Ponder this question...has there ever been a more crucial time in the CBG era than now? That is, for CBG's future as head coach and the journey to which this program is heading?
Well, regardless of your answer, I think we can agree this is a very important stretch. I think we all knew the first 4-game stretch to the ACC schedule as we've discussed multiple times here was going to be a beast. While we were in every game and scratched across an unexpected win, the future is now and the now is a time to get on a roll. Even CBG himself has stated lately (and he is right in observing and saying it to his credit) that being close means nothing. It might have been nice the few times it happened during his first two years of transition from being homeless gypsies his first year and having to deal with a bunch of holdover knuckleheads and rookies his second year and that is forgiven. Year three was a year of massive injuries (reminds of the foosball season we just experienced). Year four was about coulda-woulda-shoulda. Being close received some props by some, but in year five the gig is up as they say. And CBG knows it and acknowledges it. Good for him.
We have that brutal 4-game opening stretch now in the rear view mirror and 5 of the next 7 on Cremins Court. While other than maybe - and I stress "maybe" - Boston College, every team in the ACC is capable of beating the other and every game will be a battle. Tech doesn't face BC but once this year in the regular season and that's not until late February of when we will know a helluva lot more about how this season is going and the future of it by then. Of course, Tech-BC has met in the first round of the ACCT each of the last 3 years, so we might meet them a second time after all. Then again, I'd like to hope we are better than the #10 seed facing the likely #15 seeded Eagles.
But, let's be honest here. While the Hokies come in sporting a surprising 3-1 record and Coach Buzz Williams is doing a terrific job there in his second year, this is flat out a game Tech - the ONLY Tech - should win. Plain and simple. No lessons to be learned after the game. No coming out flat. No playing to the level of competition baloney. They don't give awards for who beat the spread the most. Coaches don't have point spread covers in their contracts (though there are some you wonder about at times). A Vegas spread doesn't mean diddly for those who don't wager on the game. And, quite frankly, I'll be happy with a 3 overtime win by 1 point on a 70 foot shot at the buzzer or a pitifully bad call by the refs that absolutely screws the Hokies. I don't care. Just win, babyyy. No more excuses.
The Good Guys will be established btw around an 8 or 9 pts favorite FWIW when the spreads are released late Friday afternoon for this noon Saturday encounter.
The game will be televised via the ACC's Regional Sports Networks along with ESPN-3/WatchESPN in areas that are not covered. The TV networks include:
This will be Buzz Williams' first trip as Head Turkey Buzzard to The Incredibly Large Mammary Gland. One of the storylines will be of course Tech's Adam Smith playing against his alma mater. The Hokies, 3-1 in the ACC, might wonder how good they'd be with Smith still on their roster. Then again, when you are 3-1 in the demanding ACC, you probably are just happy right where you are and wouldn't change a thing.
The Hokies feature 4 guys scoring in double figures led by 6'7" Junior Forward Zach LeDay at 15.2 ppg. Maryland transfer and former teammate of Chuck Mitchell, Seth Allen, a 6'1" Junior Guard, is averaging 13.3 ppg. 6'5" Sophomore Guard, Justin Bibbs, is a guy we must defend out on the perimeter at all times. Adam Smith is a feared 3-pt gunner and the defending 3FG% leader in the ACC. However, at this time Perrantes at France leads the ACC in that statistical category at an eye-opening 56.4% and Bibbs is close behind him at an equally impressive 55.6%. Bibbs averages gunning about 4 3-pointers a game. Adam Smith, 3rd in the ACC at 46.2%, has more 3-pt attempts (130) than Perrantes (55) and Bibbs (72) combined.
These two teams average scoring and scoring allowed are almost identical - Hokies scoring at 76.8 and Jackets at 76.7 ppg...Hokies giving up 71.0 and Jackets giving up 70.8 ppg.
The Irish tied the Jackets in total rebounds Wednesday night at South Bend, 43-43. That is not a recipe for Tech success. The Jackets must excel in that area of the game to be successful. We are not going to routinely shoot a high FG%. And, our defense has been suspect for much of this season. We need the garbage points on misses offensively and we can't allow our suspect defense to have to defend yet again when we miss out on critical defensive boards. Tech's FG percentage defense reflects our poor defending so far as we are 14th in the ACC allowing teams to shoot 43.4% from the field. Of course, when guys are shooting layups like Auguste was for the Irish last night, that's what I would call a pretty high percentage shot.
