I unfortunately am hearing we likely will not see Justin Robinson in on the floor tonight during the game.
The ride ✊Our three seniors reflect on their time in Blacksburg5️⃣ Justin Robinson1️⃣3️⃣ Ahmed Hill4️⃣2️⃣ Ty Outlaw#getBETTER | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/sxTU2yM33o— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 8, 2019
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: March 8th, 2019 / 7 PM
Opponent: Miami
Site: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, VA
Radio: Virginia Tech IMG Sports Network
Talent: Jon Laaser & Mike Burnop
TV: ESPN2
Talent: Mike Couzens & Cory Alexander
Live Stats: HokieSports.com
Game Notes: Virginia Tech
Sirius: 84 XM: 84 Internet: 84
Game day!It's Senior Day, so be sure to get to Cassell at 6:40 p.m. to see the recognition🏀 vs. Miami📍 Blacksburg, Va.🕚 7 p.m. ETℹ️ https://t.co/aNeouuWvnU📈 https://t.co/x0LoDRFkHL📻 https://t.co/Y5WNSie1Vm📺 ESPN2💻 https://t.co/WMSfkO3HN4#getBETTER | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/2NfmHsdxhe— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 8, 2019
Closing up the Regular Season
Buzzketball finishes up the regular season in the cozy confines of Cassell Coliseum on Senior Night. The first step is to enjoy a few minutes of focus on one of the best graduating classes that the Hokies have ever had. Tonight being honored are Justin Robinson, Ahmed Hill, Ty Outlaw and team manager Francis Duggan. This could also be the final home game for several others, including Nickiel Walker-Alexander and Kerry Blackshear.
The second step tonight is to focus on beating a downtrodden Miami team. Miami comes in having lost three of their last five ACC games in what has been a similarly challenging season injury and NCAA wise for the Hurricanes as it has for the Hokies. Miami is coming in off a win over Pitt. Prior to that game, they lost by 30 to Duke and even managed to lose to Wake Forest.
There should be a packed house looking to celebrate a Hokies win. A win tonight would extend the Hokies highest win total in the ACC to 12 wins. This will be the thirty eighth meeting between the Hokies and Hurricanes. Miami leads the all-time series 22-15. The Hurricanes are 2-10 on the road or at Neutral site games this season with those only two wins coming during the Wooden Legacy tournament against La Salle and Fresno State. The Hokies meanwhile are 17-2 at home with their only losses to #16 Louisville and #3 UVA.
The Hurricanes are coached by Jim Larranaga, who has been at Miami since 2011. Miami has won at least twenty games in six of his seven seasons, but will not make that this season without a win tonight, winning the ACC tournament and then hoping to get into a post season tournament. Larranaga has taken the Hurricanes to four NCAA tournament berths. He also guided them to an ACC Championship both in the regular season and tournament in 2012-2013. Larranaga is currently 174-95 as head coach of Miami, while 644-429 overall with other coaching stops at George Mason, Bowling Green, and American International.
Miami is having a rough season this year but it does not appear to be getting better soon unless Larranaga brings in a handful of graduate transfers for next season. The Hurricanes currently only have 2 players signed in their Class of 2019, while they graduate three starters who will take about 50% of the Hurricanes offense with them from this season. They do have several transfers sitting out this season and another Hurricane that redshirted which will bolster the roster.
Defensively, Miami runs three different defensive schemes, primarily playing a high pressure man to man which usually rotates into the Scramble defense which is essentially a man to man defense with some zone trapping techniques utilized and then rounding it out with a curveball they call a 3-2 Disrupting Camouflage Defense which is a high pressure, perimeter zone defense that sags to the middle of the court. The 3-2 Disrupting Camouflage is almost the reverse of the Scramble defense. This defense has players back off their offensive players as if they were going to trap but then they shift into passing lanes rather than close the trap.
Offensively, the Hurricanes switch between a four out, one in and a three out, two in Motion Offense, based on the personnel on the floor. This season, with a void of talent, the Hurricanes have primarily used the four out, one in. When Miami is in with two bigs, those bigs typically rotate between the top and bottom of the lane to create gaps in the defensive coverage while also opening up opportunities for the guards to drive to the basket. The Hurricanes usually attempt 23 threes per game but this is a game against the Hokies, where everyone seems to add 5-10 attempts. The silver lining is that the Hurricanes are only hitting 34% of their perimeter shots.
Hurricanes Backcourt
Chris Lykes, (#0), 5'7, 160 lbs Sophomore Guard has become the central point of this team and is averaging 16.2 PPG, 2.6 RPG, 3.1 APG and 1.3 SPG. Lykes has been called upon to play almost double the minutes he played last season. He is shooting 41% overall, 32% from outside and 76% from the line.
Anthony Lawrence Jr., (#3) 6'7, 185 Senior Guard comes in averaging 12.5 PPG, 6.3 RPG, 3 APG and 1.2 SPG. He is shooting 35% from outside, 46% overall and at the free throw line, shooting 75%.
