IT'S GAMEDAY! #BeatNCState PNC Arena 9 PM ACC Network pic.twitter.com/O6O07PQSxs— VT Men's Basketball (@VT_MBBall) January 4, 2017
GAME INFORMATION
Date/Time: January 4, 2017 / 9 p.m.
Opponent: NC State
Site: Raleigh, N.C. (PNC Arena)
Radio: Virginia Tech IMG Sports Network
Talent: Jon Laaser & Mike Burnop
TV/Internet: The ACC Network
Television Channels by Location http://www.theacc.com/news/acc-basketball-on-the-acc-network-virginia-te...
Talent: Evan Lepler & Jason Capel
Live Stats: HokieSports.com
Game Notes: Virginia Tech
XM Radio: XM 193 (Internet 955)
We're back #getB3TTER pic.twitter.com/NoXg310RyF— VT Men's Basketball (@VT_MBBall) January 2, 2017
Taking that next step without the Hype
Buzzketball is arguably coming off its best win ever by routing Duke 89-74. Now it faces a different but possibly equal challenge. Tech has to go on the road to Raleigh and face an unranked NC State team. School is still out but a solid fan base that lives in the area should at least have the stands somewhat filled considering it's a 9pm tipoff on a workday. The Hokies have to come out ready for the Wolfpack to try to punch them in the mouth early and sustain through that to build a solid lead by halftime. This will be a tough test, especially with the talent surge the Wolfpack brought in this season. NC State brings much the same height disparity to this contest that Duke did with nine players 6'7 or taller that play enough minutes to cover two or three positions on the floor for the entire game. There is another bevy of talented freshman for the Hokies to take on.
NC State is currently 11-3. Their losses this season are to Creighton, Illinois, and Miami in their ACC opener. All three losses were on the road or at a neutral site, so the Wolfpack are undefeated at home so far this season but most of those wins are against similar opponents to Tech. They have zero wins over Power 5 or Ranked opponents. They are coming off an eighteen point thrashing from Miami but one thing is certain, this team can score a ton of points.
This will be the fifty fifth meeting between the Hokies and the Wolfpack. NC State leads the all-time series 39-15, starting all the way back in 1915. The Hokies last victory against the Wolfpack came last season in a 73-68 win in overtime in Blacksburg. Tech last won at NC State in 2011.
The Wolfpack are coached by Mark Gottfried, who has coached NC State since 2011. Gottfried has become known for bringing in stellar recruiting classes and then underperforming with the talent on hand. He has still managed to lead the Wolfpack to four NCAA tournaments and an equal number of 20+ win seasons. Last season was the first losing season Gottfried has had as a coach since coaching Alabama in 1999. As a result, Gottfried went through a complete overhaul of his coaching staff as well as roster of players this offseason. He let go his top assistant and moved another to the support staff while bringing in Butch Pierre and Heath Schroyer to help with recruiting and defensive strategy. The roster upheaval actually settled down somewhat in his favor as both Abdul-Malik Abu and Beejay Anya removed themselves from the draft while Gottfried and staff brought in a top five recruiting class.
Defensively, the Wolfpack employ primarily a 2-3 Zone defense that attempts to protect the lane by collapsing in on penetration. They will switch to man to man in certain circumstances. Regardless of which style they are employing, NC State so far this season has not done a very good job defensively. This was supposed to be a facet of the game where they would be much improved, but it just hasn't been the case. They don't rebound well, they don't protect the paint well, they don't close out on shooters, and allow penetration to the basket on a regular basis.
Offensively, NC State is a different story. Under Gottfried they have never finished a season lower than 33rd in Offensive Efficiency. He also is credited with improving his teams offenses as seasons progress, recently being rated seventh of 93 coaches evaluated in this measure. He knows how to get his teams to score and do so with authority. They shoot 53% from inside the arc and 39% from outside. Gottfried expects his teams to run a very high tempo offense in the form of the High Post offense developed by the great John Wooden. Expect to see a ton of passes to a big at the top of the lane, who then reads and reacts to what the defense is doing in terms of finding a pass or developing a shot. Gottfried trusts his players to make the right reads and react correctly. He has all five starters in double figures with another at 9.8 PPG.
What does that mean for the Hokies?
The Hokies need to come out ready for a game on the road. They need to expect a virulent crowd for essentially the first time this season. They have to be ready to take NC State's best shot, being a ranked opponent that just beat a blue blood program by 15. They also need to be ready for a tall team that utilizes their height completely different than Duke did. They also need to be able to keep their foot on the gas again.
This should be a high paced game since both programs look to get out and run in transition. Similar to Duke, NC State struggles in closing out defensively as well as with personal fouls. They need to identify the weaknesses in coverage to get open looks at the basket while also taking advantage of the Wolfpack's weakness in stopping dribble penetration to the rim. Expect Robinson and Allen to have big nights in the lane for the Hokies to be successful.
