#Hokies warming up on the court at Purcell Pavilion prior to tonight's game against Notre Dame. pic.twitter.com/1AXAt47eDb— VT Men's Basketball (@VT_MBBall) January 20, 2016
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@VT_MBBall pic.twitter.com/MDvNAhtn2T— VT Men's Basketball (@VT_MBBall) January 20, 2016
All right Hokie fans, things are getting serious for this young team. They have taken several steps forward that no one saw coming a month ago. Sure, some of us have been able to call the changes game to game but I don't even think Buzz thought we would be where we are right now.
4-1 going into a place not kind to visiting teams against an experienced starting five. Notre Dame leads the all time series with Tech 5-1, with our only win being the 1973 NIT Championship Game at MSG. They come into this game with all five starters averaging in double figures, with a big win over Duke at Cameron that saw them put up 95 points in regulation. This is a team with a high offensive motor. One the Hokies will have to find a way to stop.
Leading this team in scoring is Demetrius Jackson, (#11) 6'1, 198 lbs, Junior Guard, averaging 17.5 PPG, 3.6 RPG, and 5.4 APG. He scores the most and is their leading facilitator to boot. He also is considered their primary on ball defender. Definitely a Player of the Year nominee for the ACC at this point. He shoots 40% from outside and an even deadlier 55% overall from the field. He is much like Seth Allen in how he takes the ball to the rim, except he makes his shots without the turnovers or finds an open teammate for an easy basket. His only slight weakness might be that he only shoots 75% from the free throw line. Only!!
Big man Zach Auguste (#30) 6'10, 242 Lbs Senior Forward, is next in scoring for the Irish at 13.6 PPG, 9.8 RPG, and 1.6 APG. Essentially a double double machine with a soft touch inside. Think Kerry Blackshear after four years of college ball. Shoots better than 55% inside, never even hints at shooting from outside, and is fairly benign at the free throw line at 61%, which is good for the Hokies because Auguste draws the most fouls of any Irish player.
Next up on the scoring list is Steve Vasturia, (#32) 6'5, 211 Lbs, Junior Guard who contributes 12.5 PPG, 3.2 RPG, and 3.1 APG. He is their version of Justin Bibbs with more of a knack for battling inside. He shoots 40% from outside, 53% from inside and 76% from the line. Has a nose for the basketball, and with his wide wingspan, deflects a lot of passes being attempted into the lane, leading to turnovers.
Bonzie Colson, (#35) 6'5, 225 Lbs Sophomore Forward is a mini wrecking ball underneath, averaging 12.2 PPG, 7.1 RPG, and 1.1 APG. He also leads this team in blocked shots with almost 2 per game. Colson will probably be the X Factor in this game, being a big challenge to guard for the Hokies. Expect he and Leday to bang around quite a bit. He shoots almost 60% from inside and is a bit sneaky beyond the arc, with 36% made so far this season.
Their last starter is VJ Beachem (#3), 6'8, 200 Lbs Junior Forward, averaging 11 PPG, 4.5 RPG, and 1.1 APG. Late in the game he is the one Hokies want to force the ball to if in a fouling situation as he shoots a miserable 50% from the line. His game is very similar to Pierce but more consistent only for the minutes he is allowed on the floor.
After the starting five though, the contributions fall far, to Matt Ryan, (#4) 6'8, 217 Lbs Freshmen Forward who contributes 6 PPG and 2 RPG. After Ryan, the most anyone else on the roster puts up is less than three points per game. This is a crucial aspect that I expect to see Buzz push. If Tech continues to draw fouls against the Irish like they have all season, at least one or more of the starters for the Irish will have to sit for significant parts of this game. Tech will need to remain aggressive all evening if they want to keep pace with the Irish prolific offense.
The other area of concern for the Hokies will be that size wise, Notre Dame, will have bigger bodies on the floor than Tech normally would play so clogging up passes into the lane should be a big focus for the Hokies on defense. If we can keep the ball out of the hands of the Irish interior guys it will force their team into jump shots they are not accustomed to.
Last but not least, if Tech gets to the line, it needs to continue its trend of improved free throw shooting in the ACC. Coming into conference play, the Hokies managed to hit only 65% from the charity stripe but since entering ACC play they have improved to 73% from the line. This has been critical in keeping them in and pushing them ahead in several conference games so far.
Notre Dame may be ripe for an upset if that's what you call Tech beating them, considering we are ahead of them in conference but it is an Irish home game. After beating Duke on the road, they might sit back on their laurels coming out of the gate, so I am hoping to see a high energy lineup from Buzz to kick this one off. Allen and TYRONE need to come out with full clearance to drive the basketball early and often. The sooner the Irish are in foul trouble the better. Another appearance of tough and tumble Bibbs would also be appreciated considering Leday is going to have his hands full with big bodies all night.
