THE SETUP

On Saturday the Hokies play Greenberg’s most hated game of the year: the short turnaround game.  Once every season the Hokies have to play an ACC game less than 48 hours after their previous game ended.  This year, for the second year in a row, the short turnaround game is about as far away from Blacksburg as it can be – in Boston, Taxachusetts.  Approximately 47 hours after the end of the clemson game, Tech will be back on the court trying to sweep the eagles.

While Seth hates this short turnaround game, the Hokies have actually been money in the bank in them.  In Tech’s four years in the ACC, they are a perfect 4-0 in these games.  Here’s a look back at them:

• 2008 – VT 81, @bc 73 (OT) – Hokies won without suspended Jeff Allen just 2 days after duke blew them out
• 2007 – VT 92, @miami 85 – The ACC sure doesn’t do any favors for VT by making these games close!  This win was less than 48 hours after the Ice Bowl ended (the win over maryland at home).
• 2006 – VT 76, @wake 70 – This was A.D. Vassallo’s coming out party, scoring 29 points and grabbing 10 rebounds to give the Hokies their first ACC win.  Tech was playing without a suspended Deron Washington (hmm… I see a pattern… wonder who will be suspended next year?)
• 2005 – @VT 71, miami 58 – Tech has just upset #7 duke on Thursday in a landmark win for the program, but there was no letdown in this game as VT blew the hurricanes out of town

THE SERIES

Meeting Two Weeks Ago: Recap – @VT 79, bc 71  |  Game Film  |  Niemo’s Notes on the Game

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

The eagles’ talent has fallen off a bit over the last few years, and Tech has been able to exploit them.  VT has superior athletes to bc.  boston college historically wants to grind things out and play a Big East style of ball.  But the Hokies have been able to use their athleticism to beat the eagles. 

Last year at bc, the Hokies led most of the game before a late rally sent the game to overtime.  Hank Thorns scored nine points in OT to lead VT to a 81-73 victory.  Jeff Allen was suspended for this game.  In his place, J.T. Thompson continued his coming out party with 14 points and 12 rebounds.  J.T.’s hustle helped Tech get numerous second chance points.  (Game Film)

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

• All Time: bc 9-6
• At bc: bc 6-1 (the “one” was last season)
• In the ACC: VT 4-3
• Streak: VT 4 in a row
• In the Big East: bc 6-1

LINEUPS

THE OPPONENT

While bc was colder than my car’s leather seats at 12 AM last night when they came to Blacksburg two weeks ago, they are now hotter than that chili cheese Big Bite I ate from 7-11 last night.  The last four weeks have been quite the roller coaster for the eagles.  bc upset then #1 unc in Chapel Hill on January 4th for their 10th consecutive victory.  The eagles entered both polls. 

Then, the eagles promptly lost to harvard (harvard’s first ever win over a ranked team), miami, and wake, all at home, then lost at Virginia Tech.  But since the loss to the Hokies on January 17th, bc has won three in a row.  Granted, they have beaten winless georgia tech, nubbins nc state, and a quickly fading maryland team, but this has to give the eagles confidence.  In the maryland game, bc trailed by as many as 16 in the first half and were down 11 at the break, but outscored the terps 47-27 in the second stanza on their way to a 76-67 road win.  The amazing thing is Tyrese Rice scored just four points in the first 38 minutes of the game while battling foul trouble, yet bc found a way to win.

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

The eagles are led by their lone senior, Tyrese Rice.  Rice is from L.C. Bird HS in Richmond, VA.  He earned first-team All-ACC honors last season and is well on his way again this year (he was All-ACC 2nd-team his sophomore year).  Tyrese is averaging 18.0 ppg and 5.8 apg, but also 3.7 turnovers.  The offense runs through him, plain and simple.  His career reminds me a lot of Zabian Dowdell’s, and not just because both are left-handed.  He started as a long range bomber (and he has NBA range), but has developed into a player that can split any double team and get to the hoop.  Tyrese gets to the line a lot and nails free throws at an 86% clip.  He shoots 38% from downtown, though his three-point shooting has become less frequent (better shot selection).  Rice is similar to Malcolm Delaney in that he is more of a shooting guard playing the point.  Rice had 19 points in the game at Blacksburg but was just 6/19 from the floor.

Shutting Rice down is not the key to victory — he is going to get his points.  The key is to limit what he creates for others.  In bc’s six losses, he has been held to 4 or fewer assists in each game except one (he had five at VT).  In their 16 wins, he has had at least 6 assists in 12 of those games.  Tech does need to keep him from going nuts, which he did in two of their bigger wins against st. john’s and unc.  Last year he nearly beat unc by himself, scoring 46.  He had maybe the greatest half of basketball I’ve ever seen in that game.

The big surprise for bc this year has been the play of Joe Trapani.  The 6′8″ transfer from vermont has averaged 13.8 ppg and 7.2 rpg.  He was a good player as a freshman for vermont, but has really stepped up his game in the ACC.  However, he is lanky and can be out-muscled on the glass.  Joe has a good inside-outside game.  He hits about 1.5 threes per game, but also can score in the low post and gets to the line a fair amount.  VT will have to guard him from anywhere on the floor. 

In the first meeting, Trapani was bc’s best player.  The eagles were killing the Hokies with the pick-and-pop.  Trapani would screen for Rice on the perimeter, then move to an open spot where Rice would hit him with the pass for an open three.  The Hokies were keying on Rice, but also need to make sure someone is in range to get a hand in Trapani’s face.  He won’t shoot unless he’s wide open.  Trapani had 23 points in the game at Blacksburg, but 18 of those were in the first 21 minutes.  Tech did a much better job on him in the second half.

Corey Raji and Rakim Sanders start on the wing for bc.  Both average between 11 and 12 ppg.  But Raji is in a major slump.  He has reached double digits just twice in their last ten games, after hitting double digits in six straight.  He has seen his minutes greatly reduced the last two games in favor of freshman Reggie Jackson.

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

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

Jackson, bc’s top recruit from this past class, has seen his minutes increase since his career high 17 point effort at unc.  The 6′3″ guard chipped in 14 against miami, but pooped the bed against wake going 1/6 from the floor.  He is also foul prone, reaching in too much instead of moving his feet.  Tech limited him to four points in the first meeting, but Reggie has played well since.  He was the ACC Rookie of the Week last week.

Popularity: 3% [?]