2021-22 Hokie Hoops Statistical Notes: Volume 4

The Men's Team
This team is starting to damage my calm. Yes, I predicted a record anywhere from 2-2 to 4-0 over this four game set, but I was wrong in from where those losses would come.

Scoring
The scoring free-fall from volumes 2 to 3 have levelled off at 70.75 ppg for the team. I don't know how, but Aluma still leads the way in scoring with 16.25 - gotta be the quietest 15+ ppg in the country, and he's getting better. Also averaging double figures was Cattoor at 10.5 and Murphy at 10ppg. Major scoring contributors include Mutts (8.25), Alleyne (7.75), Maddox (6.75). Pedulla (4.5) and N'Guessan (4.25) also factored in at a bucket a half over the window.

Rebounding
Mutts has led in every volume of this season's edition, this time, averaging 7 boards per game. Aluma follows with 5.75, followed by Cattoor (4.25), N'Guessan (3.75), and Allenye/Ojiako (2.25). No other Hokie is getting a rebound per half.

Assists
Just when I started to doubt Murphy's ability to run the point, he goes out and puts up a 14:5 ATO margin over 4 games. I am very happy that he is hopefully getting better for the stretch run. I hope so, because only Aluma (12:7) had a positive ATO margin with more than 1 assist per game. This is a very sloppy team.

Experience/Depth
This may be the last you see of the walk-ons, although it's usually always good to see them late in the game. Alleyne is still averaging a ridiculous 34.25 minutes per game, followed by Aluma at 31.25. I really wish we had had a chance to get more minutes from the bench before conference play heated up. Cattoor (28.5), Murphy (25.5), and Mutts (24) all got more than a half a game of burn. Maddox (16) and N'Guessan (15.5), and Pedulla (13) have definitely seem to have grown as quality depth, while Big John Ojiako (6.75) is the only other Hokie getting more than garbage time. That puts us at 8 players as solid depth, 3 bigs and 5 guards, with 1 more big capable of playing a few minutes as the game goes on. I'll have to do a deeper look, but that seems pretty good.

Next Four
It's time for big boy basketball. This may just be the toughest four game stretch in VT Men's BBall history.

First, a road trip to Durham in Coach K's swan song. Get ready for somehow even more calls to go Duke's way. They're tall. They score well. The only advantage the Hokies have is that the Blue Devils don't have a ton of guard depth, as they have only two who average more than 6 minutes per team game.

Next, the Hokies will stay in tobacco row, heading up to Chapel Hill for the first ever matchup the Hokies have had with UNC since joining the ACC where Roy Williams isn't on the bench. This iteration of the Tar Heels is 2-3 against high-major opponents, has some but not a ton of height, and does not have a scoring threat off the bench, as their top bench scorer isn't getting 5 ppg.

The Hokies then come home to say "Eat Shit Pitt". The Panthers are 5-7 on the season, but don't get comfortable as they did UVA and Minnesota down to the final shot. We should have a slight height advantage overall. As a team, the Panthers are not known for scoring. Their 9 man depth lacks talented guard play, as they only have 1 guard coming off the bench, who only has 30 points on the season.

Rounding out the tetralogy will be North Carolina State. A week ago, I had this as a very challenging game. Coming off an OT loss to #1 Purdue, I thought this was a top caliber ACC team. Back to back losses to Richmond and Wright State have appeared to take the bite out of the Wolfpack. They do have a height advantage against the Hokies, but that doesn't really help when you play a four guard set, and only one of their bench players is scoring at a rate of a basket per half. In fact, none of their other bench players are scoring a basket per game.

Prediction
Let's get the job done. We're not good if we can't kick in the teeth of teams that are either down on their luck or just plain bad. I think Pitt and State qualify. We should get two wins. On the road in the Raleigh-Durham area is never easy. Carolina looks beatable, while Duke looks like a world beater. Therefore, I will say the Hokies go 3-1 with wins over Duke, UNC, and one of the other two while bafflingly lose to the other.

The Women's Team
I thought we'd go 3-1 with only the loss to Tennessee. That was inaccurate. Like the men, the women went 2-2, including a WTF loss in Lynchburg, following a surprisingly close game against Tennessee. The ladies recovered to kick the teeth in of their next two opponents by an average MOV of 33 points.

Scoring
Like the men's team, scoring levelled off at just under 70 ppg. For the first time this season, Sheppard led the way in scoring for the quartet of games, averaging 18.25 ppg, jumping over Kitley's 16.75. Joining them in double figures was Amoore with 10.75ppg. No other Hokie averaged a basket a quarter, but Traylor (7.75), C. King (6), and Baines (4.5) each averaged at least one basket a half. Lytle was close, with 3.5 ppg.

Rebounding
Rebounding dipped slightly to 30 boards per game as a team, paced by Kitley's 9.75. Through 12 games, she's 3 rebounds short of averaging a double double on the season. Baines is the only other player getting more than one rebound per quarter (5.5rpg). Sheppard (3.5), C.King (2.75), Traylor (2.25), Amoore/Gregg/Lytle (2), are the remaining players getting one rebound per half.

Assists
While not as impressive as the 7 from the first frame, 5 Hokies finished this frame with better than a 1:1 ATO margin. Amoore led the team with 18 assists, but turned the ball over ten times. Geiman managed 3 assists without a turnover. C. King was the only Hokie with a better than 2:1 margin, clocking in with a 7:3 margin. Unfortunately for Sheppard, her +7 advantage during the first two frames was completely wiped out by a 5:12 ATO over this frame.

Experience/Depth
The 7 player rotation is still in effect, paced by Kitely's growing 35.5 minutes per game. I am worried that with all this non-conference play run, she's gonna run out of gas late in the season. Amoore (33) also is playing longer minutes than I am comfortable with, at this juncture. Sheppard flirted with 30 mpg, ultimately going under by 1 minute. Also in the 20s were C King (27.5), Traylor (26.5), and Baines (22.5). Lytle (15) and Gregg (8.5) also have averaged more than 2 minutes per quarter.

Next Four
Like the men, the women's next game will be against Duke, although this time in Cassell. The Blue Devils only loss has come against #1 SoCar.

Next the Hokies will travel down to Winston-Salem for a Sunday evening clash with Wake Forest. Wake has two losses on the season, both to high-major teams.

Then the Hokies will welcome the Hoos, who if you remember, cancelled their season last year. They're not much better this year because of it, with their only wins coming against Cal State Fullerton, William and Mary, and GW.

Then the ladies return to the state of North Carolina to take on the flagship school in Chapel Hill. The Tar Heels are undefeated, but to quote the great Phyllis, "THEY AIN'T PLAYED NOBODY PAWL."

Prediction
Going 4-0 would tell me the women are as good as I thought they were at the beginning of the season. I don't see that. Duke's too good. Wake and UVA should both be wins, one easier than the other. Carolina is a mystery in that I have no idea how good they really are. They don't really play any big that can challenge Kitley, so I'll give this one to the Hokies. 3-1.