Good morning Hokies. I hope you've recovered from the scare on the field against Pittsburgh and any associated heart attack because right now, you get to read about basketball! And what else could you ask for?
Last week was up and down, as Virginia Tech went 1-1. Tech lost to Saint Louis but beat Washington. Let's dive into recapping last week while looking ahead to the upcoming games.
Virginia Tech 71–Saint Louis 77
It was ugly, it was gross, and I don't want to write any more about it. Read my recap to avoid further torture.
Virginia Tech 103–79
Friday Virginia Tech was a completely different team than Thursday Virginia Tech. I don't know what happened against Saint Louis, but I do know that it's not what you should expect this season. The turnovers, the missed shots, the non-cohesiveness on offense, the terrible defense, were all out of character. Everybody knew it, it was just unsettling to actually watch it manifest on the court.
Luckily, as Buzz Williams said after the loss, the next game was in less than 24 hours away, so it was easy to move on. And move on they did.
Virginia Tech Ahmed Hill came out red-hot shooting the ball. Buzzketball started the contest with two layups, but their next eight made baskets were from behind the arc. EIGHT. And all of those came from either Justin Bibbs (welcome back, by the way), or Hill. Hill drained 4 triples after 5:42. Moreover, it seemed each subsequent trey was from farther and farther back. It was a throwback to the Louisville game from last season, but without a good team playing defense.
Before the tip, I didn't know what to expect. I knew that Virginia Tech had the capability to beat Washington. I knew that Washington was going to run a lot of zone, and the Hokie shooters could decimate it. I knew that Washington had one of the worst defenses in the entire country last year (332nd in the country). I also knew, however, Virginia Tech played well below its potential the previous night. And that was enough to give me pause. Ultimately, the Hokies came out and eradicated my worries. They locked down on defense, and did what I thought they were capable of doing on offense — score some serious points. Their ability to spread the floor, attack the rim, and kick out to open shooters is top notch.
A couple big performances stood out to me. Bibbs made his first start of the season and led the team with 30 points. He shot 10 for 15 from the field, including 4 for 6 from three. I don't know if he can keep up that type of pace in ACC play, but honestly I wouldn't be shocked if he put up those numbers during the rest of non-conference.
Hill, as previously mentioned, started the game blazing fire from his hands. He hit four-straight from deep to begin, and he didn't slow down from there. He finished the night with 23 points, 7 for 8 from the field and an absurd 6 for 6 from three. His only miss of the night was a layup, because that's what shooters do. They miss easy layups. I can confirm said stereotype. Source: My high school days.
Surprisingly absent from the score sheet was Kerry Blackshear Jr. He finished the game with zero points, two fouls, and one rebound. To be fair, he only played 10 minutes. I think that was a combination of a couple things. Chris Clarke played 17 of his 15-20 minute allocation, and Blackshear Jr. just didn't matchup well against the Huskies' defense. Combine those two factors and it spells a recipe for a quiet night from the big man. I'm not worried about his poor performance. Yet.
And as one final note, let's check in with super-freshman Nickeil Alexander-Walker. He ended the night with 20 points, seven rebounds, and four assists. It was a much better game than against Saint Louis. He still struggled with some layups and easy jumpers, but he seemed much more comfortable. I'm not sure if I'm going to weigh stat lines from the Saint Louis game very heavily. It was bad enough to be an outlier.
All-in-all it was exactly the type of bounce back performance I needed to see. The Hokies didn't play for a championship, but they responded to the let down against Saint Louis exactly as I wanted them to.
#SCTop10 Play of the Week
Just... watch this. Hill was on fire against Washington. It's fun to watch this guy shoot when he's feeling it.
Quote of the Week
When asked about their performance against Saint Louis, Buzz had this to say:
"I didn't think that we were ever in the fight. I don't think that we were ever in the mix. I thought they overwhelmed us not only with their energy but with their physicality."
