Game Thread: Basketball Week 4

[wildturkey]

5-3 Hokies have two games this week including our first ACC game of the year.

12/3 vs Winthrop 7pm (ESPN3)

12/8 @ Miami 12:30pm (ESPNU)

Both games could go either way. I'd say Winthrop is the tougher opponent but who knows how we'll do in what's really our first road game against Miami. Miami is projected to be a cellar dweller in the ACC just like us.

 

[Ragingcroc]

Winthrop did beat USC Upstate. They are lights out from 3 pt land so we've got to be aggressive getting out on the three point shooters. We can't go under screens without our bigs hedging the ball handler. Their only loss so far has been VCU.

I'd say its key we win against Miami. They aren't very good offensively, so we stand a pretty good chance against them.

 

[Ragingcroc]

WTF Adam Smith is out! Virginia Tech basketball baby!

 

[Ragingcroc]

Good start, glad to see we're using our size for our advantage. I do worry about defense with Will Johnston starting at the 2.

 

[Ragingcroc]

Raines got let out of the dog house.

 

[vtfan15]

Eddie is on :target:

 

[wildturkey]

I'm honestly stunned we're up right now (42-33 at the half) being this short handed (No Emelogu or Smith). But if I've learned anything about VT basketball, its that Eddie will go stone cold in the 2nd half. Something like 1-10, we go for 8+mins without scoring a point, and we end up losing this game 65-63.

 

[Ragingcroc]

wow, 2 4 point plays for Eddie!

 

[Ragingcroc]

I think our best lineup was Wilson-Eddie-Wood-Barksdale-Raines. I think Johnston/Beyer are just too big liabilities on D and don't bring too much on offense. We really need Emegelou and Smith back though.

Glad to see Wilson going hard to the rim. He needs to try to score and not pick up the small as early.

 

[Ragingcroc]

Raines with the derp foul.

 

[wildturkey]

Hokies win! 81-63

Great win considering the circumstances being down two big contributors. Eddie played lights out all game even despite my best attempt to jinx him earlier (what? He is usually hot and cold!). And I thought Wilson had his best game yet. He looked comfortable out there today and stepped up in a big way to carry the burden of really being the lone PG. I think I was most impressed by the fact that we withstood the dreaded lapse. Winthrop made a run at the start of the half and our offense really bogged down. I think they might have gotten it to 2 or 3 pts but we finally awoke and stretched the lead back out.

BTW, if I've said it before, its worth noting again, our white jerseys are sick. I love the ghosted Hokiestone pattern on the back.


EDIT:

Stats for Eddie: 13-18, 6-8 from 3 for 34 pts along with 7 rbs. As Jim Jones would say, "BALLIN!"

And Wilson nearly had a double double: 11 pts, 8 assists. Very solid PG numbers for the freshman

 

[HoHumHokie]

Why is Miami and VT playing an ACC game already? Typically conference games don't start until January.

 

[hokiegrad]

I think conference games have started in late December for a while, at least for some teams, and with the move to an 18 game schedule I'm not surprised to see that move up.

 

[HoHumHokie]

I think conference games have started in late December for a while, at least for some teams, and with the move to an 18 game schedule I'm not surprised to see that move up.

Maryland-BC is the only other ACC game being played before January. I understand the need to get some games in before January, but the first weekend in December seems odd considering VT will go a whole month before playing their second ACC game.

 

[hokiegrad]

An effort to get the game in before finals?

I didn't realize there were only 2 conference games before January, across all teams. That does seem odd. They couldn't squeeze 2 more games into 2014?

 

[ACC_HOKIES]

Why is Miami and VT playing an ACC game already? Typically conference games don't start until January.

I've always remembered the ACC having games in December. All the way back to the 90s. There are usually one or two really early before exams and a couple spread throughout the rest of December. Maybe not every year, but I'd say most.

Our first ACC basketball game was before Christmas against UNC. The night Duke hit that buzzer beater was right after the first ACC-CG. The night after we avenged that first ACC-CG we lost to UVA at home. I'm sure we've had more. Too lazy to check.

 

[HoHumHokie]

I've always remembered the ACC having games in December. All the way back to the 90s. There are usually one or two really early before exams and a couple spread throughout the rest of December. Maybe not every year, but I'd say most.

Our first ACC basketball game was before Christmas against UNC. The night Duke hit that buzzer beater was right after the first ACC-CG. The night after we avenged that first ACC-CG we lost to UVA at home. I'm sure we've had more. Too lazy to check.

I guess you're right. TSL has the archives. The years we played an ACC game before January were 2010 against UVA, both 2006 & 2007 against Wake, 2005 against Duke, 2004 against UNC. Only once did we win one of these December games...

 

[vtfan15]

Well Miami scored 13 points in the first half vs Nebraska tonight. Should be a good matchup on Sunday.

 

[Ragingcroc]

Anyone know anything about Adam Smith and Emegelou's status for Sunday?

 

[vtfan15]

Emelogu will be back. Haven't seen anything on Smith.
<blockquote class="twitter-tweet" lang="en"><p>Game Sunday against defending ACC champs, back in action. <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23bucketstime&amp;src=hash">#bucketstime</a> <a href="https://twitter.com/search?q=%23greatnessisuponme&amp;src=hash">#greatnessisuponme</a></p>&mdash; B-EASY/SWAGGYB #15 (@BenBornReady_VT) <a href="https://twitter.com/BenBornReady_VT/statuses/408820503424798720">December 6, 2013</a></blockquote>
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