HOKIES HOOPS CENTRAL: #18 UNC (5-3) AT VIRGINIA TECH HOKIES (7-1) 3PM ACCN
𝘽𝙖𝙧𝙧𝙞𝙘𝙖𝙙𝙚 𝙩𝙝𝙚 𝙙𝙤𝙤𝙧𝙨 🦃🔒ℹ️: https://t.co/mb0g2DD02S🤝: English Meadows#BeatUNC pic.twitter.com/U6OQCOPktX— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 4, 2022
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Sunday, Dec. 4 | 3 p.m. ET
Cassell Coliseum (Blacksburg, Va.)
vs. North Carolina
Series: North Carolina leads 72-16
Game Notes: Virginia Tech (PDF) | North Carolina (PDF)
TV Broadcast
ACC Network
Play-by-Play: Jay Alter
Analyst: Randolph Childress
Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Zach Mackey
Analyst: Mike Burnop
Current Spread: Hokies -1.5
Over/Under: -141.5
A sea of 𝑜𝓇𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 awaits 🟠🔥🟠🔜 Sunday, Dec. 4🆚 UNC🕒 3PM🏰 Wear your 𝑜𝓇𝒶𝓃𝑔𝑒 pic.twitter.com/rgoNhBnenn— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 3, 2022
Defend the Cassell
The Hokies (37th in AP Poll/33rd in Coaches Poll) look to continue their success at home by beating the Tar Heels. The Hokies are 16-72 against UNC, last beating the Tar Heels in the ACC tournament last year. The Hokies come off their most steady performance in a win over the Minnesota Gophers in helping the ACC win the ACC/B1G Challenge.
The Tar Heels are coached by Hubert Davis, an alum that played for the Tar Heels from 1998-2002. He began his college coaching career at UNC as an assistant coach in 2012 after a 12-year career in the NBA. UNC is his only college head coaching job. He took over the UNC position in 2021 and has a 34-13 overall record guiding the Tar Heels to the National Title game in his inaugural season
The Tar Heels come into this contest on a three-game losing streak after starting the season ranked #1 and with five straight wins. The Tar Heels lost to #10 Indiana as part of the ACC/B1G Challenge. The other losses in this streak are to #11 Alabama and #23 Iowa State. Even in winning their first five games, they struggled to put away teams like Gardner Webb and Portland. This team is made up on 11 players that ranked in the Top 100 of their recruiting classes.
The Tar Heels come into this season with a most of their key starters back from last season's run to the Championship game while adding in a couple key transfers. Grad Transfer Forward Pete Nance from Northwestern, has been an instant starter underneath, averaging 12.3ppg and 6 rpg. His contributions are a major factor in this team winning some of the games that they struggled in.
The graduation of Brady Manek and transfer of Forward Dawson Garcia, who the Hokies saw against Minnesota has left the Tar Heels with a bit of an identity crisis down low. In their three losses the one consistent theme was poor interior defense. This team does not have much depth so expect to see the starters on the floor more than 30 minutes each barring foul trouble. Fatigue has been a factor late in several losses, especially the 4OT loss to Alabama where several starters played over 50 minutes. Three starters average more than 3 personal fouls per game so that could definitely be a factor late in this game.
Tyler Nickel, a key freshman Forward recruit from Virginia was expected to have a larger role on this team but that has not been the case so far. He is only getting five minutes per game, mostly when the games have already been decided.
Coach Davis defensively uses as an aggressive man-to-man defense, especially on the perimeter. The aggressiveness though has worked against them though in backside forwards getting wide open under the basket when they aggressively try to trap o the perimeter.
Offensively, Coach Davis uses a heavy dose of ball screens and dribble hand offs to create dribble penetration opportunities while keying in on finding Bacot open underneath. Bacot though may be limited dealing with two injuries in the last two games. He turned an ankle late against Alabama and then injured his primary shooting shoulder going up for a layup against Indiana. He was fouled hard and after the game told the press he heard a loud pop when it happened and he struggled offensively afterward.