I am going to go out on a limb here and hopefully the Hokies don't cut it out from under me with an underwhelming performance on the road. These young Hokies find a way to do the things I outlined above and Tech wins this one 81-76.
Comments
Sorry its game time. Too many technical difficulties to list.
Dad and Uncle are both ND grads. Myself and both brother went to VT despite being accepted to ND. This one's a grudge match boys.
Freaking blackout
Dammit ESPN, The game is @ ND, why did you black out Blacksburg????
If you have a Fox Sports Plus (or 1) channel try that - I've got it on TV on that channel in the midwest.
Best start we've had in the ACC by far. Offense is rolling.
I hate ESPN right now. Not on TV (premium cable) and they blacked out my area.
Try non HD channels that's where I found it.
Blackouts are the worst. Anyone know how to watch this game?
It's on channel 856 Comcast in Blacksburg.
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http://www.vipbox.tv/basketball/357572/1/virginia-tech-at-notre-dame-live-stream-online.html
Much to my surprise I got it on watchespn. I figured they were gonna black me out.
How did LeDay average 3.5 ppg at USF... Dude is a beast
We are strong on the dribble drive tonight.
Tech has an interesting combo of really dumb mistakes and outstanding plays, while Notre Dame can't miss from 3, but doesn't seem largely interested in playing sound defense. Definitely gonna be an interesting one unless one team (ND) gets things in gear and pulls away.
Hokies playing well enough to win, getting easy buckets! Let's Go!
Live by Seth Allen, die by Seth Allen.
Got a 5 on 3, so of course Seth pulls up and takes an off-balance 3 to waste the possession. Of course.
I like this matchup for us. Getting to the basket at will. This will come down to VT free throws.
Nice free three at the end there
We've won the last few that way. I do not have a problem with winning that way.
Anyone know how deep ND is? They are grabbing fouls faster than people at my local Giant before Snowmaggedon.
Not very. Their starting 5 play about 30 mins a game.
haha it's a pun, fowl & foul:
Can't watch...black out. Doing Gamecast.
Go Hokies!
look in the above comments for a free live stream.
What was Jackson thinking? I will take it.
Thanks Intrepeter - impressed the fam by nailing the FSS trivia question on MSG thanks to you.
Same thing Allen was thinking on the bone-headed turnover - i.e. not thinking.
Well this is a new feeling.
Honestly did not expect this against ND
I think they want to give this to us. If we improve going to the second again we have a chance here.
YO, WHERE YALL SETH ALLEN HATERS AT?
We're beating ND at halftime by 8?
Seth Allen is 5/8 from the floor, has 15 points and 4 assists in 16 minutes.
Amazingly, all the comments above are negative. Someone needs to hire him a PR firm.
Preach.
As I mentioned above, it's been mind-blowing mistakes mixed with mind-blowing outstanding plays. Right before making those 3s, Allen tried not to touch the ball on the inbound to conserve time (with 13 seconds left, plenty of time) and promptly had it stolen away to give ND an easy 2.
But it hasn't just been Allen. Blackshear has been feast-or-famine too. Great touch around the rim, but a couple really dumb fouls so far.
via GIPHY
So who else is excited for the X-Files reboot?
Anybody got the stat line fouls handy?
Blackshear/LeDay/Robinson with 2
Henry/Wilson/Hudson with 1
Allen/Bibbs 0
Thanks.
We need to come out of the gate and execute like we did in the first on the offensive side. Some timely makes and good defense should net us a W on the road here.
Let's keep this up for another glorious road ACC win
Allen... please stop throwing away possessions so early in the shot clock with a forced 3.
How was that not a foul! Allen got mugged.
Enjoying listening to this in the car with 3 ND grads The ND announcers are a real bunch of whiners about every call against ND
And Blackshear with one more freshman moment... c'mon man, those fouls are just so stupid.
I like Zach Leday's game. Reminds me of what Jeff Allen could have been if he was able to get his head out of his ass
Playing a little young to start the half. We have not had many chances to this so far this year. Need to learn to take a lead and keep it, not give me high blood pressure every game.
We gotta get Colson out of there with foul number 4. He's killing us right now.
Reckless early. Gave the lead away
Two word - box out! Jeez.
Notre Dame just wants it more this half. Too many second chance points. 10 so far this half.
The reckless Seth Allen has returned. I hope the good one comes back soon.
Henry is terrible anticipating passes. So frustrating.
That's an offensive foul on Auguste. He is just plowing through throwing elbows.
They are whistle happy refs.
