georgetown coach.  My other contact with the ACC was playing against players who were playing in the ACC.  We had several players in our Kanawha Valley Summer Leagues including Les Robinson and John Key from NC State, Howard Hurt and Buzzy Harrison from Duke, and others. My younger brother had a football scholarship from Duke.

Q: Describe yourself as a player.

Chris: I would describe myself as a team player whose best team skill was helping out on defense by positioning myself away from my man (sluffing off as we called it) toward the ball and the basket in order to help clog up the middle as much as possible.  Since I felt my best skill was blocking shots, I was able to start many fast breaks by blocking shots toward our point guard, Louie Mills, who could read and know where I was going to slap the ball.  Then my next best skill was rebounding due to my ability to jump successively with multiple jumps especially from a standing position (versus running), my long lateral and vertical reach, and my upper torso strength from lots of pushup and boat rowing that I had done since I was twelve.

About half of my scoring was a result of my offensive rebounding.  Short left or right-handed hook shots and turn around jump shots provided the rest of my scoring.

I did very limited ball-handling and never filled lanes on our fast breaks.  After getting rebounds and initiating a fast breaks, I often got my wind back by “holding back” on my return to the offensive end of the floor while hoping to see a successful fast break.  That provided time to reenergize myself.  The only problem was that when our fast break did not work, Louie would hold up our break until I ran the floor from end-to-end and that was sometimes embarrassing.

Q: You rank #1 on the Hokies’ rebounding list, with 1,508 rebounds, and you have three of the top four single season rebounding averages in VT history.  What made you such a great rebounder?

Chris: Jumping rope, performing the 300-jump routines [he'd jump 100 times and touch the backboard with one hand, then 100 more with the other, then 100 with both], off-season jumping on one leg, and trying to take care of my ankles as much as possible helped me to improve my jumping.  Also the one-on-one sessions for two hours after the regular practices with the 1956 Player of Virginia, Moose Matthews, provided an great opportunity for improvement during my freshman and sophomore years.

Q: Shot goes up, hits the back of the rim and pops way up in the air.  You’re underneath with Dennis Rodman and Charles Barkley.  Who gets the rebound of the three of you?

Chris: First, the better the competition, the more challenged I felt.  I would never be intimidated.  Second, I would try to get side by side to limit their movement so we would all be jumping from a standing versus a moving position.  At times, I might even check them away from the basket.  If the ball did not get retrieved initially, I would continue to jump toward the ball repeatedly until someone had possession of it.

Q: Do you think your Tech or Southern Conference rebound records will ever be broken?  Ace Custis came the closest and he was still over 300 short of you.

Chris: Teams play more games today.  If you look at rebounds per game and not total rebounds, I think the records will hold.  After all, it has been almost 50 years.  Also, if you look at my three year average by eliminating my freshman year when I was in foul trouble almost every game, my average rebounds per game would be 19 per game rather 17.

Q: What was your best game as a Hokie?

Chris: Mike Harris’s book, ’Game of my Life‘ (pages 177 to 184) describes my game against Marshall during my sophomore year when I had 30 points and 31 rebounds along with several blocked shots.  But I had several games where I felt I was able to often “control the game” with my rebounding and shot blocking.

During our 1958-1959 season, these games included our 85-73 win over UVA @ Blacksburg (18 points, 19 rebounds, and held big Herb Busch to 6 points), our 105-24 win over W&L @ Blacksburg (24 points, 36 rebounds) after leading 41-4 at halftime as a result of W&L slowdown offense and our full court zone press, our 93-80 win over Marshall @ Bluefield (31 points, 30 rebounds, and several blocked shots), our 74-68 win over William & Mary @ Blacksburg (14 points, 24 rebounds, and several blocked shots), our 104-66 win over Richmond @ Blacksburg (20 points, 27 rebounds, and “a dozen spectacular blocked shots” as reported by newspapers), and our 91-84 win over GW @ Washington (28 points, 23 rebounds, and several blocked shots).

Then during our 1959-1960 season, these games included our opening 75-62 win over GW (19 points, 21 rebounds, and “blocked a 12-15 shots” as reported by several sportswriters), our Watauga Invitational Tournament games with Tennessee Tech and host East Tennessee State when we won the Tournament and I was selected MVP, our 82-61 win over Mississippi State in Sugar Bowl Classic (set rebound record),  our 79-72 win over Marshall @ The Charleston Civic Center (26 points, 20 rebounds, and several blocked shots), our 95-93 OT win over VMI @ Lexington (41 points, 27 rebounds, and many blocked shots), our 89-78 win over Navy @ Annapolis (25 points, 16 rebounds, several blocked shots, and MVP of our only televised game), our 82-66 win over W&M @ Williamsburg (23 points, 14 rebounds, and several blocked shots to hold down Jeff Cohen of W&M under double figures until I fouled out), our 86-74 win over Citadel @ Charleston (31 points, 19 rebounds, and several blocked shots), our 100-71 win over VMI @ Blacksburg (32 points, 31 rebounds, and several blocked shots), and our Southern Conference Tournament games including our 78-58 win over Richmond (34 points, 27 rebounds which was a single game record for Tournament), and our 88-52 win over GW (25 points, 28 rebounds which broke my record set the day before). [Note: We'll have more from Chris and the 1960 Southern Conference Tournament later in the week.]

During my 1960-1961 final season, these games included our 76-54 opening win over Richmond (25 points, 25 rebounds), and our 106-75 win over South Carolina (28 points, 20 rebounds).  I also had two good games in the Birmingham Classic and was selected MVP even though we lost to Auburn.

Q: Off the court, what’s your favorite memory of Virginia Tech?

Chris: Crossing the drill field several times each day was my favorite thing to do and my favorite memory.   I spoke to everyone, and they spoke back to me in a very friendly way.  This mutual respect we had for each other taught me a lot about people.

Q: After your time at Virginia Tech ended, you were taken in the 2nd round of the NBA Draft by Syracuse.  You ultimately decided to go work for Union Carbide as an engineer instead.  What were the biggest factors on your decision?

Chris: First I had to decide if I could make it in the NBA and decide how well I could do.  What I needed to do was to play with and against some of the players drafted by the NBA and some of the players who were playing in the NBA.  So, after our senior season, our seniors played in several independent games and Tournaments.  First, Louie Mills, who was from Roanoke, organized a game with Lenny Rosenbluth’s All Americans in the Salem Civic Center.  Rosenbluth’s North Carolina team had won the National Championship against Kansas and Wilt Chamberlain in 1957 and we felt he was loaded with talent.   We had our VT players including Moose Matthews, Bobby Ayersman, Dean Blake, and Louie Mills.  We then recruited Bucky Bolyard, who was coaching at VMI and had played for WVU during the Hundley/West years.  During the game, we out-rebounded them badly, and Louie, Bobby, Dean, and Bucky ran the fast break perfectly as we won by 33 points, 104 to 71.

