HOKIES HOOPS CENTRAL: Valparaiso (4-5) at Virginia Tech (6-3) 12PM CW Network
Back in ๐ฐ Saturday vs. Valpoโผ๏ธ๐ Noonโก๏ธ 70s Day๐๏ธ https://t.co/LxRUV0lwMu pic.twitter.com/p5uxbh4C5vโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 8, 2023
Valparaiso (4-3)
At Virginia Tech (6-3)
December 9th, 2023
Cassell Coliseum
12 p.m. ET
CW Network
Virginia Tech Sports Network
CW Network
Play-by-Play:
Analyst:
Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Zach Mackey
Analyst: Mike Burnop
Current Spread: Hokies -20.5
Over/Under: -142.5
๐๐ฎ๐บ๐ฒ ๐ฅ๐ฒ๐๐ถ๐ป๐ฑ โช ๐๐ผ๐๐ถ๐๐๐ถ๐น๐น๐ฒPlayed for one another ๐ช#StoneByStone pic.twitter.com/r3oRmzb1Dgโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 5, 2023
Beacon of Hope?
The Hokies continue their homestand with Valparaiso coming to Cassell Coliseum. The Valparaiso Beacons squad comes in 4-5 and second to last in the Missouri Valley Conference. This will be the first meeting between the Hokies and Valparaiso.
The Beacons are coached by Roger Powell, who is in his first season at Valparaiso. Valparaiso is his first head coaching job with assistant stops at Valparaiso, Vanderbilt and Gonzaga. The Beacons opened their season with a win over Trinity Christian, then a loss to IUPUI. They beat Green Bay before losing their only other game against a P5 opponent, Illinois. They beat Western Illinois and Southern before coming into today on a three game losing streak to Drake, Belmont and Central Michigan.
Valparaiso only returns four players from last season after the coaching change. Senior forward Jerome Palm, Senior guard/forward Connor Barrett, Junior guard Darius DeAveiro and Sophomore Joe Vick return while Coach Powell also brought in five transfers and five freshmen, only one of which was in the original signing class.
The Beacons have four players averaging more than 26 mpg but ten average at least 10 mpg. Valparaiso has one freshman forward that has yet to play due to a knee injury but no other contributors. The starting five are Palm and DeAviero, alongside transfers Stafford and Edwards with Freshman forward Cooper Schwieger. Powell relies heavily on his starting five, who account for 69% of the teams minutes.
Valparaiso under Powell is using primarily a 2-3 Zone base defense with a focus on collapsing inside. The defense seems to be a fallback due to the limited time most of the players and staff have had to get up to speed.
Offensively, the Beacons rely on a screen heavy motion basketball. Powell wants a fast-paced offense to try to maximize the possible possessions. The starting guard Isaiah Stafford is the primary ball handler as well as scorer. The team averages about 22 perimeter shots per game with five shooters shooting 35% or better.
Beacons Backcourt
Isaiah Stafford
19 JR G 6-2 175
18.8 Pts, 4.8 Reb, 2.4 Ast
Jaxon Edwards
0 SO G 6-6 195
8.6 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Jahari Williamson
7 FR G 6-1 165
7.0 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Sherman Weatherspoon
4 FR G 6-2 180
5.8 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Darius DeAveiro
6 JR G 6-0 165
5.3 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 5.0 Ast
Beacons Frontcourt
Cooper Schwieger
13 FR F 6-9 210
11.8 Pts, 5.4 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Ola Ajiboye
5 SO F 6-8 220
5.8 Pts, 4.7 Reb, 0.6 Ast
Jerome Palm
1 SR F 6-10 215
5.8 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 0.3 Ast
What to expect from Valparaiso?
The Beacons will look to Stafford to initiate almost every play, either by shot or pass.
Valparaiso is still trying to find their footing with all the new players and even running a two-three zone are consistently allowing opponents open looks, especially inside. Opponents only are averaging 29% from outside but watching the Illinois highlights it was not really perimeter pressure as the Illini just missing shots.
The forwards are pretty weak inside and the Beacons have lost the rebounding battle in seven of nine games. Opposing forwards are able to consistently get inside position on both ends.
Expect to see two to three forwards on the floor most of the game. Although this will be the most regular forward minutes of any Hokies opponent so far, it likely works against the Beacons. As stated earlier, starters average 69% of all minutes so foul trouble could have a significant impact on the Beacons game plan.
The only area of strength is offensively they seem to work well in transition and excel at creating turnovers to get into transition possessions.
The Hokies
The Hokies opened ACC play with a third consecutive win over Louisville. Expect that Kidd will return to form against the Beacons with a double-double due to the significant weakness Valparaiso seems to have in defending the paint.
The Hokies got the best game from MJ Collins this season, who had 20 points and was 3 for 3 from outside. The team as a whole still struggled from the perimeter, as the team outside Collins shot 2 for 17.
