Georgia Tech at Virginia Tech, Tues, Feb 23, 7pm, RSN/ACCNX

CuseJacket

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QUAD 1 COIN FLIP!!!

Jackets (KenPom #40) open as 2 point underdogs on the road against the Hokies (KenPom #35).

Easily the biggest game left as it's the only scheduled remaining quad 1 opportunity. Currently we are 1-6 in quad 1 games, which seems unlikely to get it done come NCAAT time. Barring a backdoor quad 1 victory (e.g., UNC continues to rise), this might be our last shot unless we win a few in the ACCT.

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One thing we know: This team will show up tomorrow night in Blacksburg and play their tails off.
 

CuseJacket

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For those unaware, Virginia Tech has not played a game since Saturday, February 6th (3 games postponed vs FSU, vs Louisville, @ North Carolina)

Also:

 

Deleted member 2897

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There are teams 20 slots above us in NET who are 1-6 in Q1 games. There is a team in the 20s in NET without a Q1 win at all. Typically it’s the full body of work that gets evaluated and not just one statistic that gets weighed. I feel certain if we win tonight, we still have an available loss in our back pocket...but if we lose tonight we have no more margin left.
 

SandySpringsJacket

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There are teams 20 slots above us in NