The 7-2 Ladies host 3-6 Duke today at 2 PM. The game will be broadcast on the ACCN. PXP Joey Lindstrom, analyst Brooke Weisbrod; Evan Hughes and Mack McCarthy will be on the VT Sports Network. ESPN Predictor says Duke 64.1%.
Don't be misled by Duke's 3-6 record. They have lost to the 3rd, 4th, 5th, 14th and 25th ranked teams for 5 of their wins; South Florida, which may be around 79th is the sixth loss. At No. 14 Baylor in their season opener was the only close loss.
The Hokies actually match up fairly well against the Blue Devils heightwise. Duke;s tallest player starter is 6' 3" Jr #12 Delaney Thomas, but 6'4" #13 Jordan Wood will also play about 18 minutes. We may have to play one of taller freshmen if we can't defend the taller forwards with the starters. They start 3 seniors, 2 juniors and outstanding soph Toby Fournier.
This is what 07Hokie had to say about Duke:
Next, the Hokies open ACC play, welcoming Duke (13). I don't know why the computers like them so much, as they are 3-5, but here we are. They are led in scoring by 6-2 Toby Fournier's 15.8, and two other players scoring a bucket per quarter are 6-3 or taller. This is a team the Hokies should feast on, defensively, as they turn the ball over four times per quarter. It would also not be a bad idea to foul them if we are trying to catch up, late, as they only shoot 63.4% from the line, which is 304th in the country–but not dead last in the ACC (I see you Miami (312) and Clemson (352)). I think I see why they are 3-5.
I'm not sure I agree with his assessment. Duke has played a brutal early schedule; so I think they are probably better than their record indicates and the ESPN Predictor agrees they are likely to win today. Fournier is going to be a challenge for someone on defense. I don't think it can be Freelon(she might foul out in the first quarter); so that means Baker or a freshmen. If it's Baker, I hope she still has energy for offense. I am not sure how much emphasis to put on the stats, since Duke has played some really good defenses. Duke shoots 41.1% overall and 32% from three; but only 62.7% from the line. I don't know whether the relatively low percentages are because of good defense against or if Duke truly does not shoot all that well. The FT% seems to indicate they are not great shooters. They have held their own rebounding with Fournier leading the team at 6.1 rpg. She also leads the team at 3.1 fouls per game. Hopefully we can get a couple of early fouls on her and limit her participation. Duke has 16 assists and 16.3 turnovers per game.
This game is winnable; but we are going to have to play a solid game. Wenzel cannot have too many "Carleigh" plays and she has to shoot better than the 2-12 she put up against Florida. Someone has to do a decent job on Fournier and we have to box out and rebound well; we can't give this team too many second chance baskets. And we really cannot give them too many easy buckets on turnovers. If we have a good crowd today to cheer on the ladies, that would be a big help. Founier is good; but Duke has four players averaging 9.2 ppg or better on a team that only scores 68.9 ppg. So they have very balanced offensive output. We are going to have to play good defense all over the court.
LET'S GO HOKIES!
Comments
LETS GO
I kind of expect Duffy to let Fournier have a normal game....but limit the supporting cast. That was how they approached Florida so I think we will see more of that.
As for Duke shooting, they are sporadic inside. They have ranged from 32% against Baylor to as high as 62% against LSU. Three games in the 30-40% range (Baylor, South Carolina, UCLA). Three games in the 40-50% range (Holy Cross, WVU, South Florida). Three games in the 50+% range (Norfolk St, Liberty, LSU). Two of their three worst games are against top ranked defenses. Two of tgeir best games were against the least talented teams they faced so no surprise there. No idea on how they did so well against LSU inside. That outlier makes me wonder if they figured something out as that was their last game and it wasnt on a limited shot total (21/34).
Perimeter shooting is more stable with a couple up and a couple way down but 32%+/-7% seems normal.
Free throws may not be a factor as they dont get to the line at a significant pace outside of South Florida (29) and Norfolk St (31). Even with those two outliers, they are only averaging 17.8 attempts per game.