5.8 ppg4.1 rpg 13 blocksFR @khadimsy1 is off to a strong start pic.twitter.com/Zt4epk2qKW— VT Men's Basketball (@VT_MBBall) January 3, 2017
NC State relies on the perimeter shot so closing out opponents is a must. Hand in face, forcing NC State to pass around the perimeter will keep them from their primary offense. Sy will also have to be ready for bigs that like to muscle down the lane.
Beyond the six man primary rotation, NC States production falls off precipitously, so being able to get their starters in early foul trouble could be a great benefit to whom the Hokies face.
Wolfpack Backcourt
Freshman phenom Dennis Smith Jr., (#4) 6'3, 195 Lbs, leads the Wolfpack in scoring, putting up 19.1 PPG, 3.6 RPG, 6.2 APG (15th in the country) and 1.9 SPG. A five star recruit, fully expected to be one and done, Smith has lived up to the hype so far. He is shooting 40% from outside, 49% from inside and 78% from the charity stripe while leading the ACC in assists. He is also fifth in the ACC in scoring. Smith is playing almost 34 MPG.
Senior Terry Henderson, (#3) 6'5, 190 Lbs, who returns from a season ending injury last year, is averaging 15.8 PPG, 3.5 RPG, 1.7 APG, all while shooting 80% so far from the line, 41% from outside and 47% from inside. Henderson is on the floor for 33 MPG.
Sophomore Torin Dorn, (#2) 6'5, 208 Lbs is averaging 14.4 PPG, 6.2 RPG, and 1.4 APG. Dorn is shooting 55% from the field, 48% from behind the line (4th in the ACC) and 76% from the line in about 32 MPG. Dorn transferred to NC State from Charlotte. Dorn will likely be called upon to cover Clarke so it should be an interesting matchup.
Sophomore Maverick Rowan, (#24) 6'7, 220 Lbs, suffered a concussion in the Wolfpack's season opener, but is now back in the starting rotation, where he has put up 10.1 PPG and 3.6 RPG over seven games. He is seeing about 22 MPG so far since returning from injury. Rowan plays primarily a wing role, using his size to work the baseline.
Freshman Markell Johnson, (#11), 6'1, 164 Lbs is averaging 4.1 PPG, 1.5 RPG, and 2.6 APG on just over 21 MPG so far this season.
Wolfpack Frontcourt
Junior Forward Abdul-Malik Abu, #0, 6'8, 240 lbs returned to the Wolfpack after putting his name in the draft after last season. It may or may not end up benefiting him as his numbers haven't dramatically changed over last season. He is putting up 11.6 PPG, 7.3 RPG, 1.1 APG and 1.1 BPG. He stays completely inside the arc on offense, shooting 55% while also hitting 77% from the free throw line. He is now averaging 26 MPG.
Another Freshman phenom, Omer Yurtseven, #14, 7', 245 lbs missed the first nine games of the season due to a suspension handed down by the NCAA for eligibility issues. He has played in five games since the end of his suspension and put up 9.8 PPG, 5.2 RPG, and 1.8 APG while shooting 53% from the field. His one weakness is the charity stripe, where he is only managing to hit 67% so far this season. Yurtseven is averaging 24 minutes a game of floor time since his suspension ended.
After these two gentlemen, there is a third freshmen standout and a player that returned from the draft that likely is regretting that decision. First the freshman, Ted Kapita, #23, 6'8, 219 Lbs, who wasn't cleared to play by the NCAA until the day before the regular season started. He has played in ten games so far, averaging 6.3 PPG and 5.3 RPG in about 16 MPG. He is shooting 61% from the field.
Senior Beejay Anya, #21, 6'9, 344 Lbs returned from submitting for the draft, thinking he would have an increased role with the chance to significantly boost his stock on better stats but with the incoming freshman class, this just hasn't happened. Anya is actually seeing less playing time at about 15 MPG but his scoring and other stats are down as well. He is putting up 3.2 PPG and 3.3 RPG. Not exactly what he hoped would be a coming out party for going to the NBA.
Names the Announcers will Butcher
Abdul-Malik Abu, Omer Yurtseven and Chris Corchiani get equal votes in my book here. One name we would love to here regularly from the announcer but wont is Chris Brickhouse.
Brickhouse has only played in 4 games so far this season and has yet to register a point.
What to expect from NC State?
The Wolfpack play predominantly a half court defense in either man to man or zone geared towards making opponents but seem very disorganized in doing so this season. Its tough to tell what they are trying to accomplish other than getting back on offense. They don't turn their opponents over much, they don't rebound well to prevent second chance opportunities and they are not very good at closing out the passing lanes.