While Bibbs is somebody to cover outside the arc, the Hokies are not a strong 3FG% team outside of him with the team 11th in the ACC at 34.0%. The Jackets are currently 5th in the ACC at 37.7% - what a turnaround from a season ago when we were near dead last in all of D1 hoops (read: 350+ teams). What a difference the graduate of VPI&SU has made for the Good Guys.
Back to rebounding, the Jackets are 4th in the ACC in rebounding margin per game at +8.3, which magnifies the ND game last night. The Hokies are 13th at +1.9. This is an area where the Jackets can and should win those battles.
The Hokies are next to last in the ACC in free throw shooting at 66.4%. Hack 'em if needed and force them to make a 15-footer. Though Mr. LeDay is pretty good at 77.2%.
The Jackets are a pathetic 6-15 against the Hokies all-time. That's pretty amazing. Amazingly bad that is. It isn't like the Hokies are a blue blood, but damn if they don't look like it against us I guess. The Jackets lost by 2 at Blacksburg last year. The Good Guys won the previous two before that breaking a streak of 5 straight wins by VPI&SU. This includes the last visit by the Buzzards to the Enormous Boob.
Like all games not involving BC apparently this year will be, this should be a good game opening tip to final buzzer. It will be really good if the Jackets go out in a game we will be favored to win and buzzsaw our visiting guests from the beautiful cow pastures of southwest Virginy. Again, this is a game at a crucial stretch for the season, for CBG, and the future direction of the program. Is the season over if we lose? No. But, it will be a very difficult week off until Game 19 if we do. Pressure is on us for a change. Hokies don't really have a ton to lose here. Kind of the situation we've been in during our first 4 games of the ACC schedule - all as more than 2 possession underdogs.
Go Jackets! Play to your potential. Hopefully a good crowd comes out for this early weekend game. The team deserves the support.
Well, regardless of your answer, I think we can agree this is a very important stretch. I think we all knew the first 4-game stretch to the ACC schedule as we've discussed multiple times here was going to be a beast. While we were in every game and scratched across an unexpected win, the future is now and the now is a time to get on a roll. Even CBG himself has stated lately (and he is right in observing and saying it to his credit) that being close means nothing. It might have been nice the few times it happened during his first two years of transition from being homeless gypsies his first year and having to deal with a bunch of holdover knuckleheads and rookies his second year and that is forgiven. Year three was a year of massive injuries (reminds of the foosball season we just experienced). Year four was about coulda-woulda-shoulda. Being close received some props by some, but in year five the gig is up as they say. And CBG knows it and acknowledges it. Good for him.
We have that brutal 4-game opening stretch now in the rear view mirror and 5 of the next 7 on Cremins Court. While other than maybe - and I stress "maybe" - Boston College, every team in the ACC is capable of beating the other and every game will be a battle. Tech doesn't face BC but once this year in the regular season and that's not until late February of when we will know a helluva lot more about how this season is going and the future of it by then. Of course, Tech-BC has met in the first round of the ACCT each of the last 3 years, so we might meet them a second time after all. Then again, I'd like to hope we are better than the #10 seed facing the likely #15 seeded Eagles.
But, let's be honest here. While the Hokies come in sporting a surprising 3-1 record and Coach Buzz Williams is doing a terrific job there in his second year, this is flat out a game Tech - the ONLY Tech - should win. Plain and simple. No lessons to be learned after the game. No coming out flat. No playing to the level of competition baloney. They don't give awards for who beat the spread the most. Coaches don't have point spread covers in their contracts (though there are some you wonder about at times). A Vegas spread doesn't mean diddly for those who don't wager on the game. And, quite frankly, I'll be happy with a 3 overtime win by 1 point on a 70 foot shot at the buzzer or a pitifully bad call by the refs that absolutely screws the Hokies. I don't care. Just win, babyyy. No more excuses.
The Good Guys will be established btw around an 8 or 9 pts favorite FWIW when the spreads are released late Friday afternoon for this noon Saturday encounter.