They are not a very good rebounding team. They have only had more than 35 in two games (Holy Cross and Norfolk St)
The one thing they do excel at is forcing turnovers. Opponents are turning the ball over 16 times a game and have only been less than 15 in three games. The Hokies need to limit transition baskets.
Terrible start.
Hokies 1 for 12 from the floor in first 5 minutes
Fortunately Duke has been really sloppy with the ball.
Fournier is sloppy on defense. Hokies should drive right at her until she fouls herself off the floor.
Hokies trail 14-12 after 1st.
Turnovers were Duke 8 v Hokies 5
Rebounds Duke 18 v Hokies 15
Duke shot 30% to Hokies 18%
Fournier looks like Shaq at the free throw line
Wenzel being "Carleigh"
Duke actually appears to move the ball on offense better with Fournier off the floor
5 for 27 from the floor now. Really hard to watch. Luckily they have gotten to the line to balance it a bit.
Suffren trying to defend a player with like 4 inches on her is no bueno
Duke leads 34-26 at halftime
Teams have combined for 23 turnovers vs 21 made baskets
Hokies shooting 26% (9 for 35)
Starting five scored FOUR baskets in the first half. 4/25
Get a 3, give up a 3
Get another 3, give up an And 1
Just trading baskets...
create a steal...get called for a charge
Really would like to see Baker inside against Fournier on offense. Too much roaming the perimeter for Baker
56-41... ugh
27% (13/49)
29% from 3 (4/14)
Draining watch. Duke isn't playing great defense, our players just can't hit shots.
Freelon next to zero contribution. 9 minutes, 0 points, 1 rebound and 3 fouls.
Whoof...this is a tough watch
They kind of made a run here in the 4th but then Wenzel being "Carleigh"...
Gets the steal, clear run to an easy layup, slows enough for defender to get in front and gets blocked
Hokies have been called for at least five really questionable charge calls but it wouldn't have changed the outcome.
As bad as Duke was today, the Hokies found a way to be worse
70-54 loss
26% from the floor won't cut it any day of the week....
Yeah. In the paint you can attribute some to Duke defense but so many wide open look bricks were thrown you could build a house.
Was at the game and many others. Our offense looks totally broken.
We seem incapable of challenging down low at all. Whole offense operates too far from the basket. Everything seems so chaotic.
Maybe a personnel thing... đŸ¤· but we are going to have a very hard time in the ACC if it stays this way.
Really hope we can get this figured out!
Broken is an apt description. Multiple times players almost ran into each other. No rhythm, lots of standing around. Passing was atrocious at times.
Passing was atrocious
atmost of the timesFTFY
Most of the time would be a better description of the game.
Officiating was shit. That said we rimmed out so many shots in the first half. You can't win when the ball doesn't go in the basket.
Yeah but didnt feel heavily slanted and really never felt like the officials were swaying the game. They were pretty consistent on not calling some harder than normal contact in the paint but just felt like the Hokies were the root of their own demise.
I wasn't a fan of their definition of defensively set when it came to how many charges were called. Most times felt yhe defender was still actively moving and engaging prior to contact.
From the stands there was a lot of contact that never got called when we moved to the basket and we got called for everything when they did.
Guess it looked more even watching at home. May also just have been that it never seemed to change the momentum in either direction much with how sloppy both teams were shooting or just possessing the ball. I will say there was a noticeable difference in the defensive posture of Duke players vs our own. Duke was pretty disciplined about staying straight up and down whereas ours frequently brought our arms forward towards the shooter especially Freelon and Trent. Nelson drew several unfortunate calls. One I really thought would be a charge but she definitely needs to work on controlling her arms as she goes around screens.
Every game, we gripe about the refs. Every single solid game, every single sport, every single season.
I yelled at the refs every VT basketball game I attended, yelled at the stripes at football and the umps in baseball.
I'm sick of it, frankly.