The Wolfpack are averaging 83.1 PPG and allowing opponents 73.6 PPG. That's a nine point average margin of victory so far this season but is full of holes. There are a few extreme blowouts that contribute to that with some inexplicably close games mixed in along with their three losses by 14 or more. This team essentially relies on its offense to outscore their opponent much more than putting on a defensive effort to limit their opponent. With the number of freshman on this squad, Tech needs to put significant pressure on the defensive end to create a huge gap in the NC State game plan.
Rebounding wise, the Wolfpack are a team with size and depth. Their rebounding is fairly average at about 39 per game but considering the shooting percentages of their team, that plays a major factor in offensive rebounds being low.
NC State fouls its opponents more than average, giving up about 23 personal fouls per game with Abu and Yurtseven averaging more than 3 fouls per game. It would be extremely beneficial if the Hokies could get these two bigs in early foul trouble to level the opponents to a much more manageable size.
The Hokies
Tech needs to be ready to keep a high paced tempo the entire game without letting up. They need to pressure NC State on offense to create turnovers and lead to transition baskets. Limiting NC State on the offensive end could turn this contest into a blowout. Defense, Defense, Defense.
Even with the height of the opponent here, Tech should be able to succeed inside. NC State has not been able to stop their opponents from penetrating the lane or fouling opponents in the process of shooting inside. Most of this comes from teams abilities to pass easily on the interior of this NC State defense. It creates one on one and other mismatches for Tech to take advantage of. Robinson, Clarke and Allen all need to plan to take the ball to the rim. Even Bibbs, if he can continue his play like he did against Duke should be successful inside with the ball against the Wolfpack.
Patience and no let down. They need to recognize the fact that this matchup may not have the energy that the Duke game did and play through that, definitely not play down to NC States level. Avoiding that trap is probably the biggest key to this game. Show the ACC that you are a serious threat by going on the road in a Tobacco Road environment and win.
On to 2017 #getB3TTER pic.twitter.com/LoF3ecifCN— VT Men's Basketball (@VT_MBBall) January 3, 2017
Highlight of the Duke Game
You could summarize this by saying Justin Robinson full court pass, Seth Allen off the backboard, and Chris Clarke with the exclamation point slam, but that would be taking away from the true highlight.
40 MINUTES of Buzzketball. For the first time all season, the Hokies came out and played their game the entire game. It was beautiful to watch NBA diaper dandies completely turned around on defense, continuously slow to react as Tech did whatever they wanted on the offensive end.
Happy New Year #Hokies! - VT's Mens is 12-1 - Might as well count all those wins in 2016 with Chris Clarke's alley oop dunk ... #BeatNCST pic.twitter.com/cs9KV74rW9— OXVT (@OX_VT) January 1, 2017
In Closing
Less Hype, equal talent, better coached is what this Hokies victory comes down to. Buzz' ability to get this team to play both ends of the floor with equal passion is what will set these two teams apart.
Hitting shots on the perimeter is something that the Hokies wont need as much but if the shots are open the Hokies need to knock them down. Seems like an odd thing to say but if you go look at the second half shooting against Duke, you will see the Hokies only attempted five from outside, making three of them. All of the rest of the Hokies shooting centered around the basket.
This game should see the Hokies throw many different defensive fronts at the Wolfpack to keep them guessing on what to expect each trip down the court. They will likely call upon Allen and Robinson to run some full court press later in the first half as well as the second half if they need to establish some separation.
Tech should win this one going away if it brings the same mindset to the game as it did against Duke. If it plays down though, anything could happen. Tough first ten minutes to this game and then Buzz gets them going. Tech wins 84-67.
less, more...Complain less, Appreciate more...Judge less, Understand more...Criticize less, Praise more...Do less, Be more...— Buzz Williams (@TeamCoachBuzz) January 4, 2017
Comments
ACC Network Affiliates for Virginia Tech at NC State
http://www.theacc.com/news/acc-basketball-on-the-acc-network-virginia-te...
Good catch, I have updated the original post with the link. thanks
No prob, I appreciate your write ups on the team.
Link for ACC Network online
http://www.theacc.com/game-center/57f3cfd2e4b0d989b845d2dc/
Jason Capel (TV talent) is the brother of Felton Jeffrey "Jeff" Capel III, aka acting coach of the Duke Bluedevils. Although Jason played for UNC.
I work with a cousin of theirs.
The 1.5 point spread is tempting on this, but as you say, it's tough to tell if we're going to play our game, or down to their level.
The media down here is making a really big deal out of 2 points going into this game
1 - Teams historically struggle coming off a win over Duke or UNC in ACC play.