The game will be televised via the ACC's Regional Sports Networks along with ESPN-3/WatchESPN in areas that are not covered. The TV networks include:
- CSN Mid Atlantic
- FOX Sports Detroit
- FOX Sports Midwest
- FOX Sports North PLUS
- FOX Sports San Diego
- FOX Sports South
- FOX Sports Southwest PLUS
- FOX Sports Sun
- NESN
- Prime Ticket
- ROOT Sports Northwest
- ROOT Sports Pittsburgh
- ROOT Sports Rocky Mountain
- SportsTime Ohio
- YES
This will be Buzz Williams' first trip as Head Turkey Buzzard to The Incredibly Large Mammary Gland. One of the storylines will be of course Tech's Adam Smith playing against his alma mater. The Hokies, 3-1 in the ACC, might wonder how good they'd be with Smith still on their roster. Then again, when you are 3-1 in the demanding ACC, you probably are just happy right where you are and wouldn't change a thing.
The Hokies feature 4 guys scoring in double figures led by 6'7" Junior Forward Zach LeDay at 15.2 ppg. Maryland transfer and former teammate of Chuck Mitchell, Seth Allen, a 6'1" Junior Guard, is averaging 13.3 ppg. 6'5" Sophomore Guard, Justin Bibbs, is a guy we must defend out on the perimeter at all times. Adam Smith is a feared 3-pt gunner and the defending 3FG% leader in the ACC. However, at this time Perrantes at France leads the ACC in that statistical category at an eye-opening 56.4% and Bibbs is close behind him at an equally impressive 55.6%. Bibbs averages gunning about 4 3-pointers a game. Adam Smith, 3rd in the ACC at 46.2%, has more 3-pt attempts (130) than Perrantes (55) and Bibbs (72) combined.
These two teams average scoring and scoring allowed are almost identical - Hokies scoring at 76.8 and Jackets at 76.7 ppg...Hokies giving up 71.0 and Jackets giving up 70.8 ppg.
The Irish tied the Jackets in total rebounds Wednesday night at South Bend, 43-43. That is not a recipe for Tech success. The Jackets must excel in that area of the game to be successful. We are not going to routinely shoot a high FG%. And, our defense has been suspect for much of this season. We need the garbage points on misses offensively and we can't allow our suspect defense to have to defend yet again when we miss out on critical defensive boards. Tech's FG percentage defense reflects our poor defending so far as we are 14th in the ACC allowing teams to shoot 43.4% from the field. Of course, when guys are shooting layups like Auguste was for the Irish last night, that's what I would call a pretty high percentage shot.
While Bibbs is somebody to cover outside the arc, the Hokies are not a strong 3FG% team outside of him with the team 11th in the ACC at 34.0%. The Jackets are currently 5th in the ACC at 37.7% - what a turnaround from a season ago when we were near dead last in all of D1 hoops (read: 350+ teams). What a difference the graduate of VPI&SU has made for the Good Guys.
Back to rebounding, the Jackets are 4th in the ACC in rebounding margin per game at +8.3, which magnifies the ND game last night. The Hokies are 13th at +1.9. This is an area where the Jackets can and should win those battles.
The Hokies are next to last in the ACC in free throw shooting at 66.4%. Hack 'em if needed and force them to make a 15-footer. Though Mr. LeDay is pretty good at 77.2%.
The Jackets are a pathetic 6-15 against the Hokies all-time. That's pretty amazing. Amazingly bad that is. It isn't like the Hokies are a blue blood, but damn if they don't look like it against us I guess. The Jackets lost by 2 at Blacksburg last year. The Good Guys won the previous two before that breaking a streak of 5 straight wins by VPI&SU. This includes the last visit by the Buzzards to the Enormous Boob.
Like all games not involving BC apparently this year will be, this should be a good game opening tip to final buzzer. It will be really good if the Jackets go out in a game we will be favored to win and buzzsaw our visiting guests from the beautiful cow pastures of southwest Virginy. Again, this is a game at a crucial stretch for the season, for CBG, and the future direction of the program. Is the season over if we lose? No. But, it will be a very difficult week off until Game 19 if we do. Pressure is on us for a change. Hokies don't really have a ton to lose here. Kind of the situation we've been in during our first 4 games of the ACC schedule - all as more than 2 possession underdogs.
Go Jackets! Play to your potential. Hopefully a good crowd comes out for this early weekend game. The team deserves the support.
