HOKIES HOOPS CENTRAL: Virginia Tech (19-14) at Ohio State (21-13) 7PM ESPN+
Gameday in the Buckeye State‼️🆚 Ohio State🕖 7PM ET📺 ESPN+🏟️ Value City Arena#StoneByStone x #Hokies pic.twitter.com/amC8PHw4JN— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 23, 2024
Virginia Tech (19-14)
At Ohio State (21-13)
March 23rd, 2024
Value City Arena
7 p.m. ET
ESPN+
Virginia Tech Sports Network
ESPN+
Play-by-Play: Doug Sherman,
Analyst: Scott Williams
Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Zach Mackey
Analyst: Mike Burnop
Current Spread: Ohio St -4.5
Over/Under: -150.5
Can they win on the road?l
The Hokies go on the road to face off with the Ohio State Buckeyes in the second round of the NIT. This will be the 7th time the Hokies have faced the Buckeyes and the first time since 2005 which the Hokies lost 69-56. The teams first played each other in 1972. The Hokies lead the overall series 4-2. The Hokies come in off the largest margin of victory from the first round NIT games, beating Richmond 74-58.
Every 🪣 vs. Richmond 👀 pic.twitter.com/PB5TvKsWua— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 20, 2024
The Ohio State Buckeyes squad comes in having beaten Cornell in the first round 88-83. They are 21-13 on the season and 9-11 in the BIG10. The Buckeyes are coached by interim coach Jake Diebler when Ohio State fired Chris Holtmann after a 14-11 start. He has led them to a 7-2 record since then. He has prior assistant coaching jobs at Valparaiso and Vanderbilt before coming to Ohio State in 2019.
Ohio State only returned six players this season but brought in the 8th ranked recruiting class. The Buckeyes brought in freshmen Scotty Middleton, Taison Chatman, Austin Parks and Devin Royal. Royal and Middleton have played reserve roles but the impact of freshmen was minimal this season. They also got transfers of Dale Bonner from Baylor, Evan Mahaffey from Penn State and Jamison Battle from Minnesota. Battle assumed a starting role and the other two have been rotational bench players.
The Buckeyes do not have anyone listed on the injury report.
Ohio State returned 40.8% of minutes played and 38.0% of scoring return from 2022-23 roster. Three of the five Buckeyes starters average over 31 mpg. The other two get around 23 mpg and they utilize four more bench players that play at least 10 mpg. The starting five are Thornton, Battle, Gayle, Okpara and Mahaffey. Key and Bonner are the primary subs off the bench with Middleton and Royal getting minor runs.
Diebler has the Buckeyes playing man-to-man but they are slow in transitions and lose track of assignments. Cornell ran them ragged with their Princeton offense, getting back door cuts and wide open perimeter looks consistently. Buckeyes also struggle against dribble penetration.
Offensively, the Buckeyes use a four out, one in style. Battle and Bonner will utilize dribble penetration to create space or get to the rim. Ohio State though really depends on the paint play of Okpara and Key to create perimeter opportunities by forcing defenses to double team in the paint. Their shooting breakdown is roughly 2:1 interior to perimeter. They are not a strong perimeter shooting team. They shot 33% during conference play.
Buckeyes Backcourt
Bruce Thornton
2 SO G 6-2 215
15.9 Pts, 3.6 Reb, 4.6 Ast
Roddy Gayle
1 SO G 6-4 205
13.6 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 3.1 Ast
Dale Bonner
4 SR G 6-2 170
4.7 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 1.2 Ast
Scotty Middleton
0 FR G 6-6 190
4.4 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Bowen Hardman
15 SO G 6-3 175
1.8 Pts, 0.4 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Buckeyes Frontcourt
Jamison Battle
10 SR F 6-7 225
15.0 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Zed Key
23 SR F 6-8 245
6.7 Pts, 4.2 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Felix Okpara
34 SO C 6-11 220
6.2 Pts, 6.4 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Evan Mahaffey
12 SO F 6-6 200
4.5 Pts, 4.4 Reb, 1.7 Ast
Devin Royal
21 FR F 6-6 210
4.7 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 0.4 Ast
What to expect from Ohio State?
The Buckeyes will run a three guard/two forward set with Jamison Battle playing primarily from the perimeter. Pace of the offense is very similar to the Hokies. They are led in scoring by their starting guard Bruce Thornton but the Buckeyes rely heavily on the trio of Thornton, Battle, and Gayle. This group accounts for 60% of Ohio States scoring. Thornton and Battle combine to take 11 perimeter shots per game so something the Hokies must be cognizant of.
One area that Ohio State appears to utilize and get away with consistently are moving screens on the perimeter. Key and Okpara both are very awkward and slide while setting screens. If those are called, it could change a big part of the game for the Buckeyes. Okpara does have his minutes limited by fouls frequently which would be good for the Hokies.
Blocking and rebounding are significant strengths for the Buckeyes so the Hokies will likely be limited in second chance opportunities. The use of lob passes to forwards inside is also a big part of their gameplan.
The Hokies
👨🍳🅿️ pic.twitter.com/xBB4dquCiE— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 22, 2024
This one thing that has haunted this team is going on the road. Its tough to play on the road but that really doesn't account for the Hokies performance this year. The Hokies have shot nearly 7% lower on the road and perimeter shooting has been almost a 9% decrease. Its really hard to understand how a team can forget how to shoot.
The game against Richmond in the first round was even more night/day where the Hokies in the first half of each half were only able to score 16 points while in the second half of each half they put up 58 points. They started the game 1 for 15 from the floor. They finished the half shooting 12 of 16. The second half while not as dramatic still saw them start 5 for 13 and then finish 8 for 10. This kind of sporadic play worked against a lesser opponent but if they repeat that against the Buckeyes they will quickly get in a double digit hole.