The following week we played in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament, there were several teams with ACC players, mostly from Duke, N C State, and Maryland.  Many of the players had been drafted, and we were all trying to compete and measure our potential for making it in pro ball.  I felt pretty good about the experience because we won the tournament and I was selected as the Tournament MVP.

The next weekend was the Tournament of all Tournaments right in my hometown of Charleston, WV.  Jerry West had a team of West Virginians.  We had a Virginia Tech team with Bobby, Louie, Dean, and me along with Hal Geer and Wayne Embry. Also there was a group of Dayton players with Arlen Bockhorn and Elgin Baylor.  The fourth group was an ACC group.  We beat the WV group and the ACC team lost to Elgin Baylor’s group.  So we played in the championship game against the Elgin Baylor/Dayton team and we lost on a last second shot.  I was fortunate to make the All-Tournament team with West, Baylor, Cleo Hill (the number 1 pro draft choice my senior year) and Arlen Bockhorn, who made the last second shot against us.  I felt honored being the only one on our team who made the All-Tournament Team while playing with two NBA Hall-of-Famers, Hal Greer and Wayne Embry.  I’ve described this in detail in my book.  Based on these experiences, I concluded I could play professional basketball successfully.   So I had to choose between basketball and chemical engineering.  The money was not that great in the NBA at the time.  Also, I wasn’t certain about my ankles and knees after several 100-plus game seasons.

Q: Do you ever regret not giving the NBA a shot?

Chris: Intermittently, I wondered if I made the right decsision, but fortunately I played in that same Charleston Sportsman Tournament each year.  This was because Jerry West and Rod Hundley had the Tournament sponsors place me on their team.  This gave me an opportunity in 1962 to play against the great Ohio State team and later against a team with Oscar Robertson and Nate Thurmond.  That year, I was able to guard Jerry Lucas the second half and slow him down by blocking two of his shots, but John Havlicek made up the difference.  The next night I was able to block one of Oscar’s hook shots.  In 1963, we had Hot Rod Hundley, Jerry West, me, Bucky Bolyard, and Bill Russell.  Hot Rod, who played on several All Pro Teams said that was the best starting five he ever played with.  In 1964, I was able to play with Hot Rod, Jerry West, and Rod Thorn, the only time they ever played together.  Tom Lowry and I did the rebounding against two first team consensus All-American centers, Gary Bradds and Len Chappell and we out rebounded them.  After that in the summer of 1964, I received an invitation to tryout with LA.  Reluctantly, I turned it down but I felt it was quite an honor.

Click here to read Part 2.  It focuses on Chris’s thoughts of the Hokie program today, the rivalries, and the game in general.

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Malcolm Delaney’s 32 points and 9 assists led Virginia Tech to a huge 88-82 victory over the georgia tech yellow jackets in a very physical game in Atlanta. The win clinches fourth place in the ACC and guarantees the Hokies a first round bye in the ACC Tournament which gets under way Thursday in Greensboro. The win also almost assuredly will mean an at large bid to the NCAA Tournament for the Hokies when bids go out a week from tomorrow.

With second leading scorer Dorenzo Hudson unable to go due to a bad bone bruise in his right foot, the Hokies got a balanced scoring effort and actually outrebounded the much larger yellow jackets, who feature future NBA stars Gani Lawal and Derrick Favors, 38-36. Jeff Allen had 17 points and 10 rebounds while Terrell Bell came up huge with 14 points and 13 boards playing in his home state of Georgia. Victor Davila also had a nice game with 10 big inside points.

Freshman and Georgia native Manny Atkins, seldom used this season, got his first career start in place of Zo and had a solid 5 point, 5 assist, and 7 rebound performance. Manny also cut down on the turnovers that had plagued him earlier in the season.

Unlike the previous two seasons when the Hokies faced must win games on the road to close the regular season – at clemson in ’07-08 and at florida state in ’08-09 – this time the Hokies took control of the game early on. Virginia Tech trailed 8-7 at the first television timeout, but from there went on an 11-0 run to seize control of this game. The Hokies hit 8 three-point bombs in the first half, led by four from Delaney. The Hokies led by as many as 11 in the first half and led 45-39 at the half.

The second half started with very rough and physical play on both ends. Lawal was whistled for a flagrant foul on Manny Atkins as he went for a layup with just over 12 minutes to go and it turned out to be a four point possession for the Hokies after Atkins sank both free throws and JT Thompson nailed a baseline jumper. The Hokies extended their lead to 73-56 with just over nine minutes left, before the jackets started to chip away at the lead.

The lead was 80-74 after a three by Iman Shumpert (16 points before fouling out) at the 2:10 mark, but the jackets never got closer than three points, 83-80 after a Favors (18 points) lay in with 36 seconds left. However Delaney (14-17 at the line) and the rest of the Hokies were clutch with their free throws and the Hokies held on for the all important win.

For the third straight game Jeff Allen stayed out of foul trouble and had a huge presence against georgia tech’s inside players and also connected on two threes. However Jeff did sustain a shoulder injury during this game and the severity is not known as of right now, though it didn’t appear to be too serious. Hudson’s status for the ACC Tournament won’t be known until at least Wednesday or Thursday.

The Hokies are assured of the fourth seed in the ACC Tournament no matter what happens in tonight’s or tomorrow’s ACC action. The pairings will not be known until games are completed tomorrow. Stay tuned to Techhoops.com for more!

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THE SETUP

The stakes at hand for the Hokies on Saturday are real simple:

• Win and they’ve punched their ticket to the Big Dance
• Win and they’ve earned a First Round bye in the ACC Tournament

I truly believe the Hokies have a great shot at winning the ACC Tournament.  They played the two first place teams very tough – they had two opportunities to beat maryland last weekend in 2 OTs and led duke on the road with less than 10 minutes to play.  But the Hokies have to earn that first round bye to have a real shot.  It is too much to ask for the Hokies to win four games in four days.  VT will garner a first round bye with either a win this weekend against georgia tech, or if wake beats clemson on Sunday in Winston-Salem (Go deacs!).

More importantly to most Hokie fans though is that NCAA Tournament bid.  Pretty much all the talking heads that do bracketology have the Hokies in the tourney right now.  A loss to the jackets though would put in back in the Committee’s hands (depending on what VT does in the ACC Tournament).  Leaving it up to the NCAA Tournament Committee is something that has not faired well for Tech the last two years.  But with a win Tech gets to 10 ACC wins and 23 overall and there is no way they don’t get in with that resume.  The Committee would have to be certifiably insane to not let a team in with those marks.  That would be like a bouncer shutting out a 5′9″ blonde with D’s from a club.  But with a loss to the jackets and we drop down to a 5′6″ brunette with C’s but a couple extra pounds.  Good, but not a sure thing.

