Fort Myers Finale 🫡🆚 South Carolina📺 FS1🕕 6PM ET🔗 https://t.co/Ypqs6c7UWE pic.twitter.com/p2VQpZ8lMt— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) November 27, 2024
Virginia Tech (3-3)
vs South Carolina (3-3)
6pm FS1
Fort Myers Tipoff
TV | FS1
Jeff Levering, PxP
Donny Marshall, Analyst
RADIO | VT Sports Network
Zach Mackey, PxP
Mike Burnop, Analyst
VIDEO STREAM
FoxSports.com
LIVE STATS
stats.hokiesports.com
Can the Hokies turn over a new leaf?
The Hokies have lost a third consecutive game to Michigan to fall to 3-3. The biggest factor in all three losses were turnovers and poor shooting.
They have turned the ball over 59 times in those games and shot an abysmal 39% from the floor and only 28% from the perimeter.
The 59 turnovers represent just over 25% of all possessions. Combined with the missed shots, the Hokies have failed to score on 75% of their possessions.
Let that sink in. Three out of four possessions ended without points. You are going to win very few games when you play that way.
I don't really have an answer for the turnovers beyond the obvious. Make better passes, play in control of your body and best of all, actually get a shot off during the shot clock. You score zero of the shots you don't take. If only we could get more of this.
Running the break 🤌📺 FS1 pic.twitter.com/2DmGYFFmRM— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) November 25, 2024
On to South Carolina. They also come in 3-3 with their own version of a Jacksonville loss. The Gamecocks lost 74-71 to University of North Florida. UNF owns two P4 wins this season though, also having beat Georgia Tech 105-93.
The other two losses were to ranked opponents including a 75-66 loss to #22 Xavier in the first round of the Fort Myers Tipoff.
Their roster though is very experienced with four seniors in the starting lineup, joined by leading scorer Sophomore Forward Collin Murray-Boyles.
After Murray-Boyles, it's a trio of guards putting up the points for the Gamecocks. Jamarii Thomas and Jacobi Wright as starters and Zachary Davis as the 6th Man. The starting five is rounded out by forwards Nick Pringle and Myles Stute.
Size wise the Hokies should have an advantage even with three Forwards on the floor for South Carolina. They top out at 6'9 which means Lawal and Poteat should matchup well. Murray-Boyles is a big body though so expect some banging underneath.
Offensively the Gamecocks will focus on a balanced offensive strategy that combines effective perimeter shooting and quick ball movement. They often utilize screen plays to create open shots, allowing guards and forwards to capitalize on scoring opportunities. Stute and Wright take the majority of perimeter shots. Murray-Boyles in the paint is shooting 65% so walling him off from the basket will be a big focus.
Defensively, the Gamecocks are known for their aggressive man-to-man coverage and adaptable zone defense, mainly a 1-3-1. They put significant pressure on the ball handler, striving to create turnovers that can lead to easy scoring chances.
Their defense often revolves around maintaining solid communication and switching effectively to cover driving lanes. This strategy is designed to limit opponents' shooting percentages. Opponents are shooting 45% from floor and only 32% from the perimeter. Turnovers forced are around 11 per game which is down significantly from last season.
Really tough to predict how this one goes. Gamecocks haven't been good. Hokies have been terrible. Until otherwise proven different I unfortunately expect a double-digit loss.
There will be a reunion of high school teammates tonight as Poteat and Jamarii Thomas played together at The Burlington School. Jacobi Wright and Ben Burnham are both from Fort Mills, SC but not sure if they played together there.
