Western Carolina (4-5)
at
Virginia Tech (8-2)
7pm ACCNX
BROADCAST INFORMATION
TV | ACCNX
Evan Hughes, PxP
Mack McCarthy, Analyst
RADIO | VT Sports Network
Zach Mackey, PxP
Mike Burnop, Analyst
VIDEO STREAM LIVE STATS
ESPN.com and ESPN app stats.hokiesports.com
Hokies -20.5
O/U 153.5
Can they score 100 without Lawal?
This game SHOULD be very similar to the Ladies game against Presbyterian. Over at the ten minute mark and going up from there. But this is Mike Young and too often we have seen a flat performance when it should be dominant.
Western Carolina comes in 4-5.
Wins against: D3 Voorhees, Stetson. UNC Asheville and D3 VA Lynchburg.
Losses to: Duke by 41, Cincinnati by 31, Lipscomb by 21, High Point by 20 and SC Upstate by 11.
They are coached by Tim Craft, in just his second season over the Catamounts. Last year saw an 8-22 campaign so they should improve on that this season but still not a team the Hokies should be challenged by.
The team returned over 55% of last years scoring. They are led by Senior Guard Julien Soumaoro with 13.4 ppg. He transferred in from ECU. Marcus Kell and Cord Stansberry are the other two in double-digit scoring. Both are returning members for Craft. Sophomore Guard CJ Hyland also is in double figures but has missed some games with injury and normally cones off the bench. The other two starters are Abdulai Fanta Kabva and Tahlan Pettway.
The Catamounts go as many as eight deep on their bench rotation. Foul trouble dictates it as much as anything. There are four starters and two bench players that average more than 2 fouls per game but those averages are much higher against the top teams, getting close to 25 team fouls per game in losses.
Offensively expect to see a high number of pick and roll plays involving Soumaoro and Kell with Fanta Kabba lingering on the opposite block to give the Catamounts three options to score depending on how our defense moves. They aren't very good shooting overall in losses though so getting buckets at the rim is paramount for their success. Perimeter shooting overall is about 35% but in three losses they were around 25%. From the floor they are better than 52% but again in losses that number tumbles at or below 40%.
Defensively it will primarily be man-to-man and they appear to struggle getting around screens. Hokies speed should provide open look opportunities.
One major issue for the Catamounts are turnovers. In losses they have ranged from 17-19 turnovers each. Teams are averaging 22 points per game off turnovers.
A strong aspect for the Catamounts is rebounding. Even in the blowout loss to Duke they still pulled down 40 rebounds. Only once have they been below 30 and against VA Lynchburg, they grabbed 60 rebounds.
The Hokies dont need to worry about transition defense so hopefully Young has the team going after offensive rebounds similar to the South Carolina game
Catamounts Starters
Julien Soumaoro
#3 SR G 5-11 165
13.4 Pts, 3.8 Reb, 2.7 Ast
Marcus Kell
#23 SR F 6-8 213
12.6 Pts, 5.2 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Cord Stansberry
#0 SR G 6-3 175
12.8 Pts, 4.6 Reb, 2.5 Ast
Adbulai Fanta Kabba
#7 SO C 7-0 215
7.4 Pts, 7.8 Reb, 0.4 Ast
Tahlan Pettway
#8 FR G 6-2 165
5.9 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 3.0 Ast
Catamounts Bench
CJ Hyland
#2 SO G 6-1 175
10.2 Pts, 0.2 Reb, 1.4 Ast
Samuel Dada
#12 FR F 6-9 225
5.3 Pts, 5.9 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Justin Johnson
#4 SO F 6-8 195
5.0 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Tidjiane Dioumassi
#22 SR G 6-4 200
3.8 Pts, 0.8 Reb, 2.3 Ast
Fischer Brown
#20 SO G 6-4 180
2.8 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Tayeshaun Smith
#21 FR F 6-7 220
2.4 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Drew Hollifield
#11 SO G 5-10 190
3.0 Pts, 0.3 Reb, 0.0 Ast
Chase McKey
#1 SR F 6-9 210
2.0 Pts, 1.8 Reb, 0.3 Ast
Hokies Starters
Amani Hansberry
#13 JR F 6-8 240
16.1 Pts, 8.0 Reb, 3.0 Ast
Neoklis Avdalas
#17 FR G 6-9 215
12.9 Pts, 3.7 Reb, 5.1 Ast
Tyler Johnson
#10 SO G 6-5 215
9.1 Pts, 5.7 Reb, 2.0 Ast
Jailen Bedford
#0 SR G 6-4 181
9.5 Pts, 3.0 Reb, 0.7 Ast
Antonio Dorn
#77 FR C 7-0 230
3.9 Pts, 2.1 Reb, 0.8 Ast
Hokies Bench
Jaden Schutt
#2 JR G 6-5 185
11.2 Pts, 1.4 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Ben Hammond
#3 SO G 5-11 170
9.3 Pts, 1.5 Reb, 3.7 Ast
Christian Gurdak
#32 FR C 6-10 260
3.9 Pts, 2.8 Reb, 0.1 Ast
Izaiah Pasha
#4 SO G 6-4 190
1.7 Pts, 0.4 Reb, 0.0 Ast
OUT
Toibu Lawal
#1 SR F 6-8 200
12.8 Pts, 10.3 Reb, 0.5 Ast
Hansberry should have the physicality to get inside Fanta Kabba but the wingspan will still allow some shot disruption. Defensively I expect Dorn will counter Fanta Kabba.
