Hokies Rally Late In Ann Arbor, Shock Michigan With 73-70 Victory

The Hokies couldn't have looked worse. Nearing the end of a ten-day road trip, Michigan blitzed a presumably fatigued Tech team early, jumping out to a 15-point lead before maize and blue-clad fans could even find their seats.

It would have been easy to pack up the plane and head back to Blacksburg, chalking yet another ACC/Big Ten Challenge loss to a less than favorable travel schedule. But on the shoulders of a vintage performance from Zach LeDay, the Hokies hung around, two words that seemed to define the breakout season Tech enjoyed just a year ago.

And yet, it still wasn't going to be enough. Much to the chagrin of third-year head coach Buzz Williams, nearly every bounce broke Michigan's way down the stretch, a desperation heave turned banked-in three with just eight minutes to play presumably the lasting image of a hard-fought Tech loss. But the Hokies hung around, fought through a litany of offensive fouls charged to star sophomore guard Ahmed Hill, and ultimately surged back with a 10-2 run down the stretch to take a 68-67 lead with 1:46 to play.

And then, astoundingly no longer trailing in a game likely already counted for the Big Ten tally, Tech hung on, stunning Michigan with a 73-70 victory in Ann Arbor that could serve as a key piece to a potential NCAA tournament resume come March.

None of it would have been possible without LeDay, the gritty leader of this Tech team inside who finished the night with 18 points and six rebounds. But looking beyond the box score, the Hokies' senior forward was quite literally the offense in the second half, nearly every successful possession involving some type of LeDay touch. The South Florida transfer was active as ever, cleaning up the Hokies' mess in transition while also banging inside as the lone Tech big man for much of the second half.

Khadim Sy showed promise yet again, fighting off an early dropped pass to turn in another productive performance in his first month as a Hokie. There's still room for growth — Sy was beat badly multiple times on defense — but the freshman post continues to show surprising polish for such a young player.

Zak Irvin led the way for Michigan, the senior guard exploiting Tech's constant switching on defense en route to a game-high 23 points. The savvy veteran blew by both LeDay and Sy with ease off early switches, but also showed the ability to score over smaller guards and paced the Wolverines with a trio of threes.

Surprisingly, the Hokies started the evening in a matchup zone, a unique defense that places a premium on solid communication and hard close-outs on the perimeter. But Tech looked a step slow for much of the first half, struggling to pass off cutters properly as Michigan knocked down 5 of their first 9 from behind the arc. Williams ultimately abandoned the zone after the under eight media timeout, switching back to a man-to-man defense that simplified matters for the Hokies and allowed them to dial up the aggressiveness on the defensive end.

And as so often happens in college basketball — especially for teams designed to run like the Hokies — high-energy defense turned into free-flowing offense as Tech used the newfound momentum to crawl back within nine heading into the break.

Michigan controlled much of the second half, seemingly fighting off every Tech run with a back-breaker of their own to maintain a comfortable lead. But the Hokies moved with far more purpose offensively in the second half, constantly switching sides of the floor to force the Wolverines into guarding Tech's numerous weapons for a full 30 seconds. It was a balanced attack behind LeDay — Justin Bibbs, Justin Robinson and Seth Allen all scored in double-digits, while Chris Clarke and Sy turned in 9 and 8, respectively.

It was a late surge from Allen that finally pushed the Hokies over the top, a left-handed layup followed by an open three giving the Hokies a four-point lead with 1:02 to play. Michigan answered with a three-pointer of their own from Duncan Robinson, but two free throws from Bibbs with three seconds remaining sealed the deal for Tech.

And while November victories should always be taken with a grain of salt, the importance of Wednesday evening can't be overstated for the Hokies. Just three weeks into the 2016-2017 season, Williams' team now holds road or neutral site victories over New Mexico, Nebraska and Michigan, three programs who have all danced in recent years and could conceivably be in the tournament picture once again come March. For a program that has consistently struggled to notch even a single noteworthy out-of-conference win over the past several years, Wednesday night in Ann Arbor represented significant progress.

A Few Other Thoughts

Why The Matchup Zone? The defense was miserable for the Hokies tonight, but that doesn't mean it's a look Williams won't go back to. In theory, it's a solid option for a versatile team like Tech, one that consistently has three of four players on the floor capable of guarding every position. Matchup zones are tough to run offense on, as they're designed to pass off cutters and switch ball-screens, eliminating the need for defenses to chase opposing scorers around the floor while still applying some amount of ball pressure. The problem, as was exposed against Michigan, is that the defense must communicate at a high level and close out with urgency. Failing to communicate and losing track of cutters will almost always result in open shots, and an inability to close out on shooters from the helpside "zone" position allows open three after open three.

Where Does Devin Wilson Fit In? This one comes out of left field, but it hit me the other day: what happens when Wilson returns? With the continued emergence of Justin Robinson and the leadership of Seth Allen, not to mention the bevy of athletic wings on the perimeter, minutes will be hard to come by in January when Wilson reappears in Cassell. The senior guard does offer Buzz a solid option as an on-ball defender and can help steady Robinson and Allen at times, but don't be shocked if Wilson's minutes dip once again with the Hokies' added depth.

Wait, This Team is 6-1? I expected Tech to struggle early without Kerry Blackshear Jr., and admittedly Texas A&M handled the Hokies inside for much of the second half out in Anaheim. But many of the question marks headed into the season — most notably Ahmed Hill's health and Khadim Sy's ability to contribute — have already been answered through the season's first month. Despite a rocky night in Ann Arbor, Hill has been outstanding through seven games, showing impressive touch from behind the arc while flashing an improved all-around game and a beefed-up frame. Meanwhile, Sy doesn't look like a freshman, and that's huge. Throw in Justin Robinson continuing to build on his play from last February and March, and this team has the look of a true contender in the ACC. And perhaps beyond.