MJ in March 😮💨😮💨😮💨🔥 13.8 ppg🔥 50.0 FG% (24-48)🔥 47.8 3FG% (11-23)🔥 3.6 apg pic.twitter.com/ISva7LCkWH— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 20, 2024
The Hokies starting five matches up well to the Buckeyes, and if the Buckeyes big three get in any foul trouble the talent/depth becomes a real concern as they get minimal bench production.
On defense, the Hokies need to put less emphasis on guarding the perimeter and more focus on denying paint touches and preventing dribble penetration. The bigger threat to the Hokies appears to be Battle, who has the versatility to score from anywhere on the court I expect Cattoor will likely cover him with Nickel stepping in if Cattoor is off the floor. Ohio State can shoot the three but their biggest impact is getting teams off balance to find guys under the basket for easy layups/dunks.
I think Lynn Kidd can have a big game. The Buckeyes have shown they are vulnerable on positioning amongst their forwards which allows guys underneath to get to the rim unimpeded off interior passes.
In Closing
It all really comes down to the Hokies scoring consistently throughout rather than relying on runs with complete dead periods between. Utilize the post players to get to the rim. Don't let the momentum build against them to where they buckle. I really don't know what to expect. Can they beat the Buckeyes? Absolutely. Ohio State reminds me of an AAU team. Pretty consistent offense but outside of blocks and rebounds, a pretty poor defensive effort. Just leaves it to can Hokies actually score.
Comments
LET'S GO...
Hokies!
I'm sitting on a chance to buy some club level seats for tonight's game, only an hour drive away in Columbus. ... But my wife has had plans for us for WEEKS to go to some birthday party tonight that I don't even want to go to. Lol.
No more sitting. Doghouse is worth it.
Lol? Nah, more like cryol. After 50+ years of marriage, I certainly get it, but since compromise is necessary for any healthy relationship, I'd go with her, but take my tablet and sit in a corner or even a big closet and watch the game. Game'll be over by 9 or so and what good Saturday night party is not just getting going at 9. Good luck if you try, hope she buys it.
This would actually piss my wife off more. "We are here to be social. I can't believe how rude you were to everyone else. What were you thinking?"
Oh, I wouldn't get away with it either, but I'll be darned sure to be keeping up with the game. If these folks were friends, they'd understand. Mine would.
Yeah my wife honestly would buy my ticket to be rid of me because she knows the alternative mood not going or watching would put me in.
My wife would too, but wouldn't forget it for a decade or so.
happy wife, happy life
(hope she's a HOKIE fan and wants to go to the ball game!)
Happy wife....life!
The Ohio State floor is hard to look at
Anyone else having the typical espn+ crap viewing experience? Keeps telling me error is preventing from loading.
Mine loaded right up but I am at home on tv
Doesn't work on phone, iPad or fire stick. Completely worthless.
Hokies doing a good job defending the lob pass
any way to watch this without paying ESPN $10.99 for a one-month ESPN+ subscription?
I was hoping it'd be on ESPN3 but no dice
guessing still no one figured it out?
I'm listening on the Varsity app
This is what we get for being in the NIT when NCAA games, both men & women, are playing.
Nickel looks lost on defense every other possession his man's wide open taking a shot
On a couple of those it looked like he was trying to protect the paint since Poteat was slow getting back
Refs ain't gonna call ANYTHING either way, we gotta match the physicality
As soon as announcers say that they call Ricky tack fouls on us.
Damn that was lazy defense
We look like we're running in cement. No one getting back on defense. Guys driving to the basket unimpeded. And Cattoor can't throw it in the ocean
1-10 from 3. Just like the last few games and most road games. Wide open shots not even close.
Taking too many jump shots.
Have had two four minute droughts now in this half
As I said in a wrong thread 😅
This is some ugly offensive basketball
The play we drew up to end the half should not have been "try and draw a foul driving" based on how they've called the game IMO
Why won't they run a play on a short shot clock. It has been frustrating all season to watch Pedulla dribble out the clock and then throw the ball away or throw up a wild shot.
Also this
And when I say they are calling NOTHING in the paint
Except on our bigs apparently
Just cant defend the paint
I'm not convinced we would travel up I81 and beat any of our local high school teams on the road this season....
/S
Wessler got bent in half
Wessler has cinder blocks in his shoes.
We are legit, not being allowed the same amount of contact on the drive
15 team fouls but 12 on three starters
Thats ridiculous they didnt call the foul on Pedullas shot
Legit
And apparently the goaltend was not a goaltend even though the announcers said it was?
Yeah that one left me confused since they didnt change the score
Beran has been trash all game
Have got to coach these stupid turnovers out of this team
14 turnovers
Its not a foul until the bodies hot the floor
it took us too long to figure that out
Glad we got some post season play, but this is the same story that we've seen all season long. It's a road game. CMY hasn't been able to win on the road this season.
About the 6th time we have let them run the pick play by the forward right under the basket blocking so the guard gets the layup
Cattor gets a deflection and everyone's back is turned already bailing out of the press; 🤦🏻
Can you get a flagrant foul while shooting the ball!?
If you are deemed to not be in the act of shooting yet and use an elbow you can. In that case it was in the act of shooting
30 points from the FT line on 18 fouls. Love to see the grades the refs get on this one.
big10 refs?
Battle finished with 21 points. 17/18 from free throw line
This game seemed to be on the coaching. Players looking unmotivated, substitutions to other more motivated players slow in coming, not happy with this product, Other than Cattoor, and it seemed the team had orders to not throw it to Cattoor until well into the second half.
oof