The Tar Heels Backcourt
Caleb Love (#2, JR, G, 6-4, 195) 19.1 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 3.0 Ast
RJ Davis (#4, JR, G, 6-0, 160) 15.1 Pts, 5.1 Reb, 3.3 Ast
Leaky Black (#1, SR, G, 6-8, 195) 7.6 Pts, 6.6 Reb, 1.1 Ast
Puff Johnson (#14, JR, G, 6-8, 190) 5.6 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 0.8 Ast
The Tar Heels Frontcourt
Armando Bacot (#5, SR, F, 6-10, 240) 16.1 Pts, 11.1 Reb, 1.1 Ast
Pete Nance (#32, SR, F, 6-10, 225) 12.3 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 2.0 Ast
What to expect from UNC?
As a team the Tar Heels focus on getting the ball inside to score or go to the line. Bacot and Nance scoring inside frees up Caleb Love to get open. No one on the team averages more than two made three pointers per game. They average nearly 40 points a game in the paint and are averaging 19.6ppg from the free throw line.
The Tar Heels prefer an extremely fast paced game and struggle when forced into long shot clock games. They are averaging 80 points per game, although that's heavily skewed by breaking the 100-point barrier in two games so far. In their losses to Iowa State and Indiana they were held to 65 points in both.
The Tar Heels struggle with fouls and a very short bench. They are committing 17 fouls per game and closer to 20 against other top teams. Considering they play mostly just their starters there is a chance starters are off the floor for key stretches which has been the case in all their losses. Opponents are averaging 16 free throws per game, although Alabama went to the line 38 times in that loss. Facing teams with better interior scorers the fouls numbers are much higher as well.
Turnovers for or against are not a significant factor so far this season. Both numbers are around 11 per game. UNC does a better job preventing those turnovers from converting into points by a small margin.
Rebounding will likely not be a major separator, as UNC has been +/- 3 rebounds in all but two contests. Not that it will make Hokies fans feel better, but UNC was outrebounded by College of Charleston.
The Hokies
The Hokies need to play a methodical game, not giving up quick baskets and not settling for the first shot option on offense. UNC gets frustrated by this style of play. The Hokies also need to repeat the interior defensive improvements we saw against Minnesota. Blocks or contested shots in the paint is another area that can separate these two teams.
Working the ball inside to Mutts or which ever other Forward is in the game puts UNC at its biggest risk. They struggle on defensive shifts and allow cutting guards or back side forwards to score a significant number of points in every game. The Hokies come in averaging 36 points per game (284) in the lane this season.
Even in victory against Minnesota the Hokies struggles on the perimeter continued. The Hokies shot 5-14 from outside. At this point even though individually, they have done better historically, it seems to be a consistent weak spot. Pedulla creating shots after dribble penetration could be a tipping point in this contest.
Highlight of the Minnesota game
W...and an ACC W for both Mens and Ladies
In Closing
The Hokies looked good down low against Minnesota, which if that continues, bodes well for the outcome of this game. I expect a double-double for Mutts in this contest. One of the other forwards will also have a 10+ point performance.
UNC will be looking to make this a high paed game. The onus will be on the Hokies to slow this game down. Stout interior defense will be crucial to doing this.
Sean Pedulla gets 24 points and 8 assists and the defense holds UNC under 70 points. Hokies win the ACC opener 77-69.
Comments
HOKIES
Basille with a lazy telegraphed pass and to on his first touch, poetic
I thought that my TV had somehow switched to an episode of I think you should leave when I saw that fabletics commercial after stepping away from the TV for a minute. That is a bonkers ad.
Kidd's spin cycle move down by the baseline becoming more succesful each game, love it
Finishing down low would be nice
Really happy so far....but We have missed like 6 point blank shots. Several by mutts that just wouldn't fall.
Did you know the announcer had three shoulder surgeries?
Other than a few missed shots that was best half of basketball to date.
Looking at uncs stat lines you wonder how they're only down 10...I'm guessing those missed point blank shots and free throws
BUTTS FOR MUTTS
Announcers full of excuses for UNC lol. It does suck to have your best player out, but come on. VT looks like the better team.
