Virginia Tech's season was in the process of going from slow decline to rapid free-fall for much of Sunday afternoon. The Hokies trailed by 18 points with 13 minutes to play and eight with two minutes left before an improbable (and perhaps referee-assisted) comeback gave them a 91-87 overtime win over NC State.
Tech needed this one. The win stopped a two-game losing streak, a six-game losing streak against State and moved them to 5-3 in conference. With its toughest stretch of conference games quickly approaching, there was a big difference between being 5-3 and 4-4 for the Hokies.
Nothing is going to be easy for this year's team. The Hokies are incapable of blowing anyone out, however they usually play well enough to keep themselves from getting blown out as well. This isn't the last we've seen of the Heartattack Hokies.
Tech is halfway through its ACC slate and has its two toughest remaining tests, Duke and UNC, at home. I think if the Hokies can win one of those two games and go 2-2 in their remaining conference road games, they will be an NCAA team.
Unfortunately for the Hokies, they are still getting minimal production from their supporting cast and are struggling on the boards. However, their free throw shooting has gotten better as Malcolm Delaney and AD Vassallo combined to go 15-for-15 at the line against NC State.
What others are saying...
It was the best of times, it was the worst of times. At Tech Hoops, Niemo has a thorough breakdown of Sunday's win and where the Hokies need to improve.
We're flawed, but so is everyone else. Beer Control Offense thinks the Hokies can finish 10-6 in conference, but they could also collapse. And he asks for suggestions for the ACC All-Douche Bag Team.
Nuts and bolts, nuts and bolts... StateFans Nation has some gripes with the officiating. Just about all of them are substantiated.
...but back to bashing Sidney Lowe. Caulton Tudor says the Pack have no one to blame but themselves. Am I the only one who thinks Jeff Capel will be in Raleigh next season?
Showing posts with label hey look a basketball post. Show all posts
Showing posts with label hey look a basketball post. Show all posts
Monday, February 9, 2009
Monday, December 22, 2008
Playing to the Level of the Competition
Look at the picture that graced the front page of HokieSports.com after Tech won the Aeropostale Holiday Festival Sunday. That doesn't look like a happy group that just won a tournament in the World's Most Famous Arena, does it?
It's probably because the Hokies looked horrible against an already atrocious St. John's team that was missing its two best players. The Hokies committed 15 turnovers (it seemed like 30 watching the game) and uglied their way to an 81-67 win over the Johnnies. It never seemed like the Hokies were going to lose to St. John's, but they certainly never seemed in control, either.
So far, this team has looked far better in its losses than in its wins. The Hokies look good when they face quality teams and horrible when facing lesser opponents. The game against St. John's was Tech's last chance for a non-conference win over a BCS school. They got it, but the lowly Red Storm are hardly a team to put at the top of your Tournament resume.
After being one of the last teams out of last year's Tournament, the Hokies bolstered their non-conference schedule. And while the schedule itself was harder, the Hokies were unable to get a win that they can point to at the end of the season and say, "this is why we deserve to be in." Yes, those losses were close (by a total of eight points) but they needed at least one marquee win to be considered a Tournament team.
Tech learned last year that a fourth-place ACC finish and nine conference wins does not a Tournament team make. It will likely be the same this year. This team won't get a bye in conference tournament and will only hope to be an NIT team at the end of the year.
This is still a young team and it looks like Malcolm Delaney will be a star. But I wonder if this team will experience addition by subtraction when AD Vassallo exhausts his eligibility at the the end of the season.
It's probably because the Hokies looked horrible against an already atrocious St. John's team that was missing its two best players. The Hokies committed 15 turnovers (it seemed like 30 watching the game) and uglied their way to an 81-67 win over the Johnnies. It never seemed like the Hokies were going to lose to St. John's, but they certainly never seemed in control, either.
So far, this team has looked far better in its losses than in its wins. The Hokies look good when they face quality teams and horrible when facing lesser opponents. The game against St. John's was Tech's last chance for a non-conference win over a BCS school. They got it, but the lowly Red Storm are hardly a team to put at the top of your Tournament resume.
After being one of the last teams out of last year's Tournament, the Hokies bolstered their non-conference schedule. And while the schedule itself was harder, the Hokies were unable to get a win that they can point to at the end of the season and say, "this is why we deserve to be in." Yes, those losses were close (by a total of eight points) but they needed at least one marquee win to be considered a Tournament team.
Tech learned last year that a fourth-place ACC finish and nine conference wins does not a Tournament team make. It will likely be the same this year. This team won't get a bye in conference tournament and will only hope to be an NIT team at the end of the year.
This is still a young team and it looks like Malcolm Delaney will be a star. But I wonder if this team will experience addition by subtraction when AD Vassallo exhausts his eligibility at the the end of the season.
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