THE SETUP

In the first ever meeting between the wisconsin badgers and the Virginia Tech Hokies, Tech will look for a big out of conference win and NCAA Tournament resume builder against the defending Big (11) Ten champs. The game is part of the 10th Annual ACC/Big (11) Ten Challenge, which really hasn’t been much of a challenge considering the ACC has won each of the previous nine challenges. This is the first game of the challenge, and the only game on Monday, so this will give VT a chance to show they can compete with one of the top programs in the nation.

I hate to call any game a “must-win” in terms of making the NCAA Tournament, especially on December 1st, but a win here would be huge for the Hokies’ chances. This is the best team VT will play out of conference all season, other than maybe xavier, so this is Tech’s final chance to put a big feather in their cap before ACC conference play begins. No more excuses, its time to take care of business and get a big ‘W’, and playing at the Cassell in front of the Orange Effect will help.

THE OPPONENT

wisconsin has made the Big Dance each of the last 10 seasons, including a Final Four appearance in 2000 and an Elite Eight trip in 2005. Last season, wisconsin won the Big (11) Ten Tournament and then made it to the Sweet Sixteen, before losing to davidson and you-know-who. They are, without a doubt, one of the top basketball programs in the country and least respected programs.

The badgers are led by Bo Ryan, who has four Big (11) Ten titles to his credit in his seven seasons at the helm. Bo, much like Seth Greenberg, stresses defense first. His teams are never going to light you up from the floor and score a lot of points. Rather, they will grind it out and work for good shots, then squeeze you to death on the defensive end like a python.

wisconsin is led by #3 Trevon Hughes (14.2 ppg) and #1 Marcus Landry (12.5 ppg). Both players are veterans who know the wisconsin system well. Hughes is a junior guard while Landry is a wily forward at 6′7″ and 230 lbs. Landry does not bang inside a lot, averaging just 4.7 rpg.

#12 Jason Bohannon is the other member of the badger backcourt, averaging 9.5 ppg. Jason is also a junior, giving wisconsin a lot of experience on the perimeter. Both average more assists than turnovers per game, although neither averages more than two assists per game. In other words, they do a great job of protecting the ball.

Behind Bohannon and Hughes, the badgers are weak and inexperienced at the guard position. #11 Jordan Taylor, a freshman, is the only other guard that sees significant minutes, averaging just 1.0 ppg in 14.8 minutes. They do play a lot of big wing players though, and can present difficulties there.

One of the toughest match-ups for the Hokies will be #45 Joe Krabbenhoft. Joe is a 6′7″ wing player that also rebounds really well (6.8 ppg/6.5 rpg/3.0 apg). He leads the team in assists and rebounds. Tech will have to keep a body on him.

On offense, wisconsin likes to spread you out in the half court set, lull you to sleep, and then penetrate and dish, or kick it out for a three. They average just 67.3 ppg (VT averages 68.7), but they only give up 58.0 ppg and have held two opponents under 50. #2 uconn, who gave the badgers their only loss in the finals of the Paradise Jam Tournament in the Virgin Islands*, scored a season low 76 points. uconn did win the game 76-57, pulling away in the final 10 minutes of what had been a close game.

KEYS TO THE GAME

• Use Your Athleticism: wisconsin plays great team defense but they are not very quick on an individual level. If VT can get isolations, they have the superior athleticism. The problem is almost no one other than Delaney and Thorns are good ballhandlers. Even Hudson and Bell are not strong off the dribble. Delaney and Thorns both must attack the defense and look to kick the ball. Tech may want to spread things out in the half court. Also, the Hokies must find ways to get out and run. wisconsin wants to turn this into a half court, slow-paced game.
• Protect the Glass: Much like the wisconsin offensive line in football is always big, the badger low post players are always tall. They feature five players, of the eight that play key minutes, that are over 6′6″, including #30 Jon Leuer who is 6′10″. The badgers are +5.6 on the boards on the season (VT is +4.1), so whomever does a better job on the glass will have a big advantage in this game. Tech cannot let the wisconsin get second chances and continue to milk the clock. Misses by the badgers need to turn into outlet passes and transition points for Tech.
• Patience: The slow tempo the badgers love to employ can frustrate teams and cause them to force things. While the Hokies do need to look to run, they must choose their spots wisely. After running the clock for close to 35 seconds on offense, the badgers like nothing more than a quick turnover or bad shot and a chance to milk another half minute.
• Avoid Foul Trouble: wisconsin earns their money inside. As a result, they get to the foul line a lot, over 20 times per game. Tech cannot afford to get into foul trouble like they did against elon, especially inside. wisconsin does not go very deep on their bench, but that doesn’t matter since they play a slow tempo. Foul trouble in their backcourt would hurt wisconsin tremendously.
• Intensity: Bo Ryan teams ALWAYS play great defense. Tech must match wisconsin’s intensity and make things hard on the badgers. The Hokies must put every ounce of effort they can into their play on the defensive end.
• March Atmosphere: Everyone in orange and maroon (mostly orange if you dress correctly tomorrow) needs to bring their ‘A’ game. This is not just another game, this is a huge game if VT wants to avoid the NIT this year and make it back to the NCAA Tournament. Considering this is Tech’s last big out of conference game, the players also need to have a little urgency in this game and understand it means more than the mount st. mary’s of the world. Tech needs this game… let’s play like it and cheer like it. Rock the Cassell!