Can't let them creep back in here
Considered them creeped
64-57 with 5:00 left. Failing to put them away...we were up by 18 but have had too many empty possessions
Refs calling the game like UNC gave em that Qatar level money
For real, throw an elbow into pedula? Yep that's a blocking foul 🤦♂️
24 - 5 FT advantage seems biased
ACC Officials : "We never fail to make it close"
This dick riding by the announcers is god level, Jesus christ the bias
Basille, liability
Need to figure out how to win this game. Can't give up open threes
67-62 with just over 3 minutes left. Color me nervous
EDIT: and we lose the ball in the back court, give up a layup and one
Big big big time Hokie Chokie today
Bad turnovers and and ones not it either
Wow that foul shot advantage is UNCreal
It's amazing how many FT we've missed and how many empty possessions we've had, and we had a huge lead.
Mutts is good but his passes are wreckless at times.
They're either awesome or terrible.
71-64 with 2:05 left. Break the press and we're fine. It's that easy 😳
We need to stoop waiting when we get a rebound, push up 5 the court, clear the press then set up your offense.
We did that on the last two possessions. We sit NABC and wait for them to set up their press.
Big nuts Pedulla right there
PEDULLA WITH THE DAGGER!!!
BFK!
I have no idea why, the last part of the 2nd half, we weren't working that Basile - Nickel matchup. Huge mismatch. We should have been wearing that out.
Is there no point where the ACC refs feel embarrassed by their overwhelming bias?
It's written in the league charter
Pedulla got closelined before that "foul" on Mutts
That foul on Mutts was intentional by the way, no play at all on the ball. Oh right ACC refs
Mike Young has these boys winning FAM
He should moonlight as our OC
Why do you foul down 8 with 8.8 seconds left?
Hokies gave up 7 in final 10 seconds in another game
Yeah. But this was 8 :)
Love that they called it a convincing win after we finish. Nothing she;we were stomping them by 18.
E$PN Tonight: "Whybabies lose because Bacot couldn't go"....
Got the 8 point spread right...damn free throws screwing up the total
Beat ranked UNC and we didn't storm the court
Who would have ever thought
"Ranked" no more.... two Ls will see them to the 30s
I logged in to say FAM!!!
...and also to say how FCKING annoying the E$PN announcers were. The UNCheat bias is unreal. Here's to looking forward to stomping them in Cheatpel Hill.
We don't have them Home and Home this year.
Another game though of sub 30% 3 point shooting which if fixed turns these into blowouts. 3 for 17 tonight. 17%
Pedulla shot was off today and mutts made up for a lot of it. It's nice to have enough depth that when your normal shooter is off someone else can step up. The perplexing one is Maddox, just hasn't looked silky smooth in his shots like he did last year, feel like he's always falling forward or has a different motion to his shot this year and it's not working
I really thought Maddox would be become a major factor in this offense this year. It just didn't materialize that way at all. I hope he figures it out in Dec to have a nice run in 2023. VT will need to get consistent at the 3 to keep the inside game going.
Maddox is now 6/25 (24%) from outside and 33/78 (42%) overall. He will be on the outside looking in if/when Rice is healthy. Only other outside shooter that has worse % is MJ Collins at 4/20 (20%).
Pedulla though isnt a one game drought, he is below 35% now on the season. His 1/5 today brings his season to 16/46. Thats concerning since he is a central part to how far this team goes.
Missed this post yesterday- FYI we were 7 of 19 for 36% from 3.
UNC was 3 for 17.
Thanks for all the hard work on these threads. Best coverage of Hokies Basketball around.
There were a ton of things in this preview that were huge to the game yesterday. Bacot injury, UNC wanting to push the pace, and UNC starters having to sit for fouls (think Black and Love both were out for a bit in the first half). Plus nailing the Hokies by eight
You are welcome.
UNC had no idea how to deal with Mutts on the inside during the game. Pedulla and Maddox were both off yesterday, but Cattoor and Mutts had it handled.
I will say this for UNC, the defended the three really well. We hardly got any free looks except at the end where they wanted us to shoot early in the shot clock. Young had those guys trained well to resist that temptation and eat the clock.
I have to read these comments after because I was at the game. It was great atmosphere for the players even if we had an annoying UNC fan behind us.
He probably thought it was too loud and won't be returning, right?