MJ ๐ ฑ๏ธollins ๐ซก @Collins2Mj๐ฅ 1st 20-piece of his career๐ฅ 3-3 3FG๐ฅ 7-7 FT๐ฅ 4 assists pic.twitter.com/CRJaRhBXpXโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 4, 2023
Kidd and Cattoor joined Collins in double digits. The Hokies won the game by getting to the line and hitting the freebies, finishing 22-27 with Cattoor and Collins combining to go 12 for 12.
In Closing
The Hokies need to focus on protecting the ball and getting it inside to the forwards. The forwards should combine for a forty-point night. Prevent the Beacons from getting transition opportunities.
Originally, I thought it would be critical to force the Beacons to go to someone other than Stafford for their offense. They rely so heavily on Stafford but it really seems that he will get his points regardless, so limiting the other key contributors seems to be more important in the games Valpo has lost so far.
Hokies should have the edge in this contest and fans have to hope they remain focused for a lesser talented opponent as the crowd might be a bit lean supporting them as the games get closer to the holidays.
Great accomplishment for an even better guy ๐คProud of you @CattoorHunter ๐ pic.twitter.com/08F5deO1M7โ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 4, 2023
Comments
Definitely want to get an easy win here because Vermont next Saturday should be a decently tough contest.
HOKIES
WELP
Hans, get the Rechsteiner
This actually could be a net positive. Rechsteiner and Young will get more minutes and they should be able to beat Valpo by a wide margin without him. Besides, Pedulla in last three games has turned the ball over thirteen times trying to do too much.
At the game. Right foot in a walking boot.
Random, but why isn't the game showing on any CW channel (I have access to most every CW channel in America). I'm seeing some medical infomercial
It's on the Triad CW here in Winston Salem, NC
So it's not on TV
We just switched from DirecTV Stream back to Spectrum so we could get the CW. For some reason, the Triad CW wasn't on DirecTV Stream. Knowing we had some basketball games this season on the CW, I made the jump and saved a few bucks per month.
Strange... I have something about buffalos on that same channel.
3's falling so far.
2-3. 8-5 Hokies lead at the first TO break
It's on both CW's that I have here in NJ...
Oops...meant to reply to TIHokie above.
Beran looks like he's being guarded by his twin.
Jaydon Young sighting!
The announcers saying we limit teams to one shot as if they know what they are talking about....opponents averaging 10 offensive rebounds so far this season. 87 second chances on 284 misses. 31%
Did Valpo deliver a big order of popcorn to Coach Young as part of scheduling this game?
Not that I think anybody on TKP will ever be in Valpo, but I have fond memories of going to the Popcorn Festival there as a kid.
I bought a motorcycle there.
My dad had diabetes.
Sloppy turnovers or this would be a 20+ points lead right now. Wide open shots all day.
9 assist on 10 made FG. I think they are trying different things to make more assist. Thus causes more turnovers. Sometimes the most simple thing to do would be just to take the open shot. Hopefully not this sloppy against better opponents.
Collins is just impressively bad
I don't want to slag off on the kid but wow... not sure he should be getting minutes on an ACC team... I guess we have nobody else for those minutes?
It all comes down to his defense for Coach Young. He prioritizes defense over offense and Collins honestly is the best defender in the guard group. We just have to hope for more Louisville type games.
better start to the 2nd
why does beran have a greenlight
Kidd really has to work on his possession against double teams. He struggles to keep track of the second defender.
Best game from Baren that I've seen. Can't finish at the rim, but making his 3s and hustling on D
Still sloppy on both ends. More concerned with how easy we are letting them get to the rim. Definitely haven't stepped on their throat today.
Officials really have let Stafford be pretty hands on defensively. Not sure I recall another time this year where a guard has been allowed to be up on the ball handler without whistles.
THE WALKONS ARE IN
Mike Young in post-game "we don't turn the ball over here. To have 10 turnovers at the half was disgusting" Classic
When he said that I was like "Damn Mike! Ain't taking none of this shit even with a W!"
For anyone interested in how Pedulla got hurt https://twitter.com/therealdcunna/status/1733918733251264951?s=42&t=DavG...
Yeah was just watching that.
55 set moving screens all night long. I was expecting it to be him.
I'll just call a spade a spade... I know he's one of our better on ball defenders, but MJ Collins is becoming more and more of a liability than asset on offense/the team. It's like he's gotten worse over time.
Unfortunately not the first in the program. Maddox went through same thing but is now firing on all cylinders at Mason. Hitting 42% from outside putting in 13.3ppg. Not sure if that is coaching or just got back in sync. Young won't pull him though because of his defense.
CMY has a history of letting his players play themselves out of a slump. Most of our players have had one and in general as long as the defense, rebounding didn't get affected by the yips, they played.