BORING FACTS ABOUT wisconsin

• The university of wisconsin system has more than 173,000 students in it each year over 13 campuses.
• wisconsin-madison has over 40,000 students, including ~29,000 undergrads.
• Madison is the capital of Wisconsin.
• uw won the 1941 basketball championship.
• wisconsin’s biggest rival is minnesota (duh - badgers hate gophers, especially golden ones).
• Bucky the badger is the official mascot. He originally was a live badger, but that idea quickly proved to be a bad one. The nickname comes from the state nickname. The nickname refers to miners back in the 1800s that often lived underground in the mines they worked in.
• wisconsin was rated the #1 party school by Playboy in 2006 and has often been rated #1 in beer consumption (hence those robust physiques on their ladies… [behemoth!]).
• 17 Nobel Prizes and 24 Pulitzer Prizes have been awarded to uw alumni or faculty.
• Satirical newspaper The Onion was started by two uw students.
• Famous Students: Steve Miller (finished 6 credits short), Frank Lloyd Wright (also didn’t graduate), the Zucker brothers, Joan Cusack, Dick Cheney (grad student), and Greta Van Susteran.

*Chuck Norris once took a trip to the Virgin Islands. After he left, they were just known as the Islands.

Box Score  |  Niemo’s Notes are below

Blacksburg, VA - It took much longer than fans and even Coach Seth Greenberg probably would have liked, but the Hokies were money from the free throw line down the stretch to finally put away the visiting elon phoenix, 76-67.

In what many considered a “tune up” before the Hokies’ prime-time Dec. 1 match-up with three-time defending big ten champs wisconsin, Virginia Tech struggled mightily against the phoenix, even trailing midway through the second half.

The good news is that true-freshman Victor Davila had his best game of the season with 16 points, which tied senior A.D. Vassallo for the team high. Even more impressive, Davila was 7 of 9 from the field. The rookie from North Carolina (by way of Puerto Rico) played like a veteran tonight, dominating inside and displaying some very strong moves to the rim, including a pair of impressive dunks.

Four Hokies scored in double figures; Davila and Vassallo with 16, Malcolm Delaney with 15, and Jeff Allen with 12. Interestingly enough, as Niemo pointed out in the preview, last season when the Hokies played elon, Allen (then a freshman) scored 19 points and was named ACC rookie of the week. I would imagine that Davila will get strong consideration for the same honor this season following tonight’s game.

The game was a snoozer from the tip with the Cassell barely at half capacity. Minus the students, band, cheerleaders, and High Techs, there was little to no atmosphere to this game. But the Hokies on the court soldiered on and actually played respectably, even getting quality offensive play early from Lewis Witcher — 6 points. And, unlike the previous game in which only six players scored, all nine Hokies who saw playing time scored.

The game was a back-and-forth battle and was tied at 50 with 6:37 left, until the Hokies used a 16-6 run late in the second half to take 10-point lead that they would nurse until elon ran out of time. Malcolm Delaney was once again held scoreless for the most of the game, notching a single three-pointer before hitting a perfect 12 for 12 from the free throw line to keep the game out of reach for the phoenix.

A couple of closing notes: No. 0 for elon, josh bonney, looked like he stepped right off the set of the Fresh Prince of Bel Air, sporting the 6-inch high top fade. We’re talking Kid ‘N Play folks. Don’t believe me, check it out.