Need big games from Neo and Bedford in driving the ball at the basket, even if its just to create openings elsewhere.
Scoring in transition is a must so Hammond and Bedford with active hands leading to run outs will be something to watch.
Hokies win 92-57
Comments
My daughter is planning on going to Western Carolina next year so this is my first chance to do some trash talking
It is located in a really beautiful region. Hope she has a good experience.
She's a mountain loving kid so when we visited it was love at first sight. Plus the dorms are nicer than any apartment I ever had.
It's got Blacksburg tendencies but much smaller.
Dorn misses easy layups like it's his job. Dunk the ball big man.
Carbon copy issues like Wessler. He can damn near lift the ball above his head and drop it in.
Now just trading baskets instead of burying them
53-34. Pace would be 106-68 win.
58% shooting and 50% perimeter
Hansberry feasting inside. 14 points on 6/7 shooting
slow start. but they came on midway through the half and have been shooting really well. 5 turnovers, 10 assist. Only 61.5% FT, however.
Forced 11 turnovers though
Oh and Sincere Jones sighting. Weird to see him before Pasha
Ben Hammond with a career high in blocked shots... one!
Gurdak with 5 rebounds and 2 blocks in 8 minutes. Not bad.
Pretty clear our guys went in at the half and thought game was over. Sloppy ugly basketball so far in 2nd
Just curious. Who are the people behind the scorers table. From the VT bench all the way to the visitors bench. I know the guy in the orange jacket is the public address announcer, and the guy in the zebra shirt must be the official scorer. Just wondering about the jobs of everyone else. If anyone knows... please post. Thanks.
This is embarrassing. Its not like Young went to his bench for 15 minutes here. We have extended the lead by TWO points in 14 minutes
If they could hit free throws this is probably a 10 point game
30 burger for Avdalas
Other than Avdalas its like the entire team took a sedative
Two starters fouling out against this kind of team is no bueno
How am I mad about a game we nearly scored a hundo in and won by over 20?
You aren't alone. The second half was uninspired basketball and very sloppy defense. How many times did they get a wide open layup in the 2nd half? At least six. Guys were standing around like it was over.
96-74
Second half not as stellar defensively. Forced 11 turnovers in 1st half but only 3 in 2nd.
Positives
48% from 3
53% overall
Neo with 30
Biggest negative was having to keep the starters out there and two fouled out. This was a game the bench should have been in most of 2nd and dominated anyway but nope.
A wins a win but tournament time I would have preferred this be a bigger blowout.
Hopefully next game vs UMES
How can Bedford continue to be a starter when he hasn't played half a game 6 out of 11 games this year?
This piece isn't that uncommon with Young. Uses guys to start each half for first 4 minutes but after the first swap its a momentum thing with Young. If Schutt is hot Bedford plays less.
Schutt played 22 minutes to Bedfords 17. Someone else got the 1 minute left for the shooting guard spot.
Starter isn't as big of a designation as it's assumed to be
You want to be a finisher
As Rodney Dangerfield would say (tugging on his tie) "Tough crowd"!
There will never be a perfect game, so that means there will aways be room for improvement.
Even with a 20 point lead, not pulling away from a team like western carolina shows we went into playing not to lose or playing down to the competition.
Two starters fouling out. That's not ideal. However, both did play 33 minutes. (not sure why). After Johnson fouled out, I did see CMY talk to him for an extended time when he came off the floor. (I'd like to know what was said),
65.2% (15-23) FT. Definitely need to improve on that. Even in a loss we should be 70%+.
I've always said 10 or fewer turnovers. We had 11.......................
All that being said... FAM!!!
I think it's twice in the last 3 games that Johnson fouled out.
To me its more the minutes that were necessary on our top guys. Have to find those chances to give guys a breather and this game should have been one. Neo Hansberry and Johnson all with 33 minutes is way too much. 25-27 should be the goal.
Anyone see or hear why Pasha didnt play more than 1 minute? Seems a monumental waste sitting him that much.