2 - The road team historically plays poorly in 9pm tipoffs in ACC play
I'll throw in another
3 - PNC Arena has been a house of horrors for VT basketball throughout the years
Having seen NCSU play recently, under normal circumstances, I would agree that we should be able to beat this Pack squad, but just something about this seems to be lining up for a letdown.
Your post in the other thread about Anja is where my only major concern is. He becomes the big if Yurtseven and Abu get into foul trouble, which they have consistently this season. Anja hasnt produced much so far this season but I fear he could be a major pain for us because Sy doesnt have the bulk to handle that Tank, and Leday doesnt have the ability to back off if Anja starts bull-moosing his way through the lane. We cant afford for both of them to get in foul trouble because of Anja.
Other than that, I think this game will be one where the defensive liabilities of NC State are exposed by our quicker more athletic guards.
Anja has been at NC State for about a million years now. And added about 0 to his game. He has to have the longest arms on a non 7 footer I've ever seen though
That's a big dude
That picture of #15 is Scott Wood, not Brickhouse. Wood was a beast for the Pack a couple years ago. He led the league in 3pointers and free throw % I think.
Has Joe ever considered adding these preview threads to the main page? ltrepeter2000 does some great work and with bball popularity on the rise I think it deserves a bit more visibility.
I know everyone is excited about how we've been playing, but we need to slow down with some of these predictions. Vegas is generally considered the most objective place for rankings (they have to be to make money) and they only have us as 1.5 point favorites. That's a Vegas Line if I ever saw one (much like the TTU-WVU game last night, easy money), this game is going to come down to the final minute and could go either way.
Another example of a Vegas Line tonight? GT getting 20 against a Duke team that just lost, doesn't have Grayson Allen, and just lost Coach K. They know something, either take Duke or stay away.
Its going to be interesting to watch that game considering how GT just took down UNC but that was a home game. Not many teams are going to be successful playing at Cameron. Going to be weird to see Capel calling the shots.
I believe I am the only one that threw out a prediction and I did so with the caveat that if Tech plays down to NC State's level anything is possible. I just dont see Buzz letting that happen. Wait until this weekend, the FSU game could be an entirely different story.
Wasn't really directed at you, I've seen and heard some predictions from other places that make me scared of a letdown. I was at every game during the JJ era, I don't wanna let a couple wins get us too high.
I think coach K is coaching tonight, but it will be his last game until after he recovers from surgery.
Mighty, mighty!
I will be in attendance with family and my victory mustache. The Stache has only witnessed two VT events thus far: Arkansas and Dook. Tonight we will see the effect of the Glorious Lip Brow on a live event.
Incidentally, the missus may be pulling for the pack tonight...
Red Five standing by. This is the first game I'll be watching it on TV with ya'll in a game thread in a while. Let's do this.
Edit: Thanks for the article and thread, Rob. You always do good work scouting the enemy for us.
So much hype around VT right now, but if there's one coach that won't let that get to them, it's Buzz Williams. Can't wait for the game.
Zach LeDay getting his first start of the season tonight.
My buddy at the game said Sy is sitting out. So that sucks.
Sy is injured. Oof.
Hope LeDay is ready to go the distance.
I love when the game is blacked out on WatchESPN app and the ACC straight up lies about its availability in my area.
cough cough
use an adblocker
I feel your pain. I had to drag my PC down to plug into my TV just to get this thing going.
Remind me not to complain about Cassell attendance again....
We look awfully....orange on my TV.
Ugh. Sy is injured.
Why can't we have nice things?
/Commence thread meltdown
Somethings has got to change here.
Devin Wilson spotting.
He was there for the Duke game. May need him tonight if JRob gets in foul trouble.
We are out of sorts. Wow Anya just got away with a two arm push off there.
Please don't double their big guys. We don't have the size to be effective - they're just going to pass over it.
Terrible start. Although VT has been punching back. Gonna need to play smart ball and pray ZLD doesn't get in foul trouble.
We're going to have to do our best West Virginia impression and out-speed them all the way.
So who's the 5 with LeDay on the bench, Outlaw or Clarke?
Yes.
And Bibbs.
Really wish Buzz would give Donlon a chance here with Sy injured. He knows his limitations and plays smart ball.
For real, if we could start Beyer at the 5 two years ago then we can deal with giving Donlon some minutes in a situation like this.
Technical foul for Leday and Anya. Not great
Really dumb for Leday to get drawn in to that Technical
Why do ACC officials insist on calling nonsense fouls on our end, but Tech gets hammered and...nothing.
Really need to focus on taking the ball at Yurtseven to get him off the court
Not working so far. He's gotten away with a couple soft fouls and blocked Leday at least once.
Having a hard time get foul calls under the rim. Thought Clarke got fouled on that last possession.
I wonder if Clark knows he can go up for layup with double clutching.