During Greenberg’s post-game interview with Bill Roth, Coach was asked if he was “OK” since he sat for most of the game, rather than pacing the sidelines as he usually does. Coach responded that he was “disappointed” with some of his players who needed to learn to be better teammates. He also made a comment that led us to believe that some players were complaining about playing time. He did say that some of his players “need to grow up.”

Not exactly what we want to see or hear going into the wisconsin game, but Coach did say that he fully expects his team to play at a very high level against the three-time defending Big Ten champs.

Niemo’s Notes:

• Hallelujah!  Victor Davila stepped up and put his big boy pants on for the Hokies.  Tech had been looking for a fourth option on offense all season, but tonight the freshman was one of their top options.  Davila scored 12 points in the second half to really keep Tech even until they could ultimately pull away behind Delaney’s free throws.  Lewis Witcher also helped in the first half.  Witcher and Davila combined for 10 of the Hokies 34 first half points Jeff Allen and Cheick Diakite battled foul trouble.
• Coming into this game, VT was only averaging 16.0 ppg from players not part of the law firm of Allen, Delaney, & Vassallo.  Tonight Davila had 16 all by himself.  The Hokies were getting 76% of their points from the 3 Amigos before this game, but The Others had 33 points (43%) against elon.  This is good news.
• The bad news is the guards not named Delaney (Dorenzo Hudson, Terrell Bell, and Hank Thorns) had just 7 points in 54 minutes (2/8 shooting).  At least the bigs stepped up.
• Malcolm Delaney must lead the nation in points in the last few minutes of games.  He had 12 of his 15 points, all from the free throw line, in the final 2:12.  Malcolm had 10 free throws in the final 67 seconds to seal the win, similar to the mount st. mary’s game.  Delaney needs to find ways to get more involved in the offense, especially with how the other guards are struggling.
• A win is a win is a win.  Let’s get ready for the cheese-eaters!  Have a Happy Hokie Day, y’all!

THE SETUP

• Spread: VT favored by 20 (wow!  really?)
• All Time Series: VT 12-7
• Streak: VT - 2 straight (only games since 1954 were in 2000 and 2007)
• Last Meeting (11/9/07): VT 69-64 Recap | Game Film | In the Hokie’s first game of last season, Jeff Allen scored 19 points, grabbed 10 rebounds, pilfered 4 steals, and rejected 2 shots on his way to earning ACC Rookie of the Week honors

The Hokies head home to the Cassell where they hope to snap their two game losing streak from Puerto Rico against the elon phoenix.  Tech is 2-0 at home this season and look to build some momentum before their Big(11)10/ACC Challenge Showdown with #19/25 wisconsin next Monday.

Random Movie Reference: Virginia Tech needs to get their offense going in this game and establish an identity.  That may be possible since elon is not a strong team and should be easy prey for the Hokies.  To steal a bit from Swingers, the Hokies are a big bear with claws and with fangs.  And elon is just like this little bunny, who is cowering in the corner.  Tech needs to find their offense and figure out how to kill the bunny.  Instead of just batting the scared bunny around [settling for poor outside shots and playing in the half court set all the time], the Hokies need to use their fangs and claws [their athleticism, speed, and superior height and post game] and kill the bunny.  Pressure defense leads to turnovers which leads to fast breaks which leads to easy buckets.  Tech needs to start pushing the ball, and attack the rim in the half court.  This will even help the outside game as they can penetrate and kick out for open looks from three, or attack the tin and score or get to the line.

THE OPPONENT

[Wow, you are still reading after that Swingers  tangent?]

Like I said, elon is… well… not good.  At least not so far this season.  They lost by 45 to wvu (avoided being doubled by just two points), beat southern virginia by 28 (who the heck is southern virginia???), and lost to tennessee-martin by 17 (is this school named for former tennessee volunteer QB Tee Martin???). 

elon has four of their top five scorers back from last season, so they do have experience.  The phoenix are led by senior Brett James, who topped the team in scoring last season.  He is averaging 15.3 ppg.  Ola Atoyebi, their second leading scorer, is also back and averaging 10.7 ppg.

The phoenix are chuckers.  They will launch the three at every opportunity, averaging seven makes per game on 17 attempts (41% which is darn good).  Strangely, they are terrible from the foul line, hitting just 58%.  Tech must defend the perimeter well and fight through screens.  For the most part, the Hokies have been great against the three, holding opponents to just 26%.  That’s bad news for the phoenix.

