Box Score

Going into today’s game against georgia tech, I had the feeling that it wasn’t going to be the Hokies’ day. The jackets were 0-3 in ACC play, so they were due for a win. The Hokies have owned the wreck since entering the ACC (3-1), so, again, georgia tech was due for a win. And finally, the other tech is the only team in the ACC with an overall losing record, so I knew the Hokies would struggle.

Niemo covers all of the disturbing stats below, so I will try not to be redundant. I don’t know if georgia tech is just that good of a defensive team, or if the Hokies just lack a true offensive game, but whatever the reason, the offense was pathetic in the first half.

The Bad:

• Once again, Jeff Allen got into foul trouble in the first half and had to sit.
• Compounding the Hokies’ problems was the technical foul Seth got for apparently leaving the coach’s box.
• Once again, the Hokies got torched by the 3-pointer; see Niemo’s notes about the NAIA transfer and senior bench player that scored 30 points, nearly tripling his previous career high (11)
• A.D. Vassallo couldn’t hit the the ocean if he was in a life raft in the middle of the Atlantic, nor could he hold onto the dang ball - he committed seven turnovers.
• Hank Thorns continues to get abused on defense and continues to shoot bricks. The kid has skills, but he is too inexperienced and too short to get this much playing time.
• Jeff Allen fouled out with 4:32 left in the game and as he walked to the Hokies’ bench, he ever-so-slightly, but intentionally bumped a referee. He got T’d up, ejected from the game and will likely serve at least a one-game suspension, which he will probably serve against duke on Jan. 24 at the Cassell - have fun at that game Wick and Jay.
• The Hokies continue to struggle at the free throw line hitting 24-36 foul shots, which is 66.7 percent - their season average is about 69 percent.

Look - we have to live with the hot and cold nature of the team; they are a young team and we have to expect highs and lows like this. However, Allen’s contact with the ref is unacceptable. It was an emotional response to some pretty ticky-tack calls and having fouled out, but you cannot, under any circumstances, bump an official.

After the game, Greenberg said that he had not seen the replay and took Jeff’s word that it was unintentional. But, I saw the replay - which is included in our Game Film - it was obvious that Allen bumped the ref on purpose.

The Good:

• Deron’s dunk … sick, man, just sick.
• The Hokies came out possessed in the second half and ripped off a 13-0 run to cut the 16-point deficit to three. They later tied the game at 55-55, before the wreck finally pulled away.
• Malcolm Delaney and Dorenzo Hudson continued to improve and played very well in this game. Delaney had 13, all in the second half. Nine of those were part of the 13-0 second half run and one of his threes tied the game at 55-55. After the game, Greenberg admitted that they probably should have gotten Hudson some more playing time.
• The Hokies continue to rebound well, out-boarding the bees 38-33.

Virginia Tech looked dead going into the halftime break and I wasn’t sure they’d be able to recover from being down 16. But, as they have shown all season, this team refuses to quit. They jumped out early and just mauled the jackets to the tune of a 13-0 run, led by Delaney.

What killed the Hokies’ comeback was Jeff Allen fouling out; Thorns unable to inbound the ball or guard the pip squeak causey (the guy with 30 points); and A.D. Vassallo having his worst game of the season.

It was a gut wrenching loss, but I think the rest of the ACC is beginning to realize that even though the Hokies are a young team, they will not quit … ever.

Niemo’s Notes:

• VT was pitiful in the final 8 minutes of the first half after Jeff Allen went out with his 2nd foul. ga tech outscored VT 17-5 in the final 8 minutes of the first half. They dug themselves a hole they did get out of, tying the game at 55 in the 2nd half, but they were basically out of gas having to fight back that much. I will be writing a subsequent article about Tech’s offensive woes tomorrow.
• A.D. Vassallo commited 7 turnovers in a game for the 2nd time in ACC play (also had 7 versus wake). And Tech’s only played 4 ACC games! Not good. He now has 52 on the season, or 3 per game, to lead the team. He continually gets called for traveling, and I don’t mean back to Puerto Rico. He is moving his pivot foot before he dribbles and it keeps costing Tech. He also was 0/5 on three’s. ga tech did a great job of shutting him down and, in the first half, it exposed how little movement VT has on offense.
• VT is ice cold from behind the arc. They went 8/30 on Wednesday and 4/15 today. That’s a very poor 27%.
• The Hokies did a great job of getting to the line, shooting 36 free throws. They hit 24, which is almost right on their average %-wise.
• VT got a lot of publicity for running “Stack”, the inbounds play they used to get Deron the ball for the game-winning shot Wednesday. Well, today, it was inbounding the ball that helped cost VT the game. They had three turnovers inbounding the ball in the front court in the 2nd half. That is pathetic. That’s three wasted possessions trying to do nothing more than inbound the ball. On two of those three turnovers, it was Thorns as the trigger man. I’m sorry, but why is a 5′9″ guy inbounding the ball? He can’t throw, or see, over opponents.
• The Hokies won the rebounding edge by 5, thanks to 14 offensive rebounds. This continues to be a positive for the Hokies.
• This was the 2nd straight game the Hokies allowed an opponent to get 30 points or more (one player, that is), with matt causey, a redshirt-senior who has no business playing in the ACC, getting 30 today. The big problem is VT is collapsing into the paint on D, or over-converging on a perimeter player, or not fighting through screens, and giving guards wide open looks for three. matt causey is a NAIA transfer for cripes sake! His previous career high was 11 points before today, yet he lit up the Hokies for 30 thanks to 7/12 on three’s. Add singletary’s 5/7 on three’s on Wednesday and there you have it. VT must do a better job of rotating on defense and shutting down a team’s hot shooter. To me, part of the problem is Hank Thorns. He is Tech’s best ballhandler but the other team has a power play on offense with him out there. Both singletary and causey shot right over him. Add morrow’s 3/6 on three’s and gt finished 10/21 from behind the arc. Can’t win giving that up.
• The 47 second half points for the Hokies was their season high for a half. The problem was the mere 23 in the first.

Around the World (Wide Web):
Causey’s effect stalls Hokies’ rally | Roanoke Times