Bring the energy tomorrow โก๏ธโก๏ธ๐ Wake Forest๐ฅณ Kid-topia at Cassell๐คฏ Air Elite Dunkers at halftime๐ฅ Smithfield Bricks for Bacon๐ค @ValeroEnergy pic.twitter.com/6l5p1uRTEfโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 17, 2025
Wake Forest (13-4)
at
Virginia Tech (8-9)
Cassell Coliseum
2pm ACCN
TV | ACCN
Anish Shroff, PxP
Scott Williams, Analyst
RADIO | VT Sports Network
Zach Mackey, PxP
Mike Burnop, Analyst
VIDEO STREAM
@HokiesMBB ESPN.com and ESPN app
LIVE STATS
stats.hokiesports.com
Momentum or Let Down
The Hokies thrilling come back against NC State left everyone breathless for a moment. Now the question will be can they avoid the droughts against a surprisingly better opponent.
Tobi in @accmbb play ๐๐ฅ 17.0 ppg๐ฅ 6.5 rpg๐ฅ 69.2 FG%๐ฅ 61.5 3FG% pic.twitter.com/wwEtrf2KUPโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 17, 2025
The Hokies got a huge game from Tobi Lawal and Jaden Schutt and then an exclamation point finish from Ben Burnham.
๐ผ๐ฒ๐ฐ๐ท๐ฎ๐ญ, ๐ผ๐ฎ๐ช๐ต๐ฎ๐ญ and ๐ญ๐ฎ๐ต๐ฒ๐ฟ๐ฎ๐ป๐ฎ๐ญ by Benny Buckets ๐คช pic.twitter.com/FCUl20SzWQโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 16, 2025
the exclamationโผ๏ธ pic.twitter.com/vTaplDZgUhโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 16, 2025
Wake Forest comes in 13-4 and on a four game ACC winning streak all by double-digits. They are 5-1 in the ACC this season, with a loss to Clemson. Their other three losses this season were to Xavier, #18 Florida, and #22 Texas A&M.
Wake relies on Hunter Salis and Cameron Hildreth to drive the offense. The Demon Deacons also have no new transfers in their entire group of contributors and only two that did not start at Wake. Something rarely seen in college basketball these days.
As far as offensive focus they use a motion ball screen offense to create opportunities in the paint. They do the majority of their scoring within three feet of the rim. They are absolutely dreadful shooting outside at 28% but still attempt almost 22 per game. They do shoot 55% inside and almost 75% at the free throw line. They aren't really good rebounding (294th in D1.)
It's kind of surprising that they have been dominating ACC opponents. The answers lie on the defensive end. The Demon Deacons use most facets of the pack line defense. They have held ACC opponents to 39% shooting inside and 31% from outside. They are good at blocking shots and rarely allow clean looks. Transitions are smooth when switching defenders and they clog up the lane.
Wake will go eight or nine players deep but rely on their starters to an extreme for scoring. Any foul trouble for their top three will have a large impact on the game.
This is going to be a tough game for the Hokies. Given their penchant for scoring droughts and facing a top defensive pressure team, it's difficult to see this going well but the tenacity they have shown may stir something loose.
Hokies Starting Five
Toibu Lawal
1 JR F 6-8 200
12.6 Pts, 6.2 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Mylyjael Poteat
34 SR F 6-9 260
10.5 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Jaden Schutt
2 SO G 6-5 185
8.2 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 1.8 Ast
Jaydon Young
3 SO G 6-4 205
6.9 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 1.5 Ast
Ben Hammond (Questionable)
11 FR G 5-11 170
5.0 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 2.2 Ast
Key Bench Players
Ben Burnham
13 SR F 6-7 200
7.8 Pts, 3.5 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Brandon Rechsteiner
7 SO G 6-1 185
7.1 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 3.2 Ast
Tyler Johnson
10 FR G 6-5 215
5.6 Pts, 5.0 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Patrick Wessler
5 SO C 7-0 245
4.6 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Rodney Brown
4 SO G 6-6 180
4.3 Pts, 2.2 Reb, 2.3 Ast
Coach Young got his 100th win as a Hokie in dramatic fashion
gonna remember this one ๐ฏ pic.twitter.com/dtUPjbOx4Kโ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 16, 2025
Demon Deacons Starting Five
Hunter Sallis
23 SR G 6-5 175
19.2 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 3.0 Ast
Cameron Hildreth
6 SR G 6-4 195
13.5 Pts, 4.1 Reb, 3.4 Ast
Tre'Von Spillers
25 SR F 6-7 205
10.6 Pts, 8.9 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Efton Reid
4 SR C 6-11 238
7.8 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Davin Cosby
1 SO G 6-5 205
5.9 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Key Bench Players
Juke Harris
2 FR F 6-7 200
5.8 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Ty-Laur Johnson
8 SO G 6-0 160
4.6 Pts, 1.9 Reb, 2.2 Ast
Parker Friedrichsen
7 SO G 6-3 195
3.6 Pts, 1.2 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Hokiesports trying to encourage student attendance is having a contest called Scan-a-thon. Students get buckets for every game attended for both men and women between tomorrow and the end of February. At the end there will be a lottery based on the number of buckets a student has with prizes like a PS5, a year of Netflix and others.
