Buzzketball Rallies Against Georgia Tech 78-77

Two steps forward, one step back. A sign of progression one week, a minor regression the next. These are the symptoms of a young and improving basketball program. Inconsistencies which can haunt players and coaches alike, and drive fans crazy in the process.

Coming off a heart racing win against Wake Forest on Wednesday, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team looked like they were in the midst of one of those minor relapses into the dregs of their former selves. The Hokies entered the game against Georgia Tech completely flatlined, and set the table for a long outing.

An opening 20 minutes of poor basketball filled with turnovers, bad transition defense and enough bricks to build a highrise in downtown Atlanta looked like it would spell doom for Buzz Williams and company. But luckily for the Hokies there's a reason why they play two halves, and they used it to their advantage, eking out a 78-77 win over the Yellow Jackets.

"I think we're incredibly fortunate to win," Williams said. "That's the same thing I said after we played Wake [Forest]. I thought they just dominated us in the first half particularly.

I think when you've won three out of your four games by one possession there's a lot of lessons to learn. We may not win another one and so we're very fortunate to win this one. Thankful that in our 11th try we finally won an [ACC] road game."

It was the team's first conference road win since December of 2013, and their path to victory was even more impressive than it looks on paper. The Hokies not only battled back from a 15-point deficit in the first half, but also from 10 down in the final four minutes.

It was a lesson of both toughness and resiliency. The story coming into the afternoon may have surrounded Adam Smith's first showing against his former team, but the narrative changed into one about the two veterans who stepped into the vacant leadership role upon his departure.

Forward Zach LeDay was the only lifeline early on for the team in orange. As the Yellow Jackets raced to their fast start, the junior and his methodically weird playing style kept his guys just barely within reach. The transfer from South Florida scored 10 of his 21 early, and was the most impactful player on the court for most of the Hokies' offensive trips.

But even with LeDay's outing the result still needed to be brought home. And though he cobbled together most of an incredibly uninspiring day, Seth Allen was the man to wrap things up. Just 1-4 from the floor with five turnovers, the junior guard showed why his role is so important as the clock melted away into crunch time.

With a lethal first step and a heady ability to see angles, Allen drew foul after foul in the lane. With his guys down eight with four to go, the Maryland transfer hit two free throws. He then went 6-8 from the line from that point on, using his explosion to consistently put the Yellow Jackets in tight spots.

You read correctly. A Virginia Tech Hokie came through clutch at the charity stripe numerous times at the end of a close game. The arch nemesis that has haunted at least three regimes of the Tech program was nowhere to be found on Saturday, as Allen confidently took each attempt like he had big brass—let's call them onions.

As things ground down to the closing moments, one Tech came through with big plays while the other wilted. And though it's reflexive to assume the Hokies fell into the latter category, it was not the case.

Justin Robinson kicked things off with a heady backcourt steal and finish. LeDay met Marcus Georges-Hunt at the rim for the block, Allen then snuck a pass to Kerry Blackshear Jr. for a dunk. The juniors each then contributed the biggest two buckets of the comeback.

LeDay hit a moonshot of a hook for a momentary lead. And then Allen, with the game tied and seconds ticking down, catches two Georgia Tech players in the air, takes another trip to the line and swished through the final point of the victory.

It was far from perfect, and Williams knows it. But it's also palpable how important this result is for an underclassman laden team.

"When you go through what these guys have been through so far in the careers at [Virginia] Tech, your character is revealed in so many ways," the head Hokie said.

"I'm thankful that, even though we haven't necessarily earned all of them, they're having some positive rewards from that. But I think it's their character. I don't think you can have the resolve to overcome all of the things unless you, as a team collectively, have great character."

A team new to winning will now travel to a place used to it, South Bend Indiana, to face Notre Dame on Wednesday. It's too much to expect a similar result against a program who just beat Duke in Durham, but at least they'll have belief on their side when the head north.

A few quick thoughts

Again, it's hard to emphasize enough how much of a difference Allen makes. Tech hasn't had a player with complete confidence in close games in over five years (Malcolm Delaney). And when a coach can roll out a guy who he knows can break his defender down off the dribble, it frees up everything else.

The most impressive part to me, however, wasn't the free throws. It was how he bounced back from the worst he's looked in weeks with the flip of a switch. Allen struggled with turnovers and almost cost them a chance to get back into things with one particularly bad giveaway with six to go.

But then, with everything on the line, he's able to be the reason the Hokies win. Every winning team needs an alpha male to take shots down the stretch, and Tech has theirs.

The difference between Blackshear on and off the court is borderline staggering. It makes sense, the freshman is the only big man who can be a factor on both ends, and without him there's a giant drop off. The team can use Satchel Pierce, Shane Henry or the currently MIA Johnny Hamilton as a replacement, but each comes with his own set of difficulties.

Henry is a non-factor on offense who looks nervous to get fouled (and considering he shoots 28% from the line, he probably should be). Hamilton adds length, but gets pushed around easily. And Pierce has his moments (see the Wake Forest game), but it's apparent that his teammates give him extra help on defense, which opens up everything from the perimeter (again, see the Wake Forest game).

But Blackshear can't play each second every night. Especially because he struggles to guard girth, and the hefty Charles Mitchell gave him fits in the post. The secret will be out now since there's more tape on the Hokies, and it'll be interesting to see how Buzz attacks when the freshman sits.