VT won’t have history on their side Saturday.  Home teams have dominated ACC games this year, winning around two-thirds of the games.  But road teams were 5-1 last weekend (gt was the only team to win at home).

Another thing working against the Hokies is they have lost their regular season finale four years in a row.  Three years ago it cost them an ACC regular season title, losing at home to clemson.  Two years ago it likely cost them a NCAA Tournament bid at clemson.  And last year it pull the nail in their NIT coffin at fsu.

THE SERIES

The Hokies have absolutely owned the lesser tech all-time.  VT is 9-3 against the jackets, including 5-2 in ACC play.  The Hokies are even 3-1 in Atlanta, including 2-1 since joining the league.  Tech has won two in a row in the series but both were in Blacksburg.  VT won 76-71 last year in the only meeting.

THE OPPONENT

The Good News: georgia tech is absolutely horrible on the road, going 1-7 in ACC play this year and 6-34 (think about that for a minute) over the last five ACC seasons.

The Bad News: This game is in Atlanta where the jackets are 14-1 this year, including 6-1 in ACC action with wins over duke, clemson, and wake.  The Hokies will really have their work cut out for them to win on the road on georgia tech’s Senior Day.

georgia tech, despite going 2-14 in conference last year, were a trendy pick to get a bye (top 4 seed) this year due to their recruiting class.  But as usual, freshmen haven’t been as good as people thought, georgia tech (thanks to Coach Paul Hewitt) has underachieved, and gt still can’t win a road game.  They sit in 7th place and can only move up to the 6th seed at best for the ACC Tourney.

Despite Virginia Tech’s past success against gt, this is the exact type of team the Hokies struggle with.  The jackets have good size (every starter is 6′5″ or taller), and have talent inside.  6′9″ Gani Lawal is an absolute beast.  At one point earlier in the year he was my pick to be the ACC Player of the Year.  But he’s fallen off a bit on the scoring end, averaging just 13.5 ppg (he is their leading scorer).  Gani has been held to single digits in five of the last nine games after scoring 10+ in 15 of the first 18 games.  But he also grabs nine rebounds per contest.  Gani also blocks 1-1/2 shots per game.

Despite being a shot blocker, he doesn’t foul much and rarely is in serious foul trouble (read: he doesn’t work that hard on defense, just likes blocking shots).  But he has a solid mid-range game and great low post moves.  Lawal can play facing the hoop or with his back to it, and has close to 100 offensive rebounds on the year.  gt should be feeding him the ball more than they do, he’s their best player right now.

With Lawal slipping slightly on the offensive end, 5-star freshman (and ACC Preseason Rookie of the Year) Derrick Favors has stepped up his game.  The 6′10″ top 5 recruit from a year ago has shot 50% or better in 12 of the last 14 games.  In gt’s last four games he’s averaging 16 ppg and just under 10 rebounds.  Yeah, he’s good and is really peaking right now.  The good news is Virginia Tech shouldn’t have to worry about facing him next season, or Lawal for that matter.  Favors should be yet another one-and-done jacket (Kenny Anderson, Stephon Marbury, Thaddeus Young, and Gilbert Arenas’s buddy Javaris Crittendon).

The jackets then start three guards.  Early in the year freshman Mfon Udofia was seeing a lot of action at the point but his time has all but evaporated.  Now Iman Shumpert is seeing most of the minutes as the floor general.  He is yet another stud point guard recruit of the jackets.  His numbers have actually gone down this year in almost every category, but that is the Favors factor.  Shumpert can score 30 like he did against unc or 24 like he did against bc, or he can get shutout like he did in consecutive games against wake forest and unc in the second meeting.  So you never know what you’ll see from him.  Iman doesn’t have a great assist-to-turnover ratio (1.3) and will still make dumb decisions.  georgia tech in general makes a lot of mistakes, averaging 16 turnovers per game (third most in the ACC).  That is great news for the Hokies who need turnovers to fuel their transition game.

The other two starting guards are mostly role players.  6′6″ D’Andre Bell is a Terrell Bell clone.  Tall and lanky but a good defender.  D’Andre is also very selective about the shots he takes.  He is hitting 45% of his threes, but has shot just 29.  At the other guard is freshman Glen Rice, Jr, yes, the son of Glen Rice.  While that Rice was a match-up nightmare – a tall guard that could shoot from anywhere inside half court, his son does his damage inside the arc.  Rice has shot just 45 threes, but he has hit 47% so he can be a threat if he gets hot.  He hit 4/5 threes against wake and hit 3/6 in their last game, a loss at clemson.  Bell and Rice average just 11.6 ppg combined.  They remind me a lot of how Hudson and T-Bell were before Zo realized what a great scorer he is.  Rice could get to Zo like numbers soon.

The jackets have three guys on their bench that average more than Bell or Rice.  And because they love to press, they depend on their bench a lot.  No one averages even 29 minutes for them.  Zachary Peacock is a dependable commodity off the bench.  The senior has averaged in the 9-10 point range the last three years and is a great mid-range shooter.  He is hitting 51% of his shots this year.  He also shoots over 40% on threes, though again averages less than two attempts per game.

Freshman Brian Oliver (yes, another descendant of a NBA player and in this case a former jacket) gives the jackets 7.7 ppg off the bench.  Almost all his damage is from behind the arc – he is also shooting over 40% on threes and has made 56 of them.  The funny thing is his dad was more of a low post player, so they are opposites in their game, just like the Rice’s.

Finally is the aforementioned Mfon Udofia.  The 6′2″ freshman was bombing treys early in the year but is in an Erick Green like slump of late – he’s hit just one three-pointer in their last 10 games.  He’ll only see about 10 minutes.  In his place, the forgotten stud recruit guard has seen more time – Maurice Miller.  Miller has played 17 or more minutes in the last five games and has averaged just under 7 ppg in that stretch.  Yes, they have a lot of depth at point guard, they just aren’t that good compared to their expectations and all turn the ball over a lot.

georgia tech plays an uber aggressive style.  They press full court and love to trap.  Unlike clemson’s press that is really about creating turnovers, the jacket press seems more interested in either stealing your wallet or seeing how many bruises that can inflict.  They will mug you.  If the refs are letting them play on Saturday, VT is in trouble.  The Hokies can get easy looks by making extra passes, and getting the ball over the press as they do so well.  Or take jacket live-ball turnovers and convert them into transition opportunities, something VT has done a better job with of late (i.e. not settling for 18-foot jumpers on 2-on-1 breaks).