On defense, elon has been awful.  wvu shot 59% from the field and tennessee-martin lit them up for 52%.  Their major weakness is in the paint.  They play just four guys that weigh over 185 pounds, and even their two 6′8″ low post players are just 220 lbs (Ola Atoyebi) and 210 lbs (Adam Constantine).  Jeff Allen should be able to have a huge game just like last year if the Hokies feed him the ball enough.  I’d post up Dorenzo Hudson some too against their guards to take advantage of his size.

Probability of a VT Win: 84%

BORING FACTS ABOUT elon:

• Private school in Elon, NC with ~5k undergrad and 500 grad students.
• Only 32% of their students are from NC; 8% are from VA.
• FCS (I-AA) in football and just missed the playoffs this season.
• elon is a member of the Southern Conference, VT’s home from 1921-1965.
• elon was 14-19 last year but surprised everyone by making the Southern Tournament finals before losing to davidson and Mr. Curry.
• elon was 7-23 in 2006-07.
• elon features four players from the Commonwealth of Virginia.
• elon was known as the fighting Christians until 1999. That year, they entered Division I athletics and decided they wanted a more universal appeal. phoenix was picked since the school had suffered a horrible fire in the early 1900’s, but they “rose from the ashes” like a phoenix. And there are some religious ties to a phoenix.
• Frank Haith, miami’s head basketball coach, went to elon.
• Other alums: Ward Burton, Jim Morris (miami’s head baseball coach… yeesh, the canes sure love elon), Jack McKeon (former MLB Manager), and Country Joe West (MLB umpire).

Let’s take a look at the scoring distribution of the ACC schools so far this season (through Monday’s action except for unc - I didn’t want to count their game against chaminade who is Division II).  Obviously, it is very early in the season, and teams have played opponents of varying talent, but what the heck, let’s see how the numbers fall out.

The columns show the following:

• Team
• The number of players on that team that are averaging 10 points per game (ppg) or more*
• The number of players on that team that are averaging 7.5 ppg or more*
• The number of players on that team that are averaging 5 ppg or more*
• Combine the top three scorers’ ppg and divide by the team’s ppg average to get the % of total points the top three scorers are scoring*

*Note: Player must have played in more than half of his team’s games

This demonstrates that Virginia Tech has the worst scoring distribution by a healthy 10% margin, and 17% higher than third.  Only one other school, nc state, has less than six players averaging at least 5.0 ppg, and they have five while VT only has three.

The Hokies truly are a three trick pony right now on the offensive end with Jeff Allen (17.8), A.D. Vassallo (16.8), and Malcolm Delaney (16.6).  Cheick Diakite is next with just 4.8 ppg.  VT is 11th in the ACC in Scoring Offense at 67.2 ppg, just 0.2 ppg ahead of last place nc state.  Nine of the ACC teams average 77 or more ppg.

Tech was supposed to have an improved offense this season, featuring more up-tempo play, but so far the results are not bearing fruit.  Tech needs to push the ball more and use their athleticism.  Hopefully the Hokies can find some balance soon and find a fourth and fifth threat on the offensive end. 

Random Thoughts:

• Will someone other than Jeff Allen, A.D. Vassallo, or Malcolm Delaney PLEASE step forward? Those three guys had 64 of VT’s 73 points. That is 88% and that is way too much to be getting from just that trio. On the season, those guys are scoring 51.2 of VT’s 67.2 points per game, or 76%. And get this: NO ONE else scored for VT in the second half other than Allen, A.D., and Malcolm. No one else is even averaging 5 points per game. It is not a good sign that Cheick Diakite, a shot-blocker (not a scorer), is fourth on the team with 4.8 ppg. The biggest disappointment has to be Dorenzo Hudson, who did not score and attempted just two shots. I’m sorry, but a starting “shooting guard” should average more than 2.8 ppg. The combination of Hudson and Terrell Bell are chipping in just 4.6 ppg.
• Speaking of Dorenzo, I’d like to see him penetrate more. He is really struggling from the outside, but from what I’ve seen of him in the past, I think he is good at driving and scoring around the basket. The problem is defenses are dropping off of him. But heck, at this point, Hudson needs to try something, even if he has to force his way towards the hoop. Maybe post him up against smaller guards, too.
• I talked the other day about how the Hokies have struggled in the final five minutes of games. Today they decided just to stink it up the entire second half on offense. Then went almost 6 minutes without scoring early in the second half and missed nine shots in a row from the field during that span. Tech shot just 10/30 (33%) from the field, and 9/20 (45%) from the line in the final 20 minutes. Think the outcome might have been different if the Hokies had made their free throws?
• Jeff Allen played 39 minutes in the game, meaning he sat just one minute. That shows just how great of a shape he is in, but I wonder if this contributed to his 5/15 foul shooting since most of his misses were in the second half. Jeff did collect his second straight double-double and 12th of his career. See below for his career highs from this game.
• The Hokies got dominated in the paint, getting outscored 42-24. However, they did win the battle of the boards by a wide margin, 43-34.
• Tech was -5 on turnovers, with 14 total. That obviously doesn’t help a struggling offense to have five fewer productive possessions.
• Going 1-2 in Puerto Rico has to be a big disappointment, especially based on the draw VT ended up with. Hopefully the boys will leave that bad taste in Puerto Rico and come out fresh on Wednesday against elon and play a good game for 40 minutes. Need to get some momentum before the nationally ranked wisconsin badgers come to town in a week.  I still think this is a good team, and a NCAA Tournament team when the dust settles in March.  Hopefully J.T. Thompson will inject some life in this team when he returns, or someone else will elevate their play before then.

