VT 75, BC 86

Quick thoughts: We shot better than them, out rebounded them, and they only made one more 3-pointer than us, so how did we lose?

They scored 29 points off turnovers. We scored ZERO. They had five turnovers and we had 17. We were sloppy with the ball and it cost us the game. Our defense wasn't the best, but when you give a team more opportunities to score, they will take advantage of them.

Boston College scored 42 points in the paint; keep in mind that was a team that predominately shoots threes. I think we miss Victor Davila. Everyone used to give him a hard time, but he was the defensive presence we needed.

If the Hokies want to get back to winning, I think we need to try and outscore the opponent, rather than out defend them. The coaches have tried every defensive drill in practice and it hasn't worked. Our defense at the beginning of the year was no better than it is now. The difference was we scored. During the seven game win streak, Robert Brown averaged 13.4 ppg. In the past eight games he's averaged 7.85. Jarell averaged 17.14 ppg during the win streak, and 12.37 the past 8 games. That's over 10 less ppg combined. Not only is that 10 less points, but the defense doesn't have to respect the outside scoring threat, making it tougher for the big men to score. Our success for the rest of the season will be determined by how Jarell and Robert play. Who knows, maybe Marshall Wood comes back and provides the spark we need too.

Point Guards: Erick Green got his points, like always, but did a great job finding his teammates too. He racked up 9 assists, and managed to get others involved when the defense would collapse on him.

Marquis Rankin started last night in place of Robert Brown. He made a three, but was out of control for much of the game. When he drove to the basket, he would throw the ball at the rim as hard as possible, and hoped it would go in. Not surprisingly, that didn't work. We had him cut to the basket all night and tried to get him the ball. That works with Robert, but how is someone 5-10 going to make the shot surrounded by 7-footers?

Shooting Guards: Robert Brown did not participate in the game due to illness.

Will Johnston hit a three-pointer in the first half and had a nice and-one in the second. Often times he was open in the corner but his teammates didn't trust him enough to pass him the ball. When he did get the opportunity, he knocked them down.

Forwards: Jarell really struggled to find his shot in the first half, going 2-8. Like all good shooters, to get out of a slump, they have to keep shooting; he did exactly that, and finished 6-9 in the second. He looked confident late in the game, and we can hope that transfers over to Saturday.

C.J. showed more effort, which was nice to see. He's extremely athletic for a big man, and has unlimited potential. I hope to see him improve even more.

Christian Beyer has been the second best player on the team since he started getting minutes. He led the team in rebounds, and was perfect from the field. Six points and eight rebounds from a walk-on in ACC play is more than I could ask for.

Centers: Cadarian didn't box out, and hardly had an impact on the game. We need production from our big men, especially when our starting shooting guard can't play.

JVZ seems to have one big dunk every game. He uses his height very well, but still needs to bulk up more. I would love to see us run an actual pick and roll with Joey and Erick, not just use the pick as a way to get Erick an open shot. They usually double team him which leaves Joey open. JVZ's free throw stroke looks nice and I'd love to try a pick and pop with him too.

Stat of the Game: Boston College scored 29 points off of turnovers.

Mike's Player of the Game: Erick Green. Shocker, right? I wanted to give it to Jarell for his great second half performance but he had five turnovers, which contributed to the loss. Erick had 24 points with 9 assists, one short of his career high.

Our guys need a win bad. Going into BC I thought we would get it but having Brown sidelined affected us. Hopefully everyone is back and healthy Saturday when we take on Georgia Tech at 2:30.

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I love Virginia Tech, regardless of the outcome of every game.