On offense the jackets also will be aggressive.  gt shoots 46% from the field, 2nd best in the ACC, and 37% on threes, 3rd best in the conference.  They don’t mind getting shots up quick and then they will rain down on the offensive glass like a tsunami.  Again, let’s hope the refs are calling over the back and the Hokies must do a good job on the boards.  They must get in position to box out and have everyone helping.  Then look for an outlet and burn the jackets up the court.  But secure the ball first.

And the jackets weakness on offense if foul shooting.  They hit just 65% from the line.  This could be key in a close game late – foul early if behind.

SIX PACK OF KEYS TO WINNING:

• Hat Trick for Allen: Jeff has scored 43 points and grabbed 24 rebounds in 77 minutes in VT’s last two games.  The Hokies absolutely must keep him on the floor.  Two quick fouls in this one and the Hokies are in a world of hurt.  Tech needs him as much for his defense against Lawal or Favors as they do for his offense.
• Make the jackets Earn their Points: Even though georgia tech shoots a solid 37% from behind the arc, I’d rather force them to beat you from there.  Don’t let them pound it inside and get easy buckets in the paint, or crowd-riling dunks from Favors or Peacock or Lawal.
• Windex: And if you force georgia tech to beat you from three-point range, that means you have to get rebounds to get stops.  VT must box out the aggressive jackets, and then look to push the ball to use their aggressiveness against them.  gt grabs 39% of their misses – the Hokies need to hold them under that (around 33%) to win.
• 4-Star Turnover: The jackets have three 4-star point guards, one from each of the past three years.  But they average 6.5 turnovers per game combined to just 8.6 assists (read: throw the ball to Lawal and Favors!  Their PGs are selfish.).  The Hokies need to do what they’ve done all season – win the Points off Turnover battle by turning jacket mistakes into transition hopes.  Get easy buckets off gt before they can set their press up.
• Read Your Calendar: It is March and VT needs to start playing every game like it is a NCAA Tournament play-in game, because that’s just what this is.  Luckily, it might still be double elimination for the Hokies.  But it is time to crank things up to tournament intensity, and that means not starting 3/13 from the floor like they did the other night.
• Remember 2008 and 2009: The Hokies were left out of the dance in 2008 when they really felt they deserved to be in.  They didn’t make it last year because they just couldn’t close out big games late in the season (and had bad losses early).  Here’s your chance at redemption.  Here is your chance to say we are crashing the party and there is nothing you can do about it.  Tech’s worked so hard to be in this position, now let’s rip up that NIT invitation.  VT has a lot to play for (NCAA bubble and clinch a First Round bye) while gt has very little to play for (they will be the 6th or 7th seed no matter what).

STARTERS:

Note: Let’s hope Zo’s foot holds up.  He was in a boot most of Wednesday yet played 37 minutes against the pack.

STATS:

Hot Hokies:

• Malcolm Delaney has hit 15/29 shots in his last two games (52%).  He had been shooting 74/205 (36%) in ACC games before that.
• Jeff Allen has scored double digits in 8 of 10 games.  He had been held under 10 in 5 of the 6 games before that to start ACC play.
• Allen’s 24 rebounds in the last two games were more than in his previous five (20 boards).  Jeff’s 77 minutes were more than in his previous four games combined.
• Lewis Witcher has 4 points against nc state on Senior Night.  He had just 2 total points in ACC action before that.
• Zo Hudson is averaging 18.1 ppg in his last 7 games and has scored in double digits in every ACC game but one.

Not so Hot:

• VT has been outrebounded in 7 of their last 9 games.
• Erick Green is 5/40 (13%) in ACC play and has missed 12 shots in a row.
• Victor Davila has scored 6 or less in 11 straight games and hasn’t hit double digits since December 9th.
• The Hokies have lost 4 straight regular season finales.

Popularity: 23% [?]

Boxscore

LEWWWWWWWWWWWWW! WE WANT DEBNAM! The Hokies picked up an absolute must-win on Senior Night in Blacksburg and closed the home season (we hope) at 15-1 by defeating the nc state wolfpack 71-59. The Hokies swept the season series against the pack and have won three in a row over state after dropping six in a row.

There were three keys to the game: nc state turnovers, nc state offensive rebounds, and Hokie points in the paint. VT forced 20 nc state turnovers, limited the pack to 11 offensive rebounds (after grabbing 27 in the first meeting), and Tech scored 34 points in the paint on 16 layups/dunks (state had 22 points in the paint). The Hokies also hit 16 layups/dunks in the first game. That’s 32 layups/dunks in two games against state! Read: Sidney Lowe can’t coach defense. Part of this is the Hokies made much better decisions on the break, not settling for pull-up jumpers when they had numbers.

Tech played an absolutely perfect game in Raleigh except for one thing – they gave up 27 offensive rebounds in the first meeting in 55 opportunities (just a 51% defensive rebounding Percentage). But tonight the Hokies were great on the glass, grabbing 19 of 30 defensive rebounds (63%). And nc state had just three offensive rebounds in the first half.

Turnovers plagued the pack again tonight. They turned the ball over just 15 times (‘just’ is a bit generous, 15 is slightly high). But tonight state had 13 turnovers at the half, including four by point guard Javier Gonzalez. “He’s scored more points for Tech than he has for nc state,” Bill Roth on nc state’s Javier Gonzalez. That pretty much says it all about the nc state point guard.

Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson finished with a game-high 21 points. While it was great that Delaney shot 50% for the second game in a row (6/12), the bigger tip of the cap has to go to Zo. He was VERY questionable going into tonight (was seen wearing a protective boot before the game) but scored 21 points on 7/14 shooting and played 37 minutes.

Delaney might as well forget his acting lessons, his ham jobs aren’t working anymore. Refs simply won’t give him the calls they used to give him, or give any other star in the ACC (reference Hansbrough). But he did step up in the second half by knocking down shots. After state cut Tech’s nine-point halftime lead to two with 16:15 to go in the game, Malcolm hit three big treys that pushed the lead to 11 and jump-started an 11-0 run for the Hokies that put the game away. state never got closer than seven after that point. Delaney finished 3/6 on threes. This was just the second time since the florida state game (13 games) that Malcolm had made more than two three-pointers.

Why the Hokies didn’t feed the ball to Jeff Allen on every possession this game I will never know. For the second straight game he stayed out of foul trouble and had a monster game with 18 points on 6/10 shooting. He also chipped in nine rebounds, just missing a double-double.

This game did not have the same recipe for success the game three weeks ago in Raleigh had. In that game, the Hokies hit their first 10 shots on their way to a 26-7 lead in the first nine minutes. Tonight the Hokies trailed 9-7 after nine minutes and had made just three of their first 13 shots (23%). But then the Hokies caught fire again against the porous wolfpack defense. The Hokies closed out the half making 12 of their final 18 shots (67%) and used a 14-2 run to close to half to lead by nine at the break. In comparison, VT led by 11 in Raleigh at the half so it wasn’t much of a difference.