Giving up penetration way too easily here
Watching Abu match up against Outlaw down low is bad for my health.
I know we've started ugly in games this season, but damn
I know its early, but looks like we used up everything we had on Saturday. No energy from the guys at all.
Or they are all just a lot taller than us
Too much hesitation on the offensive end.
Piss poor effort defensively.
Got 2 shrill voiced bumblefuck yokels sitting behind us treating every basket like it's the goddamn national championship... I already have a damn headache from them
Anya just got away with goaltending
Well, that's just wrong. But ok?
I think he's kidding. Sometimes you have to take yourself lightly in times like this
On pace to lose 104-52!
110-60 at the half.
What the hell happened on that backcourt violation?
Is it just me or do they keep cutting away from the game while it is being played?
Terrible ACC Network TV crews that never follow the action correctly.
At least 5 times we watched an individual run down the court or zoomed in on one bench while we were running our offense.
Just because Jason Capel is talking about it doesn't mean we have to look at it.
That was not an offensive foul. Clarke didn't lower the shoulder aND the defender was definitely not in a set position. That and the mystery half court violation keeping this lead huge for the Wolfpack
Refs fucking us over now. NCST has gotten away with about 3 or 4 offensive fouls and they call a bullshit charge on Clark. Almost time to turn this one off.
Pretty much everything that I worried would happen in this game is happening
Trap after Duke win
9pm sloppiness on the road
Their bigs are destroying us
Unfortunately it won't be any easier the next game at FSU
FSU will be worse especially if Sy can't play
Buzz has officially taken off the jacket.
Jesus Christ, gonna be a long game
Turned this one off. Not worth it getting all pissed off on a Wednesday night. Following Tech athletics as a whole is so damned frustrating. The inconsistency week to week is maddening.
That's college sports. GT beat UNC by 12 on Saturday and lost to Duke by 52 tonight.
Boy I'm sure Grayson Allen learned a lot from that 1 game suspension...
Just leaving the rim wide open time and time again. Pretty easy when all they have to do is finger roll or dunk
If Sy is out for any length of time the wheels are going to come off of this season. I don't want others' injuries to torpedo ZLD's senior year.
Maybe we can rip of tow TD's before halftime and get this close... Oh, this isn't the Belk Bowl
I told myself I wasn't going to drink tonight....
Tired of these officials not calling fouls when the NC State defenders make contact in the air. Two trips in a row with no calls
This isn't on the officials...
Never got off the bus. God I wish I could see Buzz lose it at halftime
Yeah, I'm turning things off, but I'd like to know what he says after the game. Its one thing to not have your game one night, its quite another to play like this. Down by 30 at the half to NCSU??
Just be consistent refs! For once.
They've quit...
Once again, officiating is dictating the flow of the game early. You can tell we're tentative on both offense and defense because we're scared of getting some nonsense foul called.
Their fatass fucker just backed leday to the basket from the 3 point arc for an easy bucket
This is what a lack of size does in the ACC
I was 15' away from it. He made solid contact with like 6 wild elbows.
Worst team defensive effort I've seen by far this season. Robinson is giving up. Seth is back to his old habits. Clarke is so late on help its hilarious.
So that's not a foul on Allen's 3 pointer?
Allen definitely was hit on that shot but again no whistle
Well that ranking was short lived.
Once again contact in the air and instead of a foul they call it a jump ball
Some of y'all trashing this team like our three biggest guys aren't hurt.
Let me know when the selection committee gives a hoot about who is hurt
The selection committee probably would tooEdit
I don't care about the damn committee right now. Doesn't invalidate what I said.
every last shot for them is going in nothing but net.....from anywhere on the floor
I mean.... Wolfpack aren't going to shoot 70+% in the 2nd half. So at least there's that.
They absolutely will if we keep giving them easy shots in the paint... Our defense down low is pathetic and it goes beyond the size issues.
If we can't handle this team tonight or even keep it remotely close we are in for a world of issues when the rest of the ACC uses this blueprint against us the rest of the way
Its been said above, but FSU will destroy us if SY can't play.
We blew a huge lead to Clemson one time when Delaney scored 30 in the first half !!
There's hope !!
I also want to die thinking about that game !
That first half was one of my best times in cassel.
What the hell just happened? Why do they keep cutting away from the game?
They are saving us from watching the embarrassment that is the game.
Because its a terrible fourth string television crew, because that's what the ACC Network considers acceptable.
Oh well, that 1 week was fun while it lasted. Can't win em all, especially in the ACC against the refs and teams with size
Damn. It's like we're purposely trying to make Saturday look like a fluke.
Whoa now! You guys seem to forget that Buzz is our coach and that our football team recently came back from being down 24-0 at halftime. I have faith and you should too!