Get in the game. Welcome to Scan-A-Thon ๐๐๐: https://t.co/LnNmqadTEJ @HokiesWBB | @HokiesMBB | @CassellGuardVT | @HokiesSHC pic.twitter.com/Riu8F2L1Blโ HokieSports (@hokiesports) January 17, 2025
Comments
So, will we win by one or lose by 21?
Yes
It's entirely possible that we will also be up by 21 at some point before either winning by one or losing by 21.
Anytime I read about an opponent being awful from long-range I expect them to shoot 50% from deep against us lol
Every time I write about it, I expect the 9th man that has scored 12 points all season to have a career night of 25 points. We always seem to cure all ailments in that regard.
Their very first made basket was a three!
Well, at least the day won't be all bad. Looks like the 'hoos are going down to the 'ville.
I plan to record the game in order to skip commercials and halftime, head down to the local Chinese restaurant for some shrimp with garlic sauce to go, then settle in for whatever today's Hokies can muster. Hope I don't need a bottle of Pepto from either.
So we only shooting 3's this game? We need to get inside.
Hard to do when you've already had 4 turnovers in the first six minutes and 9 possessions.
Now we've had six turnovers but wake has not scored any off our turnovers. Amazing. if this changes we'll get blown out!
Didn't realize John Gruden was doing basketball play by play now.
hard to listen to
Just leaving them wide open outside. Really frustrating
Woof....seeing the ACC listed as only 5 teams in with a last four out is a brutal truth about how bad this season has been across the conference.
Wow that's a bunch of horseshit...coach got his money's worth though
Honestly with as bad as Hokies have shot the ball it's amazing they are even in this game
Didn't realize Wake actually shot worse than the Hokies
Damn Miami gave up 60 to SMU IN THE FIRST HALF.
SMU puts up 117 on Miami. Beats them by 43.
Best team money can buy.
Checking in when I can while waiting for CT & MRI scans down by 2 at the half....I'll take it. Now let's not have the disappearing act In the 3rd quarter.
Almost have them in the bonus already with 5 team fouls.. Need to be driving hard and get to the stripe.
Yet took us until 3:42 remaining to get to 1 and 1
Four minute drought. These kill us every second half.
Poteat a walking turnover this game
The Hildreth elbows into chests are getting out of control
He has done it like 7 or 8 times. Six no calls and two fouls against the Hokies
Yeah that's some horseshit right there.
Would have won the games without that bullshit.
Definitely was a major factor.
That was a terrible play on that inbounds with shot clock running down. Not sure why we don't scheme a lot towards the basket with Lawal
Once again letting them get away with player control foul. Hit Hammond with his off ball elbow straight to the chest.
If we do drop this one, disappointing as it was winnable. WF with only 6 bench point and the 9 turnovers in the first 11. I feel like we have seen a different team the last two weeks but man, this would've been a good win to have.
Hildreth completely out of control again....this is getting really old
Foul should have been on the floor too
Sallis has been fun to watch this year, just hate to see it happen against us.
In former Hokies news, Darius Maddox puts up 17 to lead George Mason over Darren Buchanan, who had 15, 80-77 in double-overtime.
Buchanan was 5/5 from the floor with 8 rebounds. Maddox was 6/15 with 6 rebounds. The win moves George Mason into 1st in the A10 at 5-1 and 14-5 overall.
Wasnt maddux a family health reason for transferring close to home?
That was part of it but I think playing time also factored in. He fell out of the starting rotation and appeared it would remain that way going forward.