This kind of game is where Hamilton being in the doghouse kills us. We should have run away with this one already but we can't box them out
Amazed he made one of those
I think Allen is playing right where he is best, aggressive on the drives with just a little wrecklessness, it still making solid passes and being tenacious without the ball in his hands. If we lose Robinson here it's almost like we never had a recruiting class this year. Hope it's nothing serious, kid is starting to come on.
Ryan just tripped over his own feet and we get whistled
Seriously... This is getting a little out of hand on the defensive end with the refs. Ps... Matt Ryan still sucks
nice feed!
We aren't allowed to play defense this second half
Yeah Henry was in the circle but I thought white boy was out of control
What's new?
I know Henry wasn't set there... But good lord what a shoulder he took. At some point it has to be offensive
From watching a lot of games this year, the refs just aren't looking for that low shoulder. I've seen it called defensive many times when it should have been whistled the other way.
Hopefully Pierce is ready to deliver big in the last few minutes with how these whistles are going
Every time I look it seems like ND is lining up for a free throw
They are going to the basket hard, we are going soft. Whistle happy refs are calling ant contact on the D. Need to get into the body. Where did Allen go? LeDay?
Guys are afraid to play defense now...
That's better. Keep going in hard
OH boy, the ways this could go. PHRASING!
We've got to eliminate the freshman moments for the rest of the game if we want to win this thing.
Of course a foul
Whistle comes after he is back on the floor and shooting again?
I mean, if that's a foul then I'm not sure what isn't. Looked pretty clean to me.
Apparently if you shove Allen out of the way it's not one see consensus below.
wow. push off? what the actual fuck? Dude just threw Seth halfway across the court.
Keep driving at the basket!
How was that not an offensive foul on Jackson? He basically threw Allen into the lane
Twice
That was an egregious no call. We win the close ones. Let's keep fighting! Go Hokies,!!!
The refs are now being affected by the home crowd. It's gonna be hard to get a call from here on out.
All those turnovers are killing us. Why does it feel like we are playing Duke.
Okay. So we are just going to no calls from here on out.
These refs are killing me!
Officials have completely taken over this game
Had ND gotten any points without a foul being called???
We are getting railroaded guys. Buckle up. These last two minutes are going to be some horse shit. I can feel it.
And the terrible new rule means no basket there for Leday and it's not even a shooting foul
That's ballgame.
We have time... don't we :/
Doesn't matter. Not shooting well, not playing defense, not getting good or even fair calls. It's over.
How about how he hooked Henry at the top of the key before play even started?
Refs could give a crap. That's just the way they're calling this game. And yet one more reason why I hate basketball officials as a whole.
There are no such things as offensive fouls in this game.
These officials are just feeding off of the homer calls. So frustrating.
There wasn't one player from either team that took over this game. It was the ACC officiating that took over this game.
Terrible defense there.
Now we are in that horrible no man's land on whether you foul or not
Or the Tech thing where we let them run down the shot clock and drain a 3.
Luck of the Irish. Unbelievable.
Notre Dame hasn't been able to stop the drive all night... terrible shot to end the game.
Uh it was a great look and just rimmed out. Better than going to the rim and possibly not getting the shot off in time.
Terrible way to end, got to go to rim
I'll take Allen putting that up. It was a good look, we don't have any bigs left and the rest of the team is in major foul trouble. They woulda wrecked us in OT.
Me too, good look.
And go to overtime, on the road, with one post player already fouled out, Henry and LeDay each with four fouls and a general inability to get stops on defense? A three there is your best chance to win. I'd take that shot from Allen, Bibbs or LeDay every time in that situation.
And a big part of Allens drives is to draw fouls. Pretty good chance refs swallow whistles that late.
Not on the road, would rather have shot to win it than have to go to OT with entire team in foul trouble...bad luck it just didn't fall
Shew. Half way down. Hard to win when you aren't allowed to play defense and you get no calls.
Now we have a ND player trying to start a fight after handshakes
Looked like he was trying to go after Galloway too.
:(
Damit, stretch of sloppy passing cost us.
I didn't know they did that pathetic Wahoo swaying shit after they win. That makes it hurt even worse.
Was thinkin the exact same thing
Wow, what a win that would have been. Such a heart breaker. Loved the shot by Allen, open 3 for the win.
Had a good look to win, but couldn't get it to go. Really felt overly officiated, which hurt us much more trying to maintain momentum in a road game.
Sonuvabitch
Come on Seth. Drive to the basket...
Yea everyone keeps sayin "go for the win on the road!" but the way he was getting to the rim every drive and getting contact I think you gotta take it to the hole.
He would have at least drawn a foul.
That wouldn't have been called
At that's why it is so hard to win on the road in the ACC. We played good enough to win. They just had a few too many guys on the floor. Hope we get that next game, but doubtful.
College basketball has to do something about the fouls being called. I don't like blaming the officiating after a loss but that game was more the officials than Notre Dame coming back or VT giving up a lead. Should never be that way.
