back at it tomorrow π Clemsonπ€ @ValeroEnergy pic.twitter.com/LF6iqpp9knβ Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 24, 2025
Clemson (16-4)
at
Virginia Tech (8-11)
Cassell Coliseum
5pm ACCN
TV | ACCN
Anish Shroff, PxP
Michael Carter-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
What team?
It seems like the most repetitive question, but what version of this Hokies team shows up tomorrow? The loss to Georgia Tech was more self-inflicted than what the Yellow Jackets brought to the floor. Missing 20+ layups and turning the ball over 14 times in the second half, mostly by throw aways just destroyed any chance at a win.
Now they face a much stronger opponent in Clemson, who are 8-1 in ACC play. Only loss was by ten to #25 Louisville. Wins are over Stanford, Cal, Wake Forest, FSU, Georgia Tech, Pitt, Syracuse and Miami. This record doesn't really tell us much. Wake Forest is their strongest victory in that group.
Unfortunately the Hokies fall right in the middle of the teams Clemson has beaten. The Hokies are facing another Guard- Forward duo similar to Wake Forest Salas and Hildreth. Chase Hunter and Ian Schieffelin are putting up over 30 points combined. Hunter is shooting 46% from three and as a team is shooting 39%. With the Hokies struggles to cover the perimeter, those kind of results don't bode well.
Clemson plays a big starting lineup with three Forwards on the court at most times. Hunter, Schieffelin and Zackery are averaging over 30 mpg. The play a pretty methodical style of game to keep their starters on the floor. They execute on offense exceptionally well though, scoring inside at over 50%. They are excellent free throw shooters too at 77% from the line. Rebounding is surprisingly average for such a big lineup. They employ a Gap Attack Motion Offense that looks to use a variety of pick and roll actions to get the ball inside the paint to facilitate forwards scoring or open perimeter shooters.
One area defensively that Clemson focuses on is isolating the shooter and limiting open passes. They allow much fewer assists than most of the Hokies other opponents. Opponents have however been successful scoring inside on Clemson so that bodes well for Poteat and Lawal.
Defensively, it's a pack line defense that is susceptible to corner threes and breaking at the free throw line on either drives to the rim or drop off passes to the offside forward.
I don't really see how the Hokies pull a W out of the hat in this one.
π¦π΅πΌπ²π π° ππΌπ½π² π¨πWe're teaming up with @CarilionClinic to raise awareness for pediatric cancer care in our region!To learn more: https://t.co/x7CxHBvHeW pic.twitter.com/2LAvg6EAB1β Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 24, 2025
Hokies Starting Five
Toibu Lawal
1 JR F 6-8 200
12.5 Pts, 6.5 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Mylyjael Poteat
34 SR F 6-9 260
10.4 Pts, 3.9 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Jaden Schutt
2 SO G 6-5 185
8.3 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 1.7 Ast
Tyler Johnson
10 FR G 6-5 215
Orlando, FL Oak Ridge (FL)
6.3 Pts, 5.3 Reb, 1.1 Ast
Ben Hammond
11 FR G 5-11 170
Fairfax, VA Paul VI (VA)
4.8 Pts, 1.6 Reb, 2.1 Ast
Key Bench Players
Brandon Rechsteiner
7 SO G 6-1 185
Acworth, GA Etowah (GA)
7.2 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 3.3 Ast
Ben Burnham
13 SR F 6-7 200
Fort Mill, SC Carmel Christian School
7.1 Pts, 3.2 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Jaydon Young
3 SO G 6-4 205
Goldsboro, NC Greensboro Day (NC)
6.4 Pts, 1.7 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Patrick Wessler
5 SO C 7-0 245
Matthews, NC Butler (NC); Combine Academy (NC)
4.2 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Rodney Brown
4 SO G 6-6 180 Perris, CA Rancho Christian (CA)
4.6 Pts, 2.3 Reb, 2.0 Ast
Tigers Starting Five
Chase Hunter
1 SR G 6-3 204
17.9 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 2.4 Ast
Ian Schieffelin
4 SR F 6-8 225
12.9 Pts, 9.9 Reb, 3.2 Ast
Jaeden Zackery
11 SR G 6-2 200
11.0 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 3.2 Ast
Viktor Lakhin
0 SR F 6-11 228
10.2 Pts, 6.1 Reb, 1.6 Ast
Chauncey Wiggins
7 JR F 6-10 205
9.0 Pts, 2.9 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Key Bench Players
Dillon Hunter
2 JR G 6-3.5 193
5.7 Pts, 2.6 Reb, 1.7 Ast
Jake Heidbreder
3 JR G 6-5 180
4.6 Pts, 1.1 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Del Jones
10 FR G 6-2 187
3.7 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 0.9 Ast
Comments
LET'S GO...
HOKIES!
Sad... where are all our fans? Playing the #2 team in the conference at home on a Saturday early evening. Looks pretty bad with so many empty seats behind our team bench.
Whit's throttling of MBB has killed enthusiasm for it. Not surprised
Three minute scoring drought to see a tie game go to a 10 point deficit. It's an every half thing.
So ridiculous
We hit 26 points at the 6:39 mark. We hit 27 points at the 1:31 mark you just can't win games this way. You can't even cover spreads.
And knowing our 3rd quarter woes.....this is probably gonna get uglier.
41 - 29 the other team at the half. We went the last 6:39 without a field goal.
Shooting 30.8% (8/26) and it's not really their defense.
3/13 inside the perimeter. Going to lose every time not making layups.
Already 0-2 in second half inside
Keep in mind, Clemson is missing their top scorer and Schieffelin so far has done nothing. We keep getting gifts and not able to capitalize.
Welp, there he is.
Nice flop attempt by #4 there
Absolutely and if Lawal hadn't spun at just that moment they probably would have given it to him
That turnover was the epitome of Hokies basketball. Poteat got thrown to ground, but somehow got ball back and was passing to top of the key only to have Burnham bumble his way into kicking the ball out of bounds
Tech getting back in it....but I've seen this movie before.....
That was a jump ball but call a foul instead on Lawal. Pretty bullshit call
This is why I get upset at basketball. Clemson is the better team. The refs shouldn't need to help them blatantly, but they did anyway.
Yeah they were tied up for 3-4 seconds before it was called a foul. Just didn't make sense.
That was one of the parts of the game I was able to catch. I watched waiting for them to call it a jump ball. They called jump balls earlier in the game after less than a second of both players touching it.
Clemson at the line for two on next foul going forward. No Bueno against a team that hits 77%
Every time down is a foul now.
Losing by 11...missed 9 free throws
This audio is just fucking horrible. Bush league ACC.
That's probably the last straw. Down 15 again.
The fat lady is definitely warming up!
Turn out the lights, the party's over...
Shot under 40% as a team. 12-21 at free throw line. Lawal the only one in double figures and he sat half the game thanks to fouls.
Well, we tried
And we got no bacon. Just a bad night all around.
Glad I was too busy partying to watch yesterday. No need to rewatch this one today.....
That game was awful. Watching it was like simultaneously having someone claw a blackboard and poke u in the eye repeatedly.
Filing that analogy away in my memory bank for future use to sometimes replace my go to analogy of: 'like watching a 3 legged cat trying to bury turds on a frozen lake'.
In person it wasn't so bad.... we'd get down, then make it a game, but then they went on another run and that was that.