Late night in the 🏰🆚 SMU⚫️ Black Out (wear black)🕘 9PM📺 ACCN🔗 https://t.co/Ypqs6c7UWE🤝 @AmericasNavy pic.twitter.com/vSB3g05Rlv— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) February 5, 2025
SMU (17-5)
at
Virginia Tech (10-12)
Cassell Coliseum
9pm ACCN
TV | ACCN
Anish Shroff, PxP
Perry Clark, Analyst
RADIO | VT Sports Network
Zach Mackey, PxP
Mike Burnop, Analyst
VIDEO STREAM
@HokiesMBB ESPN.com and ESPN app
LIVE STATS
stats.hokiesports.com
First Time for Everything
The Hokies are coming off a Commonwealth Clash victory that had many high points but again the defining concern was a scoring drought at the absolute worst time. They went 1 for 8 from the free throw line in the final three minutes giving UVA an opportunity at the end to steal the game. A win is a win though.
Tonight they face off against the Mustangs for the first time. SMU hasn't been quite as successful in basketball as they were in football but they are still tied for 4th in the ACC at 8-3. The losses are to Duke, Louisville and UNC so two of the three above them in the standings.
SMU is coached by former USC Trojans coach Andy Enfield. The Mustangs gave him wide latitude and NIL to back it up. Five of their top seven scorers are transfers into the program, led by Wake Forest transfer Guard Kevin Miller.
This is a team focused on offense, offense, and more offense. They come to Cassell averaging 82.9 ppg. There are five players averaging double-digit scoring with a 6th at 9.9 ppg. They will go 11 players deep for brief stints but only 7 players see significant minutes. This is a major concern with the Hokies scoring droughts.
Defensively they are weak but score enough to overcome it. Conference play their games have been significantly closer with only about a 7 point per game differential. They play primarily a 2-3 zone with a focus on defending the perimeter. Look at Young to attack this offense at the free throw line to create open shots or easy baskets inside.
Not sure the Hokies overcome SMU tonight, especially as a weekday game at 9pm where the crowd will likely be sparse. ACC did us no favors with this timeslot. Tonight is the BLACKOUT game.
You heard the guys...9 PM ⏰ BE THERE OR BE SQUARE◼️ BLACKOUT VS SMU ◼️Rumor has it we're giving out pizza to students 👀 🍕 Make sure to arrive early to snag your Cassell Card raffle tickets for a chance at some cool prizes, and a limited edition trucker hat from SHC pic.twitter.com/xMnvKj3LNt— Cassell Guard (@CassellGuardVT) February 5, 2025
Mustangs Starting Five
Kevin Miller
2 SO G 6-0 165
13.6 Pts, 3.1 Reb, 5.9 Ast
Matt Cross
33 SR F 6-7 225
11.4 Pts, 8.4 Reb, 1.8 Ast
B.J. Edwards
0 JR G 6-3 188
10.5 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 3.4 Ast
Samet Yigitoglu
24 FR C 7-2 265
10.6 Pts, 6.6 Reb, 1.2 Ast
Chuck Harris
3 SR G 6-2 190
12.3 Pts, 2.5 Reb, 1.9 Ast
Or
Yohan Traore
21 SO F 6-10 225
7.3 Pts, 4.0 Reb, 0.6 Ast
Key Bench Players
Kario Oquendo
8 JR G 6-4 210
9.9 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 1.0 Ast
Keon Ambrose-Hylton
22 SR F 6-8 210
3.9 Pts, 2.4 Reb, 0.4 Ast
Jerrell Colbert
20 SO C 6-10 216
3.0 Pts, 2.0 Reb, 0.2 Ast
Comments
East coast basketball games shouldn't start at 9pm. There. I said it.
We get these routinely. Would VT be better off if they had 7 pm tip off and not televised games? We get to keep the whole of the tickets sales and only a percentage of the TV revenue.
Low attendance? Let the students in for free.