Despite the hot end to the first half, the Hokies still really struggled on threes and free throws. Tech was 0/7 on threes in the first half and just 1/5 from the line (Hudson was 0/3, perhaps because of his foot injury). Speaking of threes, nc state didn’t make a three in the meeting at state but hit a three-pointer with just under eight minutes left in the first half, stopping their three-less streak at 52 minutes against the Hokies. But in the second half the Hokies got back to fundamentals – they hit 3/5 threes (60%) and 19/23 free throws (83%).

Note: It was an odd starting lineup for the Hokies on Senior Night with Allen, Delaney, and Hudson starting, but Witcher and Debnam (Tech’s seniors) also starting.

Popularity: 27% [?]

Spread: Hokies by 8.5 

THE SETUP:

Has anyone checked to see if hell is frozen over?  I ask because the Hokies go into their home finale with the nc state wolfpack on a two game winning streak over their Raleigh rivals.  Before three weeks ago, Tech had only once strung together back-to-back wins over state since 1922 (and those ‘back-to-back’ wins were 21 years apart).  VT owned the early part of this series, winning the first seven games, but state went 34-3 against the Hokies between 1927 and 2008.  The Hokies seemingly undid that spell last season when they overcame an 18 point second half deficit and beat the pack in OT.  Then the Hokies followed that up with a 20 point waxing of state in Raleigh last month, Tech’s first win there since 1917.

Wednesday’s game means everything to Virginia Tech and very little to nc state.  With the pack’s consecutive wins over wake and miami, they clinched finishing .500 at worst at the end of the regular season and ACC Tournament (that was honestly a goal of theirs… used to be for Tech, too).

Meanwhile, the suddenly slumping Hokies are playing a must win game, in my opinion.  VT has lost three in a row and gone from being listed as an 8-10 seed in the Big Dance projections to being back on the bubble as an 11 or 12 seed, just barely in.  A win Wednesday will clinch a winning ACC record for Tech (used to be a recipe for a NCAA invitation though we saw two years ago that isn’t always true).  It will also put the Hokies, who currently sit in the #3 spot in the ACC standings, in firm position for a First Round bye at the ACC Tournament next week.

That said, we’ll see how the game flows.  state has nothing to lose and likely will be loose, while Tech could come out tight if they put too much pressure on themselves.  Hopefully the Hokies will just come out and bury the pack early like they did in Raleigh three weeks ago…

THE LAST MEETING:

This game was practically over before the ice had melted on your first Coke & Turkey.  The Hokies hit their first 10 shots from the field (yes, you read that right) and jumped out to a 26-7 lead when the game was just nine minutes old.  Tech finished the game hitting 53% from the field and shot 50% or better in both halves (again, you read that right).  To put that in perspective, the Hokies have shot over 50% in just two other games and both of those were non-conference games in 2009.  In contrast, Tech has shot under 40% 11 times this season including eight times in ACC games.

So what happened in Raleigh?  As I re-watched the game earlier this week it was simple – nc state is a really, really poor defensive teams (as almost all of Sidney Lowe’s teams have been) and Virginia Tech exposed their weak areas.  The pack have to be the most unathletic team in the league.  The Hokies beat the pack up the floor and scored in transition.  Or beat the slow-footed wolves off the dribble and either got to the rim and finished, or dished for an easy bucket.  Tech made 16 layups or dunks in this game out of their 27 made shots, including six of those first 10 shots they hit.  Pretty easy to shoot 53% from the field when a majority of your makes are within a few feet.  It was so easy that Tech attempted just seven three-pointers for the entire game, making three (two of those were in the first two minutes by Zo Hudson… so they made just one in the final 38 minutes).

Tech won in another key category for them – points off turnovers.  Despite just a +1 margin in turnovers gained, the Hokies outscored the wolfpack 23-13 in points off mistakes.  VT did a good job of getting out and running on turnovers for those easy buckets listed above.

The Hokies did a solid job of limiting state’s star, Tracy Smith. He had just four points at the half, and after exploding for six quick points to start the second half, Tech limited him to just two points in the final 18 minutes.

nc state went 0 for 11 from three-point range.  They hit just 29% of their shots for the game, marking the fifth time VT had held an opponent under 30% and third time in ACC play.  state also shot just 60% from the free throw line.  In other words, they played about as poorly as possible.

So what didn’t the Hokies do well?  They did an awful job on the defensive glass.  Suddenly this has become Tech’s greatest weakness.  While you might expect this against the fsu’s and wake forest’s, nc state has even less bulk and height inside than the Hokies.  The state statisticians credited the wolfpack with 27 offensive rebounds on 55 opportunities.  That is horrendous for Tech.  A bad night is letting your team grab 35% of their misses.  Nearly 50% is a Jean van de Velde on the 18th at the British Open like performance.  All-ACC Ugly Team member Dennis Horner had nine offensive rebounds all by himself.  Another problem was Tech’s butterfingers.  state got the benefit of five team rebounds on offense – plays were the Hokies lost the ball out of bounds on a state miss.  Tech had similar issues at bc last week.  The guys really need to put a lock on the balls as they come off the rim.

state showed some full court trapping press looks in the last meeting.  This stunned me with how unathletic the wolfpack are, but I don’t think VT really burned it that much.  Personally, I’d be just fine with them showing more of it Wednesday.  I’d use some zone if I were Sidney Lowe… then again, I’d be getting my resume ready if I were him.  He’s nc state’s ricky stokes.

THIS MATCH-UP:

state is playing better ball since that blow-out loss to Tech.  They led maryland by 10 at home two weeks ago before choking down the stretch, then beat wake easily a few days later.  After a week off, they won at miami this past week.  Greenberg mentioned on Tech Talk Live that they are screening more for their star, Tracy Smith (Boy, what a great idea!  Only took until game 25!  That’s like when Stinespring figured out he should throw screens to Kevin Jones at the end of the season… but I digress…).  They used to screen more for Horner, but now with the screens going for Smith is allows Horner to spot up from three.  And I don’t think Tech can expect state to go 0-for-deep again.  The Hokies must do a good job of fighting through screens to keep Smith from getting the ball in the low post where he is automatic.  And they can’t lose sight of Horner or Wood on the perimeter.

The pack have also been doing a good job of getting to the free throw line more than their opponents of late.  They aren’t a great free throw shooting team, but they are an even worse field goal shooting team (10th in the ACC) so getting to the line helps.  state is also a lousy three-point shooting team at 8th in the ACC (nice combo, eh?) but have quick shooting so many threes unless they are wide open.