It's true. Saint Louis did everything right and the Hokies did everything wrong. It was such a weird game to watch, and Buzz summed it up well.
November 21: Virginia Tech vs. Houston Baptist
Virginia Tech plays Iowa next Tuesday in the ACC-B1G Challenge. Between now and then, the Hokies play this Houston Baptist team and Morehead State. Both of those games are major opportunities to get everything right. I compare this week to a car inspection. You know it's necessary to ensure everything's running smoothly, but it's a pain in the ass to actually get done.
That's exactly what this game is. It's more time for Buzz to get everything running correctly. He can adjust the rotation, try out different defensive schemes, and maybe install some more offensive sets. He mentioned after the first game of the season against Detroit Mercy that Virginia Tech "has probably the least amount of offensive sets installed in the whole country."
This is technically another game of the 2K Classic. The more you know!
The common opponent for the Hokies and the Huskies (the Houston Baptist, not Washington variety) is Detroit Mercy. Houston Baptist dropped that contest to the Titans, 116–109.
The Huskies replaced five main contributors from last year's squad, and will have to lean heavily on only two returning players: Post player Josh Ibarra and point guard Braxton Bonds (nephew of Barry Bonds). Bonds is a great defensive guard, and will probably be the peskiest player on the team Buzz will have to scheme against. The Huskies brought in a great freshman guard, David Caraher, who can shoot the lights out. Keep an eye out for him and perhaps the Hokies will improve on defense. One can hope, at least.
I'm going to mainly focus on two Hokies and their performance on Tuesday night.
Bibbs will make his first start in Cassell this season. I'm excited to see what type of numbers he will continue to put up. Over two games he's averaging 22.5 points per game. He's the best shooter on this team, and his presence on the court opens up the rest of the floor. Being able to see that in person instead of on my TV is something I'm looking forward to.
I want to see how Blackshear Jr. bounces back. His bad game against Washington was uncharacteristic. Seeing how he can respond, and how Buzz helps him via rotations and matchups, will be another thing I'm paying attention to. Blackshear Jr. is such a key player for this team. He needs to get as comfortable on the court as he can before ACC play starts. I would argue that he's the second most important player behind Justin Robinson. Robinson is the calm presence on the floor that can calm down a hyperactive team, and a fantastic ball handler. That's why I have him as the most important player.
November 25: Virginia Tech vs. Morehead State
Another tuneup game. The Hokies shouldn't drop this one either.
I only really know the Eagles from their 2011 buzzer-beater in the NCAA tournament. I personally am a huge fan of Morehead State because I picked this upset. So there's that at least.
It's yet another opportunity for the Hokies to get experience against a lesser team. I don't have much to say about this game. It'll be a sleepy environment in Cassell over Thanksgiving break, so I'm hoping that the coaching staff keeps the team focused.
The Eagles are breaking in a new head coach this season, although Preston Spradlin was the interim head coach for most of last season.
Morehead State averages just 66 points per game, with only one player averaging double figures. They rank No. 263 in KenPom at the moment.
Looking at stats for the Eagles so far this season, it's clear that Jordan Walker is the main threat. He averages 35 minuter per game, and is the team's leading scorer with 16 points per game. He'll be the one for the Hokies' defense to focus on.
For this game, I'm going to keep an eye on Robinson and Wabissa Bede. Robinson is the driving force for the Hokies' offense, and he has looked a little out of sorts at the start of the season. I'll be paying attention to see how he starts to settle in as the season starts to progress. Bede hasn't gotten a bunch of playing time, but he's such an aggressive defensive guard. It's a refreshing sight to see when watching Virginia Tech basketball.
Expect the Hokies to cruise to a victory in this one, as they turn their attention to Iowa.
November 28: Virginia Tech vs. Iowa
This is the big one. It's the first test of the season for Virginia Tech. Many expected Providence to play that role, but the Hokies squandered that chance. Iowa will come into Cassell with the Hokies looking to make a statement in front of a national audience. Iowa is averaging 91 points per game, although as I'm writing this, they're down by 20 at halftime to Louisiana (eventually lost 71-80). So there's that.