Hokies Starting Five
Toibu Lawal
1 JR F 6-8 200
13.2 Pts, 7.0 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Mylyjael Poteat
34 SR F 6-9 260
12.7 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 2.2 Ast
Brandon Rechsteiner
7 SO G 6-1 185
9.0 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 3.0 Ast
Jaden Schutt
2 SO G 6-5 185
8.2 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 2.0 Ast
Tyler Johnson
10 FR G 6-5 215
6.2 Pts, 5.5 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Key Bench Players
Jaydon Young
3 SO G 6-4 205
9.3 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Ben Burnham
13 SR F 6-7 200
4.0 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Ben Hammond
11 FR G 5-11 170
3.8 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 1.5 Ast
Patrick Wessler
5 SO C 7-0 245
3.2 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Gamecocks Starting Five
Collin Murray-Boyles
30 SO F 6-7 231
15.3 Pts, 8.8 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Jamarii Thomas
6 SR G 6-0 185
12.5 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 2.8 Ast
Jacobi Wright
1 SR G 6-2 180
12.5 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 3.2 Ast
Nick Pringle
5 SR F 6-9 220
9.0 Pts, 7.2 Reb, 1.3 Ast
Myles Stute
10 SR F 6-7 215
6.0 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Key Bench Players
Zachary Davis
2 JR G 6-8 190
9.7 Pts, 4.5 Reb, 2.3 Ast
Morris Ugusuk
15 SO G 6-4 160
5.2 Pts, 1.0 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Comments
Let's Go!
HOKIES!!!!
Off topic, but should I expect to see the pep band December 15th (sunday, noon) vs. Navy? (or later on in the women's game vs. Radford)
I would doubt it.
If a remember correctly, wasn't it Stute who magically couldn't miss from 3 pt. in last year's game?
Yeah got a feeling he'll go for 20+ tonight
21 points, 5 of 6 from outside
We are bigger in the paint yet have one layup in our first ten shots. Seven jump shots of 15 feet or more.
Three for fifteen now...only four shots inside six feet
25 pts @ Half vs. a not good SCar team...woof
I was @ VT for the incredible Ricky Stokes years...
This team may be just that bad.
They play with good effort for the most part but the talent is so lacking. Maybe they will develop as the year goes on but my hope is very limited.
This team is going to get annihilated in ACC Play.
There is no sugar coating it.
These two douchebag announcers are talking about how Burnham's tattoos make him a better player? What the fuck are these guys talking about? Are you kidding me?
We are a bad shooting team. Just frigging can't make a basket from inside, outside,....anywhere.
Sigh, gonna be a long season y'all.
Hokies have had multiple five minutes spans of a single basket tonight. Not going to win many games doing thst. Game is ending way closer than I expected though.
From David Cunningham
Not a good sign when you achieve something that neither Ricky Stokes or James Johnson did.
Yeah I'm honestly astounded that James Johnson didn't lose 2 non-confs in a row lol. He won 4 ACC games in two years!
Johnson lost three in a row his first season and then two in a row twice his second season. He just didn't lose four in a row.
Not many people on this site were even alive the last time it happened. 71 years ago.
Oh thanks lol I definitely read it as two in a row for some reason!
In fairness to Mike Young and this year's team, 3 of our 4 consecutive non-conferences losses have been to two Big 10 teams and an SEC team. Those Ricky Stokes/James Johnson teams were playing almost exclusively low- and mid-major teams in the non-conference portion of the schedule.
But it's still a sucky stat to have!
**cracks open another beer; pretends game didn't happen**
I don't think we're going to win any games where 1) Poteat gets in foul trouble or 2) we shoot less than 20-25 three-pointers. To me, playing an inside-out offense with Poteat and shooters around the arc is the only path to victory once conference play starts.
I agree but
1 ) They struggle to even get the ball inside to Poteat or Wessler
2) Poteat seems to have basket on the brain so rarely lets the defense collapse in to leave an open shooter.
3) this team struggles passing to open shooters in general. They only had ten assists last night total. Their second half where they played SCar about even they had nine of the ten assists. Only one assist in the first half.
this team is way too easy to defend
should go ahead and put Jones in the rotation
Amen. I want Hammond, Johnson, Jones, and Young to get experience together. Bring in Gurdak and Sincere Jones next year and you now have a starting five that can grow together.
Darn, we had a game yesterday? Looks like we lost. Shucks.
We have had some bad basketball but nothing like this last night
Mike Young is an offensive genius
Higher in KenPom than NET Rankings.
233rd there.