We have a hope in this game if we get hot again from deep. We are uncharacteristically cold today. That said, we also need to shore up our defensive problems... That is easier said than done with the size difference
Unless the whistles loosen up when our guys go up with the ball against their bigs not much is going to change down low. Too much benefit of the doubt on one end. Oh you are 7 feet so you couldn't have fouled that guard going up with a shot. Just seems impossible that the Wolfpack only had five fouls in the first half, especially when they average 23 a game
Imagine these kind of calls against dook. K would have an aneurysm
This is all strategic. The team saw the Belk and didn't want to be outdone. Down 24 at half? Please, we'll take that 24 and up you a point.
Just tuned in...
WellThatEscalatedQuickly.gif
People tuning in at halftime like
Being outscored 32-12 in the paint in the first half... That's pretty much your difference right there
Three straight opportunities wasted
Chris Clarke looks like last season Clarke.
Finally a whistle
Fuck these announcers. Saturday wasn't 'lightning in a bottle.' I'm turning this off
Turn it back on we're showing some fight
Edit: Refs said to disregard what I just said, you can go to bed
So I lied. I actually left it on, but just had to cool it on TKP before I posted something I would regret. I probably could have used a longer timeout. Also probably could have done anything but finish watching that game.
Regerts.gif
Explain to me why falling down after running past LeDay is a foul on LeDay.
Another mystery whistle. Hill with three fouls now.
Hey. We're doing offense things.
please let this be Belk Bowl v2.0
Pfft yeah, like Robinson can put Anya on the floor like that.
I can't second this enough. After all that contact before then too.
Fuck these refs
I've been trying to hold off but fuck off
At least buy us a motherfucking drink if you are going to force it in like that
That was ridicu,out on both ends. Anja was inside the ring so that shouldn't have been a charge but conveniently they aren't showing it on replay
I'm not blaming this on the officials but with as sequence like that it is hard for any team to think that they can claw back into an acc road game. No calls on our end and then they hack hill on the rebound and then charge call.
If ever there were a flop...
Justin Robinson isn't charging over a 320-lb forward, I'm sorry.
Leday mauled, check, Hill mauled, check, Robinson charges a 344 lb man inside the ring, check. Only whistle is on Robinson, check
Not to mention ayna should have been given another technical for taunting after fouling LeDay.
Robinson with the charge on Anya falling out of bounds? Hahaha I loved Buzz's reaction. I wish they t'd him up just laughing at the ridiculouness of that.
And now Hill just got his fourth for chest contact
Those past two possessions are just like the refs sticking their middle fingers right into Buzz's face. Absolute shit officiating and we are gonna need a miracle to beat NC State and the refs. PS I put my lucky Belk Bowl socks, on we got this.
Smith just got his fourth. Have to foul him out.
Again, more complaints about the refs and less about the lack of execution and effort from the team. Why do you expect them to call a fair game?
Because that is their job. At least give shitty calls to both teams.
Well, there's your first mistake.
It's his mistake that it's the refs' job to call a fair game? What?
No it's his and everyone else's mistake to expect the refs to call a fair game when it concerns our teams. Especially when you begin to spot a pattern.
You do realize the ACC, NCAA, and the world are not out to make sure the Hokies never win a sporting event.
Because the refs suck dick tonight. They are preventing any hope of a fucking comeback. It's blatant horseshit ACC fuckery tonight
I don't want to hear your complaints about lack of effort. Clarke, Robinson, and Bibbs are flying all over the place trying to make something happen.
Wasn't complaining, but it takes more than those 3. In regards to Bibbs: see ltrepeter's comment below.
Because it's their job to call a fair game.
Whistles just continue to go one way.
If I were buzz I'd pull the team off the court and forfeit the rest of the game. Send a message to the conference if you're going to call a game like this we won't play it
Uh, nah
Yeah, because that would totally work and the conference suits would completely give a fuck /s. Sure, that'll show them.
These announces are actually trash. Do your research and realize that if we had beaten TAMU, we would've played UCLA. We would not have won that game.
God. Everything about tonight is pissing me off.
"Daddy if you let NC State lose I won't love you anymore"
"Don't worry sweetheart that's why I became a ref"
I am so sick of Jason Capel. It is obvious he is sticking with his NC roots.
Of course, the mental lapses by VT are making his job a lot easier. This game is touch to watch. Then again, when is any VT vs. NCST game not tough to watch?
I am truly baffled. No contact on that layup but it's an and 1, but they can basically tackle us attacking the hoop and it's clean.
That was the slowest fast break ever. LOL
This is just a comedy at this point. Officials got some rectangle shaped sandwich bags tonight.
You would think that at some point they would either want a closer game for better TV ratings or just realize VT is really off tonight and call it a little less one sided.
how about the forearm before the travel?