I'll have a longer preview next Tuesday morning to make sure you're completely up to speed for the ACC-B1G challenge. Until then, enjoy some Thanksgiving basketball!
Comments
Was hoping you meant "Louisiana" as in LSU, but you meant Louisiana-Lafayette... ooooof. That's a bad loss for Iowa.
I was very encouraged by the bounce-back game against Washington. They gave Providence all they could handle and should be a middling team in the Pac-12 this year. If that team had showed up against St Louis we would be looking at 4-0 right now, but I get that sometimes teams need an early season loss to kick themselves in the butt.
I am not feeling too optimistic about Buzzketball through week 1.
That loss to Travis Ford and SLU was flat ugly. Everything else has been a cakewalk, as expected. Washington is among the worst p5 programs, I expect to beat them a by a mile. Regardless, it was nice to see the good guys come out and really hammer their opponent for 40min after a disappointing loss.
But what scares me is the lack of a top-dawg on this team. Someone needs to take the reigns and be the man, soon, or we are going to lose a lot of games come ACC play. Looks like it's going to be Hill, Clarke or bust.
Last year we were fortunate to have a whole lot of grit and leadership from the seniors. The kind is takes to scrap out conference wins. Sure, we would live and die by Seth Allen, but that guy needed the ball in his hand in the closing minutes, there was no denying his will to be the man. Leday is among the most ferocious post players I have seen, even at 6'7". He had his share of offensive boards in the most crucial moment by out muscling and hustling the other team. Those two closed out a lot of games for us.
What i've seen this year, is that the team can light it up from distance from a handful of different players, but they really have a limited post presence and zero depth. I have not been impressed by Blackshear, he is beating up on inferior opponents but was rather disappointing in the last two games. He fouled out in 20min against SLU and he rarely saw the floor against Washington despite their frontcourt players being collective garbage. All in all, I like his game, but he has to eat a lot of minutes and do a lot of work down low against ACC bigs to give this team a chance.
http://www.thekeyplay.com/virginia-tech-basketball/2017/10/14969/buzzketball-doesnt-have-big-man-problem
U serious bro? We got 10 players averaging over 10 mpg, and 5 of those are scoring 10+ ppg.
I suppose i could have been more clear that 'zero depth' was position specific. But, r u serious bro? Who fills in when Blackshear fouls out or rides the pine with 4 fouls? How are you not concerned by this?
We have one player over 6'6" that earned an athletic scholarship out of high school.. Atop that, he is not a powerhouse of a low post player, he is a much better shooter than any big-man for the Hokies that I can remember, but he isn't going to out muscle ACC talent.
I read that article, didn't agree with it. I can appreciate the optimism, but the suggestion that we can fill the void created by Allen/Leday's departure with a combination of freshmen, is just entirely unrealistic. Those kids need time to mature and fill out to pick up that kind of slack.
So in my opinion at least, we do have a big man problem. One that will be extremely apparent if KB doesn't come to play night in and night out, or gets injured.
I think this take is correct. The Hokies' season is far from doomed, but there's a lot riding on one player. I think the Hokies can get by for short stretches of Blackshear foul trouble with a combination of Chris Clarke, PJ Horne, and possibly even Nick Fullard. If Blackshear goes down for an extended period of time with injury, it would really put our NCAA tournament hopes in jeopardy. As currently constructed, I think the team will be fine. The combination of Blackshear, Clarke, Bibbs, Hill, Horne, and Jackson provide decent rebounding. The boon to the offense of being able to have 4-5 guys on the floor at all times who can hit a three (and the great spacing provided by that) probably more than offsets the offensive rebounds given up on the other end of the floor.
Let's hope so! It could get ugly out there on a cold shooting night. Pushing the pace and getting baskets in transition should also help offset the rebounding differential. Pace and Space will be our motive. Safe to say we have a slim margin for error/injury in the frontcourt.