Jeff Allen Career Highs Set Sunday:

• Rebounds: 17 (previous high was 16 @odu last year)
• Assists: 4 (previous high of 3 he matched several times)
• Free Throws Made: 5 (tied with other occurrences)
• Free Throws Attempted: 15 (previous high was 10)

Box Score

The Virginia Tech Hokies dropped their second straight game at the O’Reilly Auto Parts Puerto Rico Tip Off in San Juan, P.R., 73-77 to seton hall. Three things killed the Hokies in this game: 1) the “non Big Three” (everyone besides Jeff Allen, A.D. Vassallo and Malcolm Delaney) only scored 9 points; 2) Tech went nearly six minutes (5:56) without scoring in the second half; and 3) free throw shooting - Tech shot just 59 percent from the charity stripe (19/32).

The Hokies played well in the first half building an 14-point lead, 31-17, with 7:20 to play. But the pirates scratched away at the lead finishing the half with an 17-9 run to push the halftime score to 40-34 Hokies. Vassallo led the Hokies at the half with 12, Allen with 10 and Delaney with nine. The rest of the team only had nine points and they wouldn’t score again.

The first seven minutes of the second half was the Hokies’ downfall. After a pair of Vassallo free throws at the 19:24 mark and a Delaney trey at 18:51, the Hokies wouldn’t score again until Delaney sank a free throw with 12:55 left in the game. By that time, the pirates had taken the lead. Using an 18-6 run to start the second half, seton hall pulled ahead 52-46.

As Niemo pointed out in an earlier post, the Hokies miss J.T. Thompson much more than we thought they would. Tech’s “Big Three” were the only Hokies to score in the second half. No points from the other two starters and no points from the bench. Cheick Diakite scored his typical four points, so that’s not out of the ordinary, but Terrell Bell, the other starter only scored three points. Lewis Witcher was the only bench player to score and he only managed two points. The Big Three tallied a combined 64 points. Malcolm led the way with 25, A.D. had 22, and Allen had 17 points and 17 rebounds.

The good news is that Tech’s Big Three can handle the load even when they are pressured and double teamed. The bad news is, the other starters and the bench can’t score a lick and that ain’t gonna cut in the ACC. The Hokes are going to need a big non-conference win against wisconsin to help their chances come Tournament selection time.

Recap | Box Score

Recap of the Keys to the Game:

• Limit 2nd Chances/Shoot Wisely: xavier has finished at least +13 in rebounding margin in all three games, including an eye-popping +15 against missouri. The musketeers are especially stout on the defensive glass. This is largely due to the fact that their starting lineup is all over 6′5″ with Brown at 6′8″ and Jason Love at 6′9″. The Hokies must limit xavier’s offensive boards and take smart shots on offense since offensive rebounds will be tough to come by.
• How VT did: Tech held their own on the boards and narrowly edged the musketeers on the glass 36-35. The Hokies were +2 on the offensive boards, 11-9. However, Tech’s shot selection was not good at times. VT started out 8/9 from the field against fairfield, but were just 3/11 today. The perimeter pressure really got to the Hokie guards, and often Tech did not get into their offense until late in the shot clock and had to force shots, especially in the final 5 minutes. VT was competitive on Points in the Paint, too, edging xu 28-26.
• Do Not Delay Delaney: Malcolm has scored just 8 of his 43 points this season in the first half. With xavier’s inexperience at the point guard position, this is an area for Tech to exploit. Delaney needs to get into the flow early and find his shots.
• How Delaney did: Once again Malcolm was mostly a no-show in the first half. He had just 3 points at the break. Then, in typical form, he lit it up in the second half, scoring 10 points with 2 more in overtime. He now has 58 points on the season and is averaging 2.8 in the first half, 11.3 in the second half, and 2.0 in OT. As a result, Tech had just 25 points at the half.