Are you wearing red? Do what you want
Wearing orange? You better breathe correctly
At this point I'm just glad they called the travel.
Fair point.
No atempt at rebounding and Bibbs doing nothing to help tonight after 18 last game
Yeah there's way too much idly standing around out there on both sides of the floor. Defensively we're way too flat footed out there and we have no collapsing help that we've had all year.
It feels like the team is borderline giving up
I wish it wasn't a Wednesday night because I need several more drinks
Syracuse must have gotten some home cooking tonight too to win by 15 over Miami
That's four on Yurts even, got to get him off the floor
Didn't know you could mean mug an opponent's player directly
I guess that's allowed now
What are they booing lol they've gotten every call and that block couldn't have been more clean
Just left the game, couldn't stand that shit
Robinson or Allen need to go right at Smith
Jason please tell us more about your career statistics /s
The NC state fans around me are complaining the refs are calling the game unfairly in our favor............
I pray we draw NC State in the ACC tournament with a healthy Sy.
It's hard to compete when your gameplan gets torched by your only 7 footer getting hurt in shootaround.
Watching this I now know why the NCSU alumni I work with have no idea what a real foul looks like. And lord I'm going to have a come apart when I here about how unc gets all the calls.
Just embarrassing
They're rubbing our noses in it
As they should. They've played like the way better team tonight.
Get off the floor Seth Allen.
52 (now 54) points in the paint for NC State. Sheesh.
That some at least our sixth time making a stop and then giving it right back to them in the second day half. Just really poor execution
Most embarrassing outing since...??
WVU last season. Hopefully that's a good sign.
That list is pretty long
Been a long time since we have been spanked like this. Last time I remebr was against WVU and we turned that one into a learning opportunity so I can only hope for the best.
Only Pittsburgh can salvage this night for me...
And still no Donlon
Gonna try to take this game with a grain of salt. But damn, we can't be following big wins over Duke with losses to NC State by 30. Still not quite there. Hopefully we're unranked again next week so the players feel like they have something to prove.
I don't think we have to worry about being ranked next week haha
If we beat FSU we will probably stay in.
I think we'd have to beat them convincingly to stay ranked after a blowout loss like this, but it doesn't really matter. A conference win is a conference win.
if we beat FSU on Saturday, we'll be ranked. If we lose, we won't.
So what's the actual call here announcers? Oh you were so busy spouting crap you forgot to find out what was going on? Shocking
They seriously won't talk about the plays going on. They definitely are not watching g this game.
Well they don't want any chance of some focus on officials by showing replays. It's why they go to the last easiest basket in the game and talk about how great it was
I like the fight we're showing. If we can fight back and lose by 10-12 we can take a little bit of momentum away from this one
No one will ever beat the fight out of this team.
Chris Clarke is well on his way to becoming one of my five favorite Hokie ballers ever.
Robinson must have coughed on him.
Robinson just fouled out. Bibbs needs to wake up. Tired of his on again off again BS
I really need to start watching these with the tv muted. One day.
Wow Smith just palmed Bibbs chest and it's on Bibbs. At least they are hosing us to the end
Consistency!
But really though it's sad.
Just left the game, and the one big take away besides our not playing defense, not being able to shoot, State not being able to miss, the refs, etc. I only counted two buckets in transition in the first half (could be off), one of which was a fast break dunk by Clarke. Yet when we got down 20+ it seemed like Robinson and Allen were trying to slow it down even more. For a team that makes its money playing in transition this was very out of character
How are we letting smith play this long with four fouls? Every damned drive should be through his chest til they call one. He should have been out long before he completed that triple double
I can't wait to go back to my 90% Wolfpack office tomorrow :)
How was Clarke not fouled there?
Another sign the broadcast crew has no idea what they are doing, when they highlighted the top performers for each team they selected Abu when Smith was about to post a triple double
Chris Clarke has so much goddamn heart.
I hurt for him those couple possessions. You could see it was breaking him hard.
Why does Galloway get in here and not Donlon? Grrrrr
If Sy is out for an extended period, I'm terrified for the rest of this season
Smith, Jr. is a damn talented guy but you'd think he was MJ reincarnated the way Cape isl tickling his balls.
Abu just shoved Leday with both hands and yet nothing. Consistent to the end.
I wonder what dynamic Devin Wilson would have played in this game. Obviously he would have played a lot considering Robinson's foul trouble, but we've seen Buzz match him up with the best player on opposing teams before, and he has done a solid job. I'd like to think Smith Jr wouldn't have gone for nearly 30 had Wilson played.
I really don't like NC State...
Welp we earned that Statement Dunk
Really? Up 20+ and that's a necessary foul call?
