AP poll just dropped. With the upsets this week we squeak in to the top 10 at #10. Have we ever been ranked in the top 10 for basketball? Pretty crazy how quickly Buzz turned this program around, hope we can maintain this success once ACC play starts!!
Merry Christmas Hokies
Forums:
DISCLAIMER: Forum topics may not have been written or edited by The Key Play staff.
Comments
Highest ranking since we were 8th in 1995, which was our highest ever ranking.
I was living in Pritchard that year and was lucky to watch a ton of basketball games that year and the year before when we won the NIT. Between that and the rise of the football program it was a good time to be there
I'm assuming you are talking about the sports scene as being a good time, as I never thought living in Pritchard was a good time :)
It was fun as fuck in 2012 tho haha.
Here's the link/tweet for the whole rankings
Honestly, Texas Tech is a top 10 team as well.
You want to see something awful?
Andy Katz Power 36
While I think that rating is way too low...i think it's fine to take a wait an see attitude with this team. While Justin Robinson and Alexander-Walker have been playing great, we're going to need Outlaw and Hill to step when ACC play starts...
We also have an incredibly weak schedule and our marquee wins are over teams who aren't in the top 25 this week. I disagree with his ranking, but I understand it.
I mean KenPom has us at 9 and the advanced numbers make it look like we are a legit Final Four contender. Our tempo rating being so low with such an efficient offense should be scaring a lot of teams. And don't look now, but we're top 30 in defensive efficiency.
The defensive improvement this year has impressed me more than the offense. I knew we could score points under Buzz, but now we play defense as well.
I don't have major issues with that from a "show me" standpoint. We are still incredibly thin up front without Clarke and Nolley. We are basically riding the talent of NAW and/or Robinson to wins against inferior opposition. We need more from Outlaw and Hill if we are to be a legit top 10 team.
28th seems way more accurate to me than 10th.
Actually, my first thought was that Louisville at 29th is one spot low. Never before in my lifetime has VT had a better team than Louisville. We are 8-33 vs Louisville all time. Only UVA and WVU have beat us more, in many more games.
via GIPHY
**VT basketball enters top ten**
7 comments
**smallest imaginable thing happens in football**
369 comments
Very true.
That's just evidence that we're still a football school at heart. Maybe that will change if Buzz becomes the Beamer of the roundball team.
change will come when we routninely are in the top 25 and making NCAA tournament appearances. One year doesn't make us a basketball school all of the sudden even if we do go deep into the tournament.
Sad but true. Don't get me wrong, I'm also a football fan first, but what this bball team is doing for VT should not be overlooked. Keeping the school nationally relevant in men's power 5 athletics in a bad year for football is perfect timing. I love watching the team and am pumped (albeit a bit nervous) to see ACC play begin.
Also the layout of this site is isn't conductive to basketball discussion since the football forum is immediately what you see when you enter forums. Most of the time i just forget to scroll down after going through football stuff.
there are people who don't use the tracker?
I'm willing to bet many people don't use the tracker. Maybe even most people. Regulars I'm sure do though.
Imagine how amazing this team would be if we had Clarke and Nolley.
Agreed. I really wish we had Clarke going into ACC play. We're going to need someone with that experience. Thats why I really hope Outlaw and Hill start to step up. We dont have a Devin Wilson to help out if Hill disappears this year.
I'm also hoping for Blackshear to play smarter as well.
Outlaw "start to step up?" He's been playing way above his skill all year. He's rebounding and even avoiding embarrassing himself on defense.
I'm talking in ACC play. Like I said, everyone plays well in November and December...lets hope the great play continues once ACC play starts.
Yep, that makes sense. I just hope people don't expect more out of Outlaw. I think he's currently running at peak Outlaw.
I think you are correct for the way Buzz is using him. He shooting 50% overall and 53% from 3. But he is only(?) averaging 8.3 points per game, with 5.6 rebounds per game. We have not really needed him to score much so far; but we will need the threat of his scoring when ACC play starts. I think Buzz has been trying to get him more involved closer to the rim, which is where we need help, especially if KJB gets in foul trouble. Last time he played, he seemed to be more of a scorer, especially from 3; but that's not our biggest need this year, unless Hill disappears.
He's better at defense, but it's still very hard to play him against some looks. He's the worst defender Buzz has ever had.
I'd argue he had taken the step to being the player we expected when we brought him in. People forget but he was a very high 4* talent that was the top of his incoming class to Tech, and we've been expecting a lot out of him since. He came in with excellent shooting and just needed to develop the rest, and it looks like that took.
Yep. I believe he was deciding between us and national title contending Kansas. It was a pretty big get at that point in Buzz's program.
#FreeNolley
I'd feel a lot better about this ranking if the NCAA would hurry up and clear him.
These are the good old days of VT MBB. Enjoy the ride.
God this scene broke my heart. I blew threw all 200 episodes in a couple months my freshman year of college. Every time I hear the opening song, I get nostalgic. That scene has really motivated me to live in the moment every moment while I'm in college.
I'm not sure what show this is.
Can you help me a bit here?
The Office. It's a good watch
I specifically remember the beginning of senior year hanging with all of my friends at a tailgate and thinking, "this is going to be the best year of my life." I lived it that way and you couldn't pay me $10 million to do it any other way, even now.
As with all things, "best," comes in many different forms, but from a social aspect/learning to grow up/being around friends all the time, it most certainly was the best, and damn if I don't miss it often.
Learn as much as you can and have as much fun as you can with your friends. It's never the same after college.
Also, go do something crazy besides getting a real job after college. I went out west and was a ski bum for a few seasons. Wish I had done it longer
-The old guy at the party
Man just years ago we bottom feeders in the acc. Even growing up we were not great at basketball beside the women's team. This is super exciting!
I worry about the high rating, as Chokies can apply to basketball too. So I'm scared it will all come crashing down and be a huge disappointment in the end.
On a personal level, it makes it even cooler to think I have met some of these guys and watch their game downtown.
One thing I also keep thinking about, is this continues to put VT in the media and spotlight. Meaning a good things for the national perception and recruiting in multiple sports. As a school, we continue to make strides in academia and sports and it will only help make the school stronger on all fronts. Having that VT logo run on TV longer through the year is only good for everyone connected to VT.
They're not going to choke. Buzz doesn't make the same mistake twice as far as I can see. What happened at the end of last season won't happen again. Some might consider the lack of rebounding as a constant mistake, but if you go out there and recruit big men, our ability to force turnovers and shoot the 3 isn't as prevalent. He has a system, and it works. There will be games in conference play that we will lose in frustrating fashion because that's the game of basketball, but I don't see a full-blown choke on the horizon.
I also don't think we will "choke" but we could get a big reality check in early ACC play if we're not careful
This is what I'm thinking...there's talent all around the acc and we're going to need some of our players to be consistent once ACC play starts...this is where I think losing Chris Clarke will hurt the most because him and J-Rob have been the most consistent. I expect people will step up though.