Not sure that would matter. They aren't even filling the Cassell Guard area as it is
Crowd is bigger than I expected though
7'2 is just a unit of a human. He's also not the usual skinny tall, that boy thiccccc.
we are allergic to making shots right now
We went up 8-2. Then didn't score another point for 4 minutes.
Every game
Should have been a technical for hanging on the rim before Poteat foul even happened
Tied! Boys are fighting hard. These guys deserve more fans at the game......
That foul on Tyler Johnson was weak sauce and really late
This is a winnable game. Neither team is lighting it up field goal percentage wise. We need to limit our turnovers, stay away from ticky-tack fouls, and improve our rebounding a little. I think our shooting will come around in the 2nd half. We also need to make our free throws.
They keep saying smu is on the bubble. Well, I hope we can burst their bubble!
I don't understand how they are a bubble team. Their only bad loss was to Butler and maybe a weak UNC squad. Only 3 SEC Squads have a better overall record. Same with ACC. Six teams in the Top 25 have worse records.
You are forgetting the "Acc only has duke" narrative that means a 15-15 sec team is better than a 25-5 Acc team
Why are we so terrible at end of the half shot opportunities? We always seems to turn it over.
Man we need some new uniforms. These look like they were designed in MS Paint. Copy VT logo, paste on blank jersey, add text box and type some numbers.
We can win this game
The universe has to give us something good every now and then, right?
Damn it. Lawal compounded his turnover with a foul. Now going to sit half of 2nd half
Dumb mistakes are are a problem with this team. I wonder if the constant transferring in a problem, don't have teams of heady seniors anymore.
With him it's just basketball is still relatively new to him. Only his fourth year playing. Brain freezes up.
BACON!
While this team is quite short on talent, they are really hard not to root for.
They play hard consistently but just don't have any reliable options offensively, hence the long dry streches.
Hammond got fouled on that tipped pass...and of course they score
Wessler being in instead of Lawal and he loses the big man on first touch
Two for two losing his guy to give up the dunk
Cross doing exactly what Hildreth did to us on Wake Forest. Bully shoulders knocking defenders clear
SMU has a pretty big crowd at this game
This game is a dogfight.
Number of turnovers are starting to creep up. Not good.
And for crying out loud... BLOCK OUT! That last basket and foul should not have happened.
How was there no offensive foul there with elbow to Schutts head
ACC refs doing ACC reffing things.
How is that on Reich? Give me a break.
Wessler is just late on defense every time tonight
Bullshit no call on the guy who threw schutt down and 0% chance that is a foul on rechsteiner
That was something, full arm extension on that shove and then whistle 'steiner for a shoulder bump on a loose ball? Just bad officiating.
I'm sure Wess is a great teammate, but he is the biggest liability on the court. Every time he comes in, teams go directly at him.
duplicate
We can't really have any no-cost turnovers, every single one is crucial. I think we've had 6 turnovers tonight on possessions in which we could take the lead.
Undisciplined defense but Schutt to go under that screen.
Their big absolutely traveled there
isnt the stopping thing an offensive foul?
Damn. Needed Lawal to get that dunk
Oof that stat...44-74 at free throw line coming into today last three games. Brutal
tough guys make free throws
Lawal got a Cross shove to lose that ball out of bounds
Letting them shoot 45% outside is all the difference in this one. Losing guys on the perimeter is no bueno.
lots of moving screens and our own big guys participating in the screen
160th ranked perimeter defense. It has shown in the second half. Just have to find another way to get over the hump.
Cross walked big time before stepping back out to hit that three
Well, can't discount the fight tonight. Just too many turnovers and poor perimeter defense.
Still battling though. You have to give it to them, they don't quit.
Ugh letting them get the ball to Miller of all guys
We have the newest punchable face in the ACC...fuck that Cross guy
Why is Hammond taking that?!
It went from being a well reffed game and a back and forth game to SMU taking control when the refs stepped in with about 10 minutes to go. All of a sudden we had a charge, but the exact same thing the other way was a block, etc. They were able to literally start shoving us around for no calls and travel all they want.
Great game by the Hokies, in a game where nobody gave us a chance to win, we had a chance the entire way.