Other Factors/Notes:

• Tech’s offense at the end of games is quickly becoming a concern. Cope mentioned how the end of this game reminded him of the 2005 duke game, and the 2005-06 Hokies had a lot of problems on offense at the end of games where leads would slip away. This team is quickly reminding me of them, on the court, at least. Back in the gardner-webb game, the Hokies did not score from the 5:34 mark of the second half until there were 23 seconds left. I believe at times the Hokies worry too much about milking the clock, and don’t get a good shot because they have to rush things late in the shot clock. They get away from the things that have given them the lead. I understand the logic in using clock, but VT may need to start their offense earlier.
• Dorenzo Hudson really stepped up today. I have been giving him a hard time, but he answered the bell in this game, which was especially vital with A.D. Vassallo struggling. Dorenzo had 10 points on 3/5 shooting (he was 1/12 coming into the game). This is great news for Tech, who needs more production from their guards on offense.
• xu’s depth was a factor. The musketeer bench outscored VT 17-5. Thorns had all 5 for the Hokies.
• Davila Rising: Victor Davila continues to see key minutes. He was in the game a lot at the end of regulation. Lewis Witcher played just 7 minutes.
• Jeff Allen secured his first double-double of the season and 11th of his career. He is the man, plain and simple. His 22 points and 11 rebounds were both game highs.
• The ACC is now 29-1 on the season. Yep, this buzzer beater is the only loss the ACC has had so far.

Bottom Line: This is a heartbreaker but Tech dug their own hole by not putting this game away in regulation. The Hokies must find ways to score late in close games. Until then, these resume building wins will continue to elude them. The wisconsin game in 10 days has even more importance now, as it gives Tech a great chance at an out-of-conference quality win at home.

Box Score | Highlights

The Virginia Tech Hokies lost their first game of the season on a heartbreaking half-court buzzer beater at the end of overtime against xavier, 63-62 in the semi-finals of the Puerto Rico Tip-Off. It was duke 2005 all over again.

With the game tied at 60, Dorenzo Hudson missed a short jumper from the right side, but Jeff Allen, who led all scorers with 22 points, was there for the tip-in to put the Hokies ahead 62-60 with 1.9 seconds left. The musketeers inbounded the ball to Dante Jackson who took a few steps before heaving a half-court shot that banked off the glass and in as the buzzer sounded. Game over.

It’s hard to pin this loss on the buzzer beater because the Hokies had several opportunities to put this game away in regulation. Following a Malcolm Delaney trey with 5:11 left in the game, Tech went scoreless for the remainder of regulation. Tech had a 52-45 lead at that point, but the offensive drought allowed xavier to crawl back into the game.

With the game tied at 52 and 46.6 seconds left on the clock, Delaney, one of Tech’s most reliable free throw shooters, missed both shots that would have have given Tech the lead and likely the win.

Tech used a 14-4 run early in the second half to build a 10-point lead, but squandered it with poor shot selection, turnovers and ill-timed fouls. But, Seth Greenberg called a timeout and settled them down. Tech actually played pretty well against a xavier team that went to the Elite Eight back in March. Had it not been for the late second-half no show for the offense, Tech would have won this game.

In many respects, it’s a wonder they were even in it at all considering A.D. Vassallo scored only four points in the game on 2-13 shooting. Vassallo, who had been averaging better than 19 points a game, never got into a rhythm thanks to xavier’s aggressive defense that often double-teamed Tech’s perimeter shooters the entire game.

Allen led the Hokies with 22 points and 11 rebounds, while Delaney added 15 points and 5 assists. Hudson was the only other Hokie to score in double figures - he had 10 points. Allen continues to show his improved range and accuracy hitting on 1 of 2 three point attempts.

This was a tough loss for the boys, but hopefully one that they can use a chip on their shoulder. But they really needed a quality win against a quality opponent this early in the season. This could come back to haunt Tech come tournament selection time. Next up, a consolation game against the loser of tonight’s other semifinal game between seton hall and memphis. More than likely Tech will face seton hall, which won’t help their RPI much.

I’ll leave the rest to Niemo.

Recap | Box Score