The Hokies host the Syracuse Orange today at 6 PM. The game is on ESPN2. Hokies are 8 point favorites. O/U is 145. Both teams are on 4 game winning streaks. Syracuse beat Wake Forest and Louisville at home; neither game was close. They beat NC State and BC on the road; both games were with 10 points. We beat FSU and Pitt on the road and GA Tech and Pitt at home. In their last two games before starting the winning streak, Syracuse lost at Pitt and at Duke.
The Hokies will match up fairly well with Syracuse because their 6'11 starting center Jesse Edwards broke his wrist in the last game and will not play. He will probably be replaced by 6'10 Frank Anselem. Syracuse has only played 8 players in most games; so their bench will be short for this game.
#35 Buddy Boeheim 6'6 G Sr. 37.5 MPG: 19.1 PPG: 3.8 RPG: 3.4 APG: 1.9 TOPG
#11 Joseph Girard III 6'1 G Jr. 33.5 MPG: 13.6 PPG: 2.8 RPG: 4.5 APG: 2.9 TOPG
#0 Jimmy Boeheim 6'8 F Gr. 34.3 MPG: 13.5 PPG: 5.9 RPG: 1.4 APG: 1.2 TOPG
#21 Cole Swider 6'9 F Sr. 34.1 MPG: 13.2 PPG: 6.8 RPG: 1.4 APG: 1.5 TOPG
#5 Frank Anselem 6'10 C So. 10.3 MPG: 2.4 PPG: 2.5 RPG: 0.1 APG: 0.3 TOPG
#10 Symir Torrence 6'3 G Jr. 11.8 MPG: 2.3 PPG: 1.4 RPG: 2.7 APG: 0.9 TOPG
#13 Benny Williams 6'8 F Fr. 12.2 MPG: 1.7 PPG: 1.4 RPG: 0.3 APG: 0.7 TOPG
And just for info, this is what they lose with Edwards out:
#14 Jesse Edwards 6'11 C Jr. 27.8 MPG: 12 PPG: 6.5 RPG: 1 APG: 1.3 TOPG
Syracuse is almost as much of a three point team as the Hokies. The four remaining starters shoot 35%, 38%, 40% and 43% from three. The Hokies will have to be strong out to the arc tonight. Syracuse takes very good care of the ball only turning the ball over 7.5 times per game.
Syracuse plays almost exclusively zone defense; so if the Hokies are good with their spacing and ball movement, they should get some good looks from beyond the arc.
Here are the stats:
The little terrorist is raising hell; so I have to go walk the dog.
LET'S GO HOKIES!
Comments
Let's Go!
Hokies!!!
I'm at a flyball tournament and have five little terrorists to take care of.
It's also my older greyhound's 13th birthday today.
The old way to beat the 2-3 zone was to get a passer in the middle and shoot them back to man defense. I think we are built for this type of offense, I would be worried if I was them. On the other side. Can we keep them away from the basket and not give up a dozen offensive rebounds?
This is likely key here. I won't be shocked at all if we struggle with the zone and clank some long range shots as we struggle to break down the zone. But we can still win a game that way if we can limit their shooting as well (especially with their big man out). If they shoot well though, things can get rough real quick.
Live by the zone, die by the zone. Hopefully with their big out, Keve can get to the top of the key/free throw line and break it down. I feel like I remember Zach LeDay or Chris Clark having success doing that in years past.
Definitely how you beat the zone but no one is pulling the trigger from there... we're just kicking back out which doesn't own anything up.
If Keve and/or Mutts can get Anselem in foul trouble, the Orange don't have another big with any playing time to come in. Syracuse is going to have to play quite a bit of small ball to get Anselem any rest.
Catoor is COOKING 3 threes 🔥
Started off hot, but really cooling off now. Need someone to knock down a shot at the high post to force them to respect it.
No one strong enough to finish under the basket yet. Thought Nguessan would be able to power it home but he got stopped as well
Mutts forcing some passes from the key when they seem to be giving him space to hit some 7-8ft jumpers that would really open things up along the baseline.
Unless storm and nahiem can knock down a three it might be time for more pedulla and Maddox (sound familiar?)
Last two minutes were fantastic basketball. Playing to their talent level.
BIG BUTTS FOR MUTTS 😤
There have been at least three terrible calls on who the ball went off of when it's out under our basket.
Bump
Pump fake from a good shot, to a worse shot, followed by a bank in 4-point play for Maddox. When things are going good, they're going good.
that call sucks to bad. They looked at the monitor and couldn't get it right. I mean seriously, how bad can they get
Some of the calls have been straight ass, both ways so far
Seems like we are always the victim of home cooking when on the road, and never get the benefit at home. The last two minutes of the half are the perfect example.
Pretty sure they can't review if it's shooting or on the floor. Only the time left.
They call him TV Teddy for a reason.
Not sure if it has been on TV, but Boeheim was working the officials every break.
Let's bang the drum again... the run came with Pedulla and Maddox on the court... again... seriously why is this so hard to figure out?
HOAT sighting
Triple double for Mutts. Worth an appearance
All of your butts are belong to Mutts
WTF on the baseline out of bounds calls?
This game doesn't deserve these officials...or vice versa idk which
Or announcers at this rate
Exactly. Who is Goosen?
I think the refs have hurt us more than they've helped. But mostly they've just been bad. Lots of headscratchers.
A classic teddy V reffed game
A few years ago I found out a co-worker used to officiate Metro conference games. Told me he did quite a few Tech games. I told him I didn't remember him, though I did remember a few of the officials that made some tough calls. His response? "Good - that means I did my job well."
Mutts is a match up nightmare. He can (and should) just take over games.
Plus his energy when he's on is contagious.
Triple double for mutts!
That play ended the game. Cuse scored 3 more points over the final 6 mins.
Cassell looks LOUD 😳
1st sell out in a while.... I wonder why.......
It was, we were rocking.
I like they way it looks like we are going to win and the announcers are suddenly pro VT.
Announcers were sooo pro Orange....
Very solid play on the part of VT in this game.
Big dub boys
The success in using the bench is apparent. Syracuse with the short bench looks gassed at the end of the game. Tech looks full of energy.
Clearly Syracuse just couldn't handle the triple double butts for Mutts
"Trying to play their way back into the tournament. It's a good win."
Agree. Big win. Excellent use of the bench and timely shooting at the end. Nice little run the past 3 weeks.
UVA likely for a ncaa bid?
FAM!!!!
Survive and advance baby! Beat the Hoos!!
4 turnovers for the entire game. The team was coached well on how to defeat the zone.
When buddy boeheim fouled catoor half way thru the 1st, he gave catoor a shoulder chunk when he walked by. The team responded. We went up 11 and forced buddy into at least 2 turnovers and a couple missed shots thru the next 8 or so minutes. Buddy was being a punk and we teamed him. I loved watching that.
Buddy was throwing more forearms/elbows than a UFC fight. Surprised there wasn't a tussle at some point- Cattoor is a better man than me.
Little Grayson Allen is that one.
Maddox has such a smooth release, he will bank a 3 pointer while getting fouled, and then make it a 4 PT play, like it's not big deal.
The first time we beat Duke in ACC play, the game was started by a Zabian Dowdell 4 point play.
And coach k still hasn't gotten over the call.
Was it just me or did we get a way with quite a few extra steps under the basket?
So did they.