Seems like another concept trickling down from the NBA. Most NBA teams don't expend many resources towards offensive rebounding. There's still a place for the Tristan Thompson and the Kenneth Faried, but if you commit your players to crashing the boards, you can be quick-countered with fastbreaks. And to his credit, this is what Buzz is doing with the Hokies. When they grab a defensive rebound, they immediately turn around and look for the quick outlet so they can run. Not exactly a new concept, but it's what's in vogue now.
It's not like we're playing great defense as a result of not going for offensive rebounds though.
It's just fastbreak defense... a small part of defense, but a key one since fastbreak buckets are easier points. And you have to adjust our defense to pace, which I know can be a difficult thing to do when you see UVA giving up 50-some points in a game at an extremely slow pace.
Get used to being concerned about big man depth. This is just how Buzz recruits and builds his teams. I am much more concerned about the stretches when J-Rob is on the bench. Without him, our offense has does not have near the same rhythm and turns our shooting cold.
I mean, who subbed in for LeDay last season? Blackshear was hurt, Sy played no more than 10 mpg, so we went with a lineup where our 5 position was no taller than 6'6, which is exactly what will happen this year.
Sy did, you just said it. Realistically though, 'nobody' is the answer your looking for. Sy filled in to eat minutes at times and provide some semblance of height during the middle of the game, when Leday needed a breather. Nobody replaced his production. He was rarely off the floor in the final 5 minutes.
Leday fouled out a whopping two times last year, despite playing ~30m a game. KB is not Leday, their game is not all that similar. My concern is that. Blackshear is not a replacement for Leday, and we don't have any depth behind him.
You are describing a team where if KB is out, your big man is 6'6" Chris Clarke, with his repaired ACL and his minutes restriction. Now, I think this lineup will be a common sight and despite that kid being a particular good rebounder for his size, I do not believe this is sustainable, especially defensively.
Right now, my gut reaction is that the SLU game will be a outlier in this season. I think that Buzz will be able to point to that game and say, "Hey, you guys aren't going to be good enough to beat ACC teams consistently if you're going to let the opposing team out-effort you."
I'm also not that concerned about a lack of backup for Blackshear. I think if it comes down to it and Blackshear is in foul trouble, you'll probably see Clarke as the nominal 5 in the lineup over Horne. Clarke is long enough to bother bigs on defense, and if he grabs the rebound he's going to be the one pushing it. I think in ACC play we'll see a lot of this lineup - J-Rob, NAW, Hill, Bibbs, and Clarke. They're certainly going to give up some points in the paint, but they're going to be able to blitz teams in transition and you have four very capable 3-point shooters on the floor.
As much as I love watching 'Med shoot the ball right now, I think it's worth keeping an eye on his production as we get into the meat of the schedule. His 3-point percentage dipped after OOC play last year, and I wonder if his long & relatively slow shooting motion might contribute to that. When you've got better athletes defending you in ACC play, that 3-point shot might be harder to get off.
Yup.
I think NAW will calm a lot of these concerns as the season progresses. He is the only player in recent memory with the ability to be a lottery/late first round draft pick after this year. Those kinds of guys are so skilled you can literally see the transformation during the year from young talent to all star. Just look at guys like Jonathan Isaac, Brandon Ingram, almost any of the one and dones that weren't in the top five in their recruiting class, and you will see how much their play improves over the year. I remember watching Isaac look lost on the court early in the season and make plenty of mistakes. Ten games later I watched him start a game with 8 straight points including one three pointer and a block to a transition and-one.
Those types of talents will grow so much faster than anybody else on the floor which is why they are projected to make millions of dollars a year from now. NAW will have games like he did against SLU where his youth shows, but if you watch him you see a smart, smooth, and extremely skilled athlete with tremendous measurables that, given some time, will be putting up insane numbers even once we hit ACC play.