Five on Eight but we never played enough consistent the defense to have come close in this one without the officials
Clearly NC State deserved it. I'd like to see them again in the ACC tournament, but it's easy to say that after every loss to a lesser or equal opponent. We'll do this again at some point this season against a different team and I'll say the same thing.
I NEED ALL THE SY UPDATES
rolled his ankle in shoot around. should be fine for FSU
Good news is good. Let's put this one behind us
Couldn't even win the 2nd half. Pathetic effort overall. Complete trash refs.
Dumbest stat I've seen in a while:
3pt FG - 43.3%
FG -43.1%
Another shit showing at the FT line. 15/24 for 62%
Out rebounded by 15. 20 turnovers.
Silver lining: LOLUVA is about to lose to Pitt, so we got that going for us
UVA is barely going to lose. We just got waxed by 26 within conference, we have nothing to celebrate here.
Nothing to celebrate but it's a little consolation
I said "silver lining," not "everything is awesome because LOLUVa got edged by Pitt."
I do agree the effort could've been better, but I thought they showed some heart. Every time they made a run, the refs put an end to it. I felt pretty damn deflated on my couch, so I can't imagine how much effort I might show if I were on the court.
Hopefully this can be a teaching moment and we'll be better for it by the end of the year. It was certainly ugly but I still think we have a pretty damn good team (especially if we get Sy back soon. Like, Saturday).
Absolutely in regards to the refs. But the effort wasn't good enough from the tip - it's not just about hustling (because we saw a lot of that at times especially from Clarke; although Seth was the complete opposite.) When our defense plays that bad, our offense is screwed.
ACC is going to be a lot of fun of this year. Only FSU and ND are undefeated. Louisville/UVA at the bottom with 2 losses already. Looks like somebody might win the conference with a 13-5 or 12-6 record. Maybe even have ties at the top.
Well glad that one is over, onto the next...hope Sy is not out long
Any reason why Seth Allen wasn't on the bench at the end of the game?
I didn't see him after he allowed that fastbreak dunk to go uncontested. Wonder if Buzz was sending a message as he clearly gave up on the play
Teel knows.
And Shai hasn't been healthy
So where did Seth Allen go? Wasn't on the bench for much of the second half.
FWIW he got absolutely mugged in the face (with no foul call) late in the 1st half. He went in the tunnel early for halftime.
Every ACC home team won tonight. Most were by the lower ranked team. This is how the ACC is going to be all year-- any road win is going to be big. If we somehow manage to win at FSU on Saturday, we actually could still be ranked next week, despite how poorly we played tonight.
Can't help but wonder how much Sy's absence from the starting line up threw off the chemistry of the team since this was the first change to it and it happened on short notice for the first acc road game. After all the line ups last year, I am sure they were very comfortable with the consistency this year.
Probably not too much
Team was flat from the start. Defensively that was a terrible effort tonight and I'm not sure Sy would have helped that much. Our biggest downfall tonight was the terribad defense and ice cold shooting from 3.
At least it's only one night. It's a road game on the ACC which, at the end of the year, nobody is going to fault you for, especially against quality opponents like State. We still have everything in front of us and if we can move on from this, will be more than fine.
I am kind of glad we got shelled like this, it helps Buzz drive the point home more than anything that we have to be prepared for any and every game. Hope they have all of the lowlights on repeat in the locker room for the rest of the week. Have the team ready to come out angry and determined against FSU.
We gave up 104 points, everyone please stop bitching about the refs.
They weren't the biggest problem, but they were a problem. Some would argue our inability to play effective defense was a result of the inconsistencies from the zebras making it near impossible for our players to know what was and was not acceptable defending during the game.
And those people would be wrong.
I'm sure that the refs missed some stuff today, but some of y'all seem to be blaming it completely on the refs. It was not 5v8 tonight. It was 5v5 and their 5 were a lot better than our 5.
It sucks, but this is what the ACC is going to be like this year. Buckle up, it's going to be a hell of a ride.
edit: what Joey said ^
If the rest of the season is going to be like tonight, probably best to just unbuckle and save a step in the process
Well that sucked.
So I am gonna go ahead and take the blame on this one.
I got a Tyrod jersey for a graduation gift this fall. I wore it for the Arkansas game for obvious reasons, and for the duke game because I was still out of town and figured I might as well.
Tonight I decided to just chill and watch the game in pjs. Mistakes. Good news is that jersey is 2-0 in historic ways.
It won't happen again. In Tyrod I trust going forward, until I have proper hoops gear back in Blacksburg.
I have to think the way the game was called was one big factor and another was Sy being out. With the way fouls were being called against our defense, Leday could not be very active for fear of fouling out and leaving us with no big man. With the way fouls were being called against their defense, we could not get to the foul line and could not get our offense going. Not sure we would have had a chance with different officials, but the game would have been closer.