On offense the Hokies need to use the same recipe they used last game – attack the tin.  Feed the rock to Mr. Jeff Allen as much as possible.  He had a monster game in the loss Saturday, tallying 25 points and 15 rebounds.  state has nobody that can guard him.  Allen had 14 points, 8 rebounds, and 4 blocks on 5/7 shooting in the Raleigh meeting.  And that was in just 26 minutes due to… come on, you know what I’m going to say… foul trouble.  If he can stay on the court, he could really go off in this game.

Another encouraging sign was the shooting of Malcolm Delaney and JT Thompson over the weekend.  Delaney hit 9 of 17, the first time he’s shot over 50% since the umbc game back in December.  The key was he was draining his pull up jumpers and finishing near the rack.  That had been the biggest thing missing.  He only hit one 3 in the game Saturday but making his two-pointers made all the difference, especially if refs keep putting an embargo on his free throw attempts.  Thompson also was knocking down his open jumpers.  After not being able to hit water if he fell out of a boat against bc last week, JT hit 5 of 8 from the field including the tying three at the end of regulation.

STARTERS:

Expect Lewwwwww to start on Senior Night!  Also, the Washington Post reported that Dorenzo Hudson has been seen in a walking boot due to a foot injury suffered earlier in the season and may have resurfaced Saturday (he left the floor for a while in the second half).  We’ll see what his status is for Wednesday: Post’s Hokies Journal

STATS:

Stats don’t lie – nc state is 10th in the ACC in Offensive and Defensive FG%

THE OPPONENT (re-posted from my first preview three weeks ago):

How can I sum up the wolfpack in one sentence?  Hmm.  How about this: they aren’t good at anything.  I mean it, nothing.  Check out the ACC stats and you’ll see.  They are not in the top four of any statistical category in the league, overall or in ACC games only, except for 3-pointers made per game (they are fourth in that category).  They are 10th or worse in FG% offense and defense, and are in the bottom half of the league in offensive and defensive rebounding.  They don’t get many steals or blocks, and have an average turnover margin.  They are only eighth in 3-point %.

nc state also has, hands down, the worst coach in the league.  I’m sorry Sidney Lowe, but you are, uh, not good.  You stink.  The pack are 17-40 in ACC games in his four seasons since they ran Herb Sendek out of town.  They have finished 10th, 12th, 10th, and are currently tied for 11th in the ACC.  If he is kept around for a fifth season it will be for one reason – they have an awesome recruiting class coming in next year.  While he may be a nc state legend from their 1983 National Championship, it is time to move on.

The good news for Hokie fans is three of the guys that owned the Hokies the most are gone.  No more Brandon Costner, Ben McCauley, or Courtney Fells.  Those guys were 5-1 against Tech and regularly had career days.  You know they had their calendar’s circled for any meeting between these two clubs.

The pack entered this season fairly inexperienced.  You’d think they were a young team since you don’t recognize many of the names, but in reality it is just because they aren’t very good and didn’t play much in past years, even though state stunk then, too.  Four of their top five scorers are juniors or seniors, but just one of those guys averaged more than 6.6 ppg last year (Tracy Smith).

Speaking of Tracy Smith, that kid is a player.  He’s the most talented packer by far.  Smith ranks sixth in the ACC in points per game and rebounding, at 17.6 and 8.3 respectively.  He’d be a strong candidate for First Team All-ACC if he played for a better team.  Smith is very talented in the low post and is deadly from six feet in.  Tech must keep him from setting up, and receiving the ball, on the low block.  He does not shoot from outside (he has never attempted a three in his career).  His midrange game is decent from 16-feet in, but you’d rather force him to beat you from out there than near the hoop.  Tech must also get a body on him and keep him off the offensive glass, Tracy is by far their best offensive rebounder.  Smith has been on a roll, too, averaging 19.1 ppg over his last seven games and hitting 53 of his last 88 shots, an amazing 60%.  Smith leads the league in FG%.

Javier Gonzalez runs the point for the pack.  He has also underwhelmed me talent-wise.  He has an average assist-to-turnover ratio at 1.2.  Javier is a good three-point shooter at 40% for the second year in a row, but he hasn’t made more than three in any game.  So he is selective about when he shoots.  Get out on him and force him to drive, and when he does drive, expect him to dish the ball.  In other words, the support defense needs to collapse and look to pick up open man in the post when help comes.  Gonzalez averages 10.2 ppg but he can disappear completely some nights.  He’s just 5′11″ so taller defenders can be an issue for him on the perimeter.  The key is stopping his drive.

Dennis Horner would be on my All-ACC Ugly Team.  The senior plays forward at 6′9″ but his game is not in the low post.  He needs a few steaks on him.  I’ve always thought of him as a three-point shooter but he’s never averaged even one made three per game in his career.  That said, he’s not a back to the basket guy and will shoot threes from the corner when open.  Horner has double his ppg from last year, up to 12 per game this season.

If you are the Hokies, you’ll take you odds on leaving guys like Horner open.  The key is stopping Gonzalez’s drive and the feeds to Smith.  Double down on Smith and force someone else to beat you.

That someone else could be freshman Scott Wood.  Wood is averaging just 8.3 ppg but exploded for 31 against fsu in one of the pack’s two ACC wins.  He hit 7/11 threes that game, and 10/15 from the floor overall.  He has made four or more 3s four times this season, so he is their most dangerous shooter behind the arc.  Like with Horner, Wood is way too scrawny to battle in the low post.  He is 6′7″ but just 170 pounds.  Heck, new VT QB Ricardo Young is considered skinny at 170 but he’s just 6′1″.  You could use Wood to jimmy a door, he’s so thin.  Almost two-thirds of his shots are threes.  He is a guy you want to watch on the perimeter.

Senior Farnold Degand had been starting at the off-guard spot for state, but missed the last game with a thigh bruise.  He did not practice Monday and is listed as day-to-day, so he may not play.

state has a 7-footer in freshman Jordan Vandenberg, but he averages just 8 mpg and 1 point.  He is from Australia and probably would not be playing for any other team in the league yet in his career.  But state really lacks any size inside and needs help from him and C.J. Williams, an undersized forward at 6′6″ and 220.  Freshman Richard Howell does give them some bulk at 6′8″ and 265.  He grabs 5 rebounds in about 15 minutes per game.  But inside is not their strength other than Smith.

The pack used just three guys off their bench last game without Degand, so they lack depth.

So, in summary, it is hard to see how this team can win ACC games.  That said, if Tech keeps shooting under 40% in games, anyone can stay with him.  And the RBC Center is a tough place to play (for the big games like unc and duke… we’ll see what the crowd is like for this game with them at 2-7).  The Hokies are due for a breakout game, let’s hope this is it.

nc state BY THE NUMBERS:

• Founded: 1887
• Enrollment: 23.7 undergrad, 7.4 postgrad
• National Titles (Basketball): 1974 and 1983
• ACC Titles (Basketball): 10 – last was in 1987 – 3rd most in the ACC
• ACC Football Titles: 7 (tied for 4th most) – none since 1979 – in fact, the two state schools (unc and nc state) haven’t won an ACC football title, or even tied for one, since 1980.  There’s no pigskins on Tobacco Road.

