Sizing up this year's Hoos with the Hokies

In what will hopefully be one of the more exciting games to watch this season, Virginia Tech will travel to Charlottesville to take on the LOLUVA Cavaliers. Much has been made on the advanced statistics. CarrolltonHokie went into great detail in his debut post. Taking a look at some of the more matchup specific stats, this is what I've been able to find out.

Hokies are willing to go deeper into their bench

Eight Hokies players (NAW, 5, Hill, KBJ, Outlaw, Bede, Horne, and Wilkins) are averaging ~15 or more minutes per game, with the first six of those getting ~20 or more. The Cavaliers have seven players getting ~18 or more. After that, only two more have seen double digit appearances, but still haven't racked up major minutes in those appearances. All in all, I would expect the Hokies to have fresher legs late in the game.

Carnage on the Post

Looking at the top 3 players from each team, the average Rebounds per game is a wash (KBJ, Outlaw, NAW = 15.4, Key, Hunter, Salt = 15.3) Overall the difference between the two teams is 1 board, favoring the Cavaliers.

Perimeter D

We've heard how much improved the Hokies are defensively than last year's squad. UVA is known for their defensive tenacity. Surprisingly, at this point, it is the Hokies squad that has the advantage in steals per game (7-6). This is going to be interesting with the advantage UVA has in turnover rate (11-9 tpg). My best guess at the Hokie's likely starting 5 also averages 14 assists, while UVA's only get about 12.3. All this considering NAW missed one game.

Roster Measurables

Stop me if you've heard this one before, the Hokies are undersized and short of depth in the post. 6-10 Kerry Blackshear, 6-6 Ty Outlaw, and 6-5 PJ Horne represent the post for the Hokies, while they'll be up against 6-10 Jack Salt, 6-9 Mamadi Diakite, and occasionally 7-1 Jay Huff.

Perimeter-wise, the Hokies rotate 6-5 Hill, 6-5 NAW, 6-3 Wilkins, 6-2 Robinson, and 6-1 Bede against the Hoo's 6-8 Key, 6-7 Hunter, 6-5 Jerome, 6-2 Manbun, and 5-9 Clark.

Scoring Threats

Five Hokies have had 20 point games this season: 7 by NAW, 3 by Hill, 2 by KBJ, 1 by JRob and Wilkins.
All 8 have scored in double figures, totalling 59 double figure games.

Kyle Guy did have a 30 point game.
Four Wahoos combined for 10 20 point games with 3 by Jerome, Guy, and Hunter, and 1 by Key.
Only 7 Cavaliers have had double figure games, for a combined 44 games.

Based on that, the Hokies have more players who be a significant scoring threat.

Go Hokies

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I don't know what a Hokie is, but God is one of them!

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Doesn't matter if it's cake or pie as long as it's chocolate.

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This is my school
This is home

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A decade on TKP and it's been time well spent.

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This is my school
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Marshall University graduate.
Virginia Tech fanatic.
Formerly known as JWillHokieAlum.

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'Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in, and you've got the stock market beat,
but the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile, when his shorts are too tight in the seat'

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This is my school
This is home

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'Its easy to grin, when your ship comes in, and you've got the stock market beat,
but the man worthwhile, is the man who can smile, when his shorts are too tight in the seat'

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Born in Charlottesville, Reborn in Blacksburg

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"Nope, launch him into the sun and fart on him on the way up"
-gobble gobble chumps

"11-0, bro"
-Hunter Carpenter (probably)