I agree. They couldn't score or stop us without a foul being called.
For awhile they were calling every little thing both ways, but (and studies have shown this) that the home court advantage comes from influencing the officials not the players. The refs definately started getting a little more whistle happy in the wrong direction towards the end.
Yeah I can't remember where I saw it, but I read an article within the last five years or so that showed that home field/court advantage comes entirely from referees feeling pressure to appease the home team's fans. It really is a shame.
I would believe this works both ways too. Some times I think after a bad call, the ref embraces being the villain and thrives on the boo's from the home crowd.
Occasionally, yes, but statistics (and the article in reference, I believe it was SI) show that refs tend to favor the home crowd. Unfortunately, that second half drove me to pour more and more bourbon and now I don't have the desire nor the ability to find the source I'm "citing".
Slow down for a sec. Trying hard to catch up. May need someone to translate typo's shortly.
I didn't want to come across as disagreeing.
I think that the impact of the crowd on the refs could be even greater than noted in the study. Since I think that getting caught up in the emotion goes the wrong way sometimes, some of the data referencing a ref feeding off the positives of a home crowd would be marginalized.
The long and the short is that refs have a great impact on the flow of a game; normally in favor of the home team. A do caution that when a ref turns on the home crowd, it does not seem to change for the remainder of the game.
Edit - I do not think the refs hate VT or anything like that, I just think they make lots of mistakes and these mistakes are hard for any fan to deal with after a loss.
Agree. It is why it is so hard to win on the road in this conference. Homering is bad reffing, but no escaping it. I hope we can gain enough respect to get our fair share of it, because it is not likely to go away. Would have been a big win, because most times you have overcome sh%t like this to win on the road, but we were never t that much better than them yet.
Like I posted below; 8 out of 9 fouls went against VT for a stretch in the 2nd half. This is absurd and had a profound impact on the outcome of the game.
The fact that they were lucky and even excited to beat us. That's a good sign guys. Still not done this year. Need to show up against UNC. All of this without two of our best players. Still really excited.
8 out of 9 fouls called against the Hokies over the stretch where the lead evaporated. Refs got Notre Dame back in the game and then no-one could play help defense to get a stop afterwards.
So sad to see a good basketball league have such bad refs year in and year out. It is even worse that there is such limited turnover in refs. Bad ones stay for decades until you have a collection like the ACC has.
So angry for how that second half went. Just terrible in so many ways. Should have been comfortably 5-1 going into UNC game.
Refs reminded me of naked gun when he stats making calls just because the home team is cheering the calls.
Could have done more early in the second to not give up the lead so easily but once it got close refs stepped in. Never been upset after a basketball game until now.
Haven't been this mad over Tech basketball since Seth's last bubble pop. I'd be fine if we deserved to lose that game but watching an officiating crew take a win away is too infuriating.
This loss hurt worse than any since Sean Dockery
R. I. P. my college TV remote.
At least you missed the tv.
I think the call that made me angriest was the block foul on Leday. If that's not a charge than there is no more defense to be played. He established outside the stupid ring and got run over only to have the call go the other way. Backbreaker.
No kidding. Clearly, Brey pulled a "Coach K" at half time and whined to the refs. They got every call in the 2nd half making it effectively 8 v 5. On the big dunk by ND right after, they clearly set an illegal, moving pick, (body block) on Wilson right in front of the ref and no call, and Jackson got away with several push offs on offense to gain space. I'm so tired of incompetent officials across the NCAA.
All that said, we still had a chance with a near miss at the end. Great effort by the Hokies!
I almost never watch hoops. I tuned in with 11 minutes to go. The officiating reminded me why I no longer watch hoops. That said, the great effort by the guys cannot be ignored.
And now I am ready to be buried under 3 feet of snow!
I will say it has been a long long time since I have been so disappointed in a basketball game. I hate moral victories but that is a good sign.
Was only able to listen to the radio. Horrible officiating based on the calls. Those referee's should be fired and never allowed to call a game again.
The team in the lead NEVER commits more fouls than the team behind unless the ref's are cooking the game.
Lot of close games this year. Next year, gotta learn how to stretch these close games out.
Agreed with all the comments about the complete gift ND received from the officials in the 2nd half. But, it's not just in the ACC, I'm watching my first alma mater, Marquette, and the Big East officials are missing all kinds of crap and now they just gave the game to Depaul on a BS call under the hoop. NCAA officials need to be called out big time.
Ehhh, calls always go to the home team down the stretch. Besides the Leday block call, it was an acceptably called game. More disappointing was how we didn't push the ball to the rim the last 5 mins as much as we did in the latter first half.
I'm disappointed that shot didn't go in but pleased that this team continues to be legitimate.