Popularity: 49% [?]

Recap | Box Score

Popularity: 15% [?]

Highlights | Box Score

The Virginia Tech Hokies dropped their third straight game, 100-104 to maryland in double overtime. It was the highest scoring ACC game in more than seven years. With the loss, Tech’s hopes of an NCAA tournament bid fade little bit. Greivis Vasquez scored a career- and season-high 41 points (33 in the second half) to lead the terps, who improved to 11-3 in the ACC and 21-7 overall. maryland also locks up second place in the ACC. The Hokies fall to 8-6, 21-7.

The loss is the Hokies’ first at home this season. Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen both missed a pair of free throws late in double overtime that cost them the game. But the biggest surprise came in the final seconds of overtime and the Hokies trailing 100-102. Tech had a chance to tie the game and send it to a third overtime, but Delaney dished the ball to freshman Erick Green in the corner. Green missed the three-pointer and maryland got the rebound to secure the win.

Delaney led the Hokies with 27 points and was 8 of 10 from the free throw line, but his two misses came late in double overtime that would have tied the game at 97 with :39 to play. Instead, maryland took a three-point lead and the Hokies weren’t able to come back to tie it.

Jeff Allen played his best game in nearly two months, scoring 25 points and pulling down 15 rebounds. It was his first double-double since he dropped 14/10 in an 81-66 win over miami. But his missed free throws were killer.

Trailing 80-77 in the second half, the terps had the ball, but Terrell Bell intercepted the inbound pass and Tech called a timeout. JT Thompson, who was 1 of 4 from three-point range this season, hit the game-tying trey with 15.1 seconds left.

Eric Hayes answered with a long two-pointer from the left wing with 5.2 seconds left. Delaney took the inbound pass and drove the length of the court for a layup to tie the game at 82 with .9 seconds left. The terps missed a hail Mary at the buzzer and the game went into overtime.

In overtime, the Hokies committed two early turnovers and the terps took an 84-82 lead. The Hokies answered to tie the game at 84, but Vasquez buried a three to take an 87-84 lead. Thompson hit a pair of free throws to pull Tech within one and Terrell Bell nailed a triple to put Tech on top 89-87. maryland’s Eric Hayes answered with a pair of free throws to tie the game and send it to double overtime.

Five Hokies scored in double figures: Delaney – 27, Allen – 25, Hudson – 21, Thompson – 15, and Bell – 10. Thompson and Bell added nine rebounds each as Tech won the rebounding battle 52-43. It was the first time four Hokies scored 20 or more points in a game since the Delaney, Allen, Thompson and A.D. Vassallo did it in a 116-108 double overtime win over Duquesne in last year’s NIT tournament.

Note: The game was originally schedule for a 4 p.m. tip-off, but was delayed until 7 p.m. due to three water main breaks near the Cassell Coliseum. There were no functioning bathrooms in the Cassell, so fans were permitted to use the facilities at Dietrick and the new basketball practice facility.

Popularity: 39% [?]

THE SETUP:

It’s a White Out, people!  And for once I’m not talking about the snow.  All Hokie fans are encouraged to wear white on Saturday as the Hokies play host to the second place maryland terrapins at Cassell Coliseum.  Tech has lost consecutive games for the first time all season but have to have confidence playing at home where they are 14-0 on the season.  They have started 15-0 at home just once before, with that coming back in 1982-83.

The Hokies need this game.  They don’t desperately need it, they just need it.  Two more wins in the final three regular season games and VT is in the NCAA Tournament, and likely secure Tech a First Round bye in the ACC Tournament.  A win over maryland would look great on Tech’s resume (as would a win at georgia tech).  And with Senior Night looming next Wednesday against last place nc state, a win would all but assure VT of getting those 10 ACC wins.

THE OPPONENT:

ACC Super Punk Greasy Face-quez (a.k.a. Greivis Vasquez) leads a veteran terp team into the Cassell (yes, that’s him getting arm-curled by yours truly).  The terps biggest weakness is their lack of bigs in the low post, so they are a good matchup for the Hokies who also are thin inside.  The terps start three guards and play Landon Milbourne at the 4-spot.  Much like when Tech used to play Deron Washington at the power forward spot, Milbourne is undersized at 6′7″ and just 205 pounds.  But like Deron, he is very athletic (not Deron-athletic but still very good) and uses his hops to grab rebounds and block shots.

maryland’s only true big man that starts is a freshman, 6′10″ and 260 pound Jordan Williams.  Despite his youth, he has been the real key to the terrapins.  Had he not been ACC ready and played well this year, who knows where maryland would be because they simply don’t have any other real quality post players.  Williams is averaging 9 ppg, but more importantly, 8 rebounds.  Dino Gregory is a decent shot-blocker off the bench, but has very limited offensive abilities and isn’t a great rebounder.

While this team doesn’t have many quality big’uns, they do have good size all around.  They only play one guy that is under 6′4″.  That is 6′2″ reserve Adrian Bowie.  Luckily VT has big guards, too, so the terps can’t just shoot over Tech.

The strength of this terrapin team though is their backcourt.  I’d rank their perimeter players as the second best unit in the ACC behind duke, even ahead of Virginia Tech’s.

The leader of this unit is mercurial senior Vasquez who recently passed the 2,000 point mark for his career.  Vasquez was picked as an ACC Preseason First Teamer (and would make my all-ugly team).  He is second in the ACC in scoring at 18.7 ppg, #1 in assists at 6.4 per game, seventh in 3s made, and 10th in steals.  Pretty amazing for a guy that was getting booed at home midway through last season and insulted his own fans, saying fans at schools like “duke, unc, and Virginia Tech” didn’t do things like that.  Well, he’ll get to see those fans up-close and personal on Saturday.

Vasquez has a hair-trigger and still has not found a shot he didn’t like.  He hits 38% of his threes and can get his shot off extremely quickly.  If you go out on him tight, Greivis can beat you off the dribble and has a great mid-range shot, can hit runners, can finish layups, or is a great passer and can dish to the athletic Milbourne or the bruising Williams.  Or he can kick it out for a three to…

At shooting guard the twerps feature another senior, Woodbridge, VA’s Eric Hayes.  Hayes, like Vasquez, has been a four year contributor so this isn’t his first rodeo.  They know how to play and how to play together.  Hayes is a three-point specialist and when he drives he is usually looking to dish.  More than half his made field goals are threes and he doesn’t get to the line much.  But Hayes is deadly on threes, hitting 46% of them (#1 in the league).  He had been in a minor slump but has hit 6 of 9 from deep in the last two games, but both of those were at home.  Eric is just 6 of 21 (29%) from behind the arc in ACC road games, so let’s hope he doesn’t find the Cassell shooting backgrounds to his liking.