Zach Johnson (#5) 6'2, 195 Lbs Senior Guard is a graduate transfer from Florida Gulf Coast. He is averaging 12 PPG, 3 RPG, 2.5 APG, and 1.8 SPG. He is shooting 29% from behind the arc and 39% overall. Also shoots 68% from the line.
Dejan Vasilkevic, (#1) 6'3, 198 Lbs Junior Guard is averaging 11.3 PPG 4.4 RPG and 1.3 APG. So far this season he is shooting 47% inside, 37% from behind the arc and 93% from the line. He is their only reliable perimeter shooter this season.
Anthony Mack, (#13), 6'6, 218 Lbs Freshman Guard is essentially the only reserve guard, seeing about 16 minutes per game while the four starters all play over 31 minutes per contest. He is averaging 2.7 PPG, 1.1 RPG, and 0.8 APG. He shoots 29% from the field and 29% from outside. He also only hits 75% of his free throw attempts.
Hurricanes Frontcourt
Ebuka Izundu, (#15) 6'10, 205 Lbs Senior Forward has been forced into a much larger role than his first three seasons called for with the suspension of Hernandez and the injury to Gak. He has essentially doubled his production compared to last year, averaging 11 PPG, 8.8 RPG and 1 APG. He is shooting 65% overall, 33% from the perimeter, and 70% from the line.
Sam Waardenburg, (#21), 6'10, 216 Lbs Sophomore Forward is averaging 5.6 PPG, 3.3 RPG, and 1.2 APG. Waardenburg is shooting 41% inside and 36% outside. He is a 75% free throw shooter.
What to expect from Miami?
The Hurricanes going into ACC play had been very disciplined and rarely took fouls. ACC play has seen a huge shift in this dynamic. Five of their six primary players average 2 or more fouls per contest. Anyone in foul trouble for the Hurricanes limits their ability to adjust dramatically.
Miami scoring is quite evenly spread across its starting five, then it essentially hits a cliff, as the roster doesn't go much more than six deep. All five starters average double digit scoring though so there really isn't a primary focus point.
The Hurricanes have been badly outrebounded in conference play so far. Opponents have pulled down 90 more rebounds in 17 games or just over 5 per contest more. This could be just the source of additional chances that could set this game apart.
The Hurricanes guards are very adept at creating steals, with four of five starters averaging over a steal per contest. Turnovers could give the Hurricanes a way to keep this game close. In ACC play, they have forced their opponents into almost 13 turnovers per game.
The Hokies
We got four!Alexander-Walker, Bede, Hill & Robinson have made the @accmbb All-Academic Team 🤓📰 » https://t.co/QlAXzy2CaT#getBETTER | #Hokies 🦃 pic.twitter.com/eY3hqbliBU— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 8, 2019
This game's pace could vary dramatically depending on who is on the floor. The Hokies have definitely slowed their pace of play without Justin Robinson but have also improved their passing to find the open shooter. The Hokies just need to remember what got them to where they are now. Shooting the ball proficiently. The Hokies need to find that rhythm of turning energetic defense into a scoring offense today.
Someone, Hill and Nickiel Alexander Walker need to drive the basketball today to keep the Miami defense on its heels. This will open up perimeter shooting for Outlaw, Hill and others, which is critical considering the Hurricanes only allow opponents to shoot 33% from outside. This could also create the foul issues that seem to plague the Hurricanes in ACC play.
Blackshear needs to have a big night and body up Izundu to create fouls. Considering the Hurricanes depth issues, getting Izundu in trouble early could create a major void in the Canes defense. The same is true on the other end. Limiting Miami on the offensive glass is a huge plus because of how poorly they have shot the ball this season and how much they have struggled to rebound in ACC play.
In Closing
Work the Hurricanes inside. Blackshear should touch the ball every possession he is in to keep Miami honest. He has shown the knack for knowing when to drive and shoot and when to kick out so helping him dominate the paint is a major factor in this game.
The Miami bigs have a tendency to get in foul trouble so providing EVERYONE the space and green light to drive (except Outlaw) inside along with Blackshear being able to draw contact down low could force Larranaga out of his game plan. The less of 6'10 and 6'11 that see the floor against the Hokies the better off we are in this contest.
Getting this win, locking up the 5 seed is really only critical for establishing where it is the Hokies end up to start the NCAA tournament at this point. Could they improve or fall, sure but at this point it wont be significant movement in either direction barring winning the ACC tournament.
Hokies win 75-60 with Wilkins getting some key minutes and creating a momentum changing play. Hopefully we haven't seen 5 for the last time in a Hokies uniform as I see more and more confirmation that he will not play tonight.
Toughness is being able to physically + emotionally perform your task through any condition.— Buzz Williams (@TeamCoachBuzz) March 7, 2019
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