BUZZKETBALL CENTRAL: Virginia Tech Hokies (5-3 ) at Radford Highlanders (5-4) 7PM BigSouthSports.com

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Hokies fans, Tonight's game against our cross river opponent will be the tale of which team shows up. Radford has had a season of ups and downs, some slightly higher than the Hokies but just as many down as Tech as well. It all seems to be in which team shows up. Are the Hokies going to face the Radford squad that beat Georgetown in Overtime or the one that followed that big win with a 20+ point loss to VCU? The Highlander team that beat Penn State or followed with a loss to JMU? The scary point is that this seems to be a team that can get up for at least one big game at a time and considering they are coming off their first in-conference loss to Coastal Carolina, I am sure their coaching staff has them focused and ready to go for the Hokies. This is also the first time a Radford home game has sold out since 2009 so the building will be packed, although no telling which team they are there to cheer on until game time.

In their wins this season, Radford has held opponents to shooting 19.8% from outside the arc, but in their losses, opponents have been shooting almost 45% from outside so this could be a big game for Justin Bibbs to assert himself and his ACC leading 65.5% three point shooting so far this year. Any game Radford has given up more than 7 three pointers, they have come out on the losing end this season. Tech needs to take advantage of this weakness and put up some clean looks from outside.

The free throw line has been a major issue for both of these teams. So far Radford is only shooting 62% on the season from the charity stripe while opponents are shooting 72%. It has averaged out to about a two point difference per game. That two point difference though has been against teams averaging 19.3 trips to the line per game, not the 34 trips (273 attempts) the Hokies have been averaging this season. Tech is gradually improving, currently up to 67% from the line while opponents are shooting the same, but this has meant Tech has a ten to twelve point advantage at the line because they have only allowed opponents to the line 108 times this season (13.5 att per game). The game likely rides on which of these teams' trends remain the same. If both do, than Tech likely benefits the most.


The Highlanders are led by Senior Guard Rashun Davis, (#5) 5'11 185 Lbs, who has stepped into the role of RJ Price from last season, who hit up Tech for 25 points. So far Davis is averaging 14.8 PPG, 3.4 RPG and an impressive 5.6 APG. Davis is not much of a threat from the perimeter but will still attempt two to three shots from outside each game. He is much more like our guards in that he drives to the basket with the intent of shooting or getting fouled. He has taken 50 of his team's 193 attempts at the line, shooting at an 80% clip.


He is joined in the backcourt by Cameron Jones, Senior Guard, (#3) 6'4, 180 Lbs who is scoring 12.4 PPG while grabbing 4.3 RPG. Jones is their perimeter shooter that we need to worry about tonight. He has hit 41% from outside, going 22-53 over nine games.

One of the top freshmen in the Big South, Ed Polite Jr. (#24) 6'5, 200 Lbs Forward, comes in averaging 9.9 PPG and 5.6 RPG. He has a deadly soft touch in the lane and the uncanny ability to be in the right spot to pull in offensive rebounds, averaging almost 4 offensive rebounds per game so far. This has allowed him to get quite a few easy put back baskets so whoever is responsible for guarding Polite will need to ensure they get inside position when rebounding. He is much the same matchup nightmare as Chris Clarke for the Hokies seems to be. Too fast for big men to cover and too big for smaller guards to be successful against. Game by game the coaching staff has increased his playing time and the effect has been linear on his impact on the game. The more time he is on the court, the more damage he does to opponents. He seems to play their sixth man role quite often but plays as many minutes as any of the primary starters.


The three remaining starters seem to be Senior Forward Kion Brown (#00) 6'7, 200 Lbs, Sophomore Guard Justin Cousin (#14) 6'0, 195 Lbs and Brandon Holcomb (#55) 6'7, 255 Lbs Senior Center. Many of you may recall Holcomb from last year, where he put up 14 points, grabbed 7 rebounds and had 3 blocks against the Hokies down low to help them win that game. He had two huge offensive rebounds that led to five points late in that game including a thunderous dunk with under two minutes to play. His minutes this year are down though, only getting about 14 MPG so far which seems counter intuitive based on his impact last season so I am not sure if he has been dealing with more talented teammates, an injury, or just happens to be in the coaches dog house. Whichever the case, let's hope he has less impact this year as this game proceeds tonight.

This team plays fast and small, relying on their quickness to get open shots and or drive to the rim. In that regard they are very similar to the Hokies. On defense, they run mostly zone as they do not have the size to rely on to handle much man to man. This also is very similar to the Hokies and explains why when opponents shoot well from the perimeter, Radford struggles. They don't have much size so LeDay should be able to work down low against the Highlanders and our guards can continue to pick their time to drive the lane as the Highlanders will have to worry about drop off passes to big men allowing easy dunk baskets.

This game will likely stay fairly close throughout but if things are going the way they should with the increased talent on our roster from last year, Tech should be able to put this one away 69-64. I do believe that the free throw line will make all the difference. Foul trouble will also force Radford to adjust how much its starters can be out there, changing their offensive dynamic significantly.

That said, it's a Radford home game, the first time Tech is playing in a true road game this year, the first time Tech is playing at Radford in our series against them and Radford is coming off a bad loss so they will be amped up for the Hokies. Survive the storm that will likely be the first half, and then put the Highlanders away in the second half with steady shooting from the perimeter and the line.

I guess the only other question we need answered: Will Tyrone show up again tonight?

DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.

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-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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Taylor, looking desperately throws it deep..HAS A MAN OPEN DANNY COALE WITH A CATCH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FIVE!!!!....hes still open

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
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Here lies It's a Stroman Jersey I Swear, surpassed in life by no one because he intercepted it.

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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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Taylor, looking desperately throws it deep..HAS A MAN OPEN DANNY COALE WITH A CATCH ALL THE WAY DOWN TO THE FIVE!!!!....hes still open

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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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-What we do is, if we need that extra push, you know what we do? -Put it up to fully dipped? -Fully dipped. Exactly. It's dork magic.

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
-Corey Marshall

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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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Here lies It's a Stroman Jersey I Swear, surpassed in life by no one because he intercepted it.

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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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Get your ass on the ground and we'll party

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
-Corey Marshall

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"For those who have passed, for those to come, reach for excellence."

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
-Corey Marshall

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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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I found TKP after two rails from TOTS then walking back to my apartment and re-watching the 2012 Sugar Bowl. I woke up the next day with this username.

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Plan for the worst and hope for the best, not the other way around.

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
-Corey Marshall

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"...When we step on that field, they bleed like we bleed and we're gonna show the world."
-Corey Marshall

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Here lies It's a Stroman Jersey I Swear, surpassed in life by no one because he intercepted it.

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