The final starter is 6′4″ Sean Mosley.  Mosley is the terps best defender at guard.  Hayes is weak defensively and Vasquez is a gambler.  Mosley isn’t the scorer the other two are but he erupted for 20 against clemson on Wednesday, by far his highest output in ACC play.  Mosley doesn’t shoot many threes but does hit 43% of them (just 12 makes).  He gets to the line more than Hayes since he is a slasher.  Mosley also has 53 offensive rebounds on the season, a great number for a guard.  Considering VT’s troubles with rebounding lately, this could be a key.

maryland has a very deep bench, one of the deepest in the ACC.  Since they aren’t big, they find ways to rattle you.  They play a full court press a lot.  Not to aggressively trap like clemson does, but more to make you rush and take bad shots, they turn that into offense on their end.  Because they press, they use their stable of bodies.  The terps have nine guys that average 10 minutes or more per game.  That allows them to press and still keep guys fresh.  Vasquez is the only terp that averages more than 30 minutes per game and he’s at just 33.  In contrast, Delaney and Hudson average over 36 minutes.

The terps also have a lot of offensive weapons.  They lead the ACC in Scoring Offense in ACC games at 76.2 ppg, 3 points ahead of duke.  They are still fifth in Scoring Defense at 68.2 ppg.  They are #1 in FG% Offense and Defense in conference games.  That’s how they are 10-3, with that combination.  They can also kill you from distance – hitting 43% of their ACC three-pointers.  Next closest is georgia tech at 38%.  maryland has four players averaging in double digits (Vasquez, Milbourne, Hayes, and Mosley) and Williams averages 9 ppg.  They don’t get a ton of points off their bench, just around 15 per game, but those are talented.  Cliff Tucker hit the three at the buzzer that beat georgia tech last weekend.

I also mentioned they are veterans.  They start three seniors (Milbourne, Hayes, and Vasquez) and have three juniors that supply a lot off their bench.  So they won’t be rattled by much of anything.  They’ll be ready to play and know what they are doing.  duke and maryland are two of the most experienced ACC teams, and by no surprise, they sit #1 and 2 in the conference.

SIX PACK OF KEYS TO WINNING:

• Make Vasquez One-Dimensional: maryland is at their best when Greivis is getting everyone else involved by either feeding them easy buckets on the break, or breaking down teams and dishing to open teammates near the hoop.  Greivis averages over 7 assists per game in their 20 wins, but under 5 in their 7 losses.  The only two times he’s been held under 5 assists in an ACC game were both in losing efforts.
• Get a Dang Rebound! Over Tech’s last six games they have grabbed just 57% of their opponents’ misses.  That would rank dead last in all of the 347 Division I NCAA teams if that was Tech’s average for the whole season.  Tech has fallen from #1 in the ACC in Defensive Rebounding Percentage to ninth over these six games.  Part of the problem is Jeff Allen’s drop in production.  He averages just 5.2 rebounds per ACC game, only tied for second on the team with JT Thompson and behind Terrell Bell.
• Save Jeff: I mentioned in my notes the other day that in Tech’s last four games, Allen hadn’t made it more than 8 minutes and 4 seconds into the game before committing his second foul.  As a result, he’s had a lot of pine time waiting for the second half.  Earlier in the year Greenberg had Jeff coming off the bench to protect him early.  At a minimum, Jeff should go out when he get his first foul.  And he needs to be smarter, knowing he has a target on his back with officials.  While refs won’t give Malcolm the foul calls on offense they used to, they sure as heck will ring up Jeff for illegal screens or reaching calls.  Be aggressive, since he’s steals lead to VT fast breaks, but pick and choose your spots to be aggressive.  And don’t give up fouls 60 feet from the hoop.
• The Subs: The Hokies will have to get some production from their bench.  Since maryland will press, the Hokies will get tired and need to dip into their subs.  maryland is a great three-point shooting team and if you are tired, you tend to not fight through screens as hard or get up the court as quickly.  Next thing you know they are raining down threes on you.  Tech will need to sub in fresh bodies and those guys must give maximum effort on defense to avoid letting maryland have the open looks duke and bc had the last two games.
• The Snub: Malcolm Delaney has a chip on his shoulder because his home state terrapins didn’t aggressively recruit him.  I have a feeling he loves sticking it to the terps.  While his shot has been inaccurate lately, I’d look for big things from him Saturday.  The key is he has to start hitting his mid-range shots.  He cannot seem to hit open 15-footers, or runners in the lane of late.  I wonder if his ankle injury is bothering him on shots, much like he said it has affected his lift on his three-point shots.  But all that needs to get blocked out Saturday and Malcolm needs to play like an All-ACC player.
• Tempo: Tech can’t get sucked into maryland’s up-tempo style too much.  VT will tire out.  But the dilemma is the Hokies struggle to score in the half court.  The Hokies must balance when they push, and when they control things and not let maryland just get out and run all night.  And the Hokies must hit their open jumpers, something they could not do at bc and also struggled with at duke.  Shooting at home helps due to familiarity, and let’s hope VT can knock down some early threes and JT can hit his 15-18 footers.
• Bonus Shot: Believe in the Magic!  The undefeated 7-0 maroon dress jeans will be in the building on Saturday!

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Box Score

The Virginia Tech Hokies dropped their second straight game, 60-80, on the road to a bad boston college team. Tech played flat and looked defeated from the opening tip. They were never in the game as the eagles bolted out to a quick 7-0 lead and never trailed, leading by double-digits for much of the game.

Jeff Allen was once again in foul trouble, picking up his second less than seven minutes into the game and fouled out with about seven minutes to go in the game. Bottom line, the Hokies couldn’t hit a shot and bc couldn’t miss, especially early on.

Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson provided virtually all of the scoring with Delaney getting 21 and Hudson adding 14. Ten of Delaney’s 21 were free throws, where he was a perfect 10-10. Allen was the only other Hokie in double-digit scoring with 10 points.

Tech shot just 31 percent from the field and a paltry 13 percent (2/15) from behind the arc. Meanwhile, the iggles shot better than 50 percent from the field and 44 percent (7/16) from three. Joe Trapani lead bc with 17 points, virtually all of which came in the first half.

This loss is a bad one. In fact, it’s easily their worst loss of the season. And you have to wonder if Sunday’s loss to duke stuck with the team. bc was 4-8 in ACC play and a very weak 13-13 overall.

Now the Hokies have to return home to face a good and dangerous maryland team that could easily hand Tech a third straight loss. With the loss to bc, the Hokie need to win two of their last three games to be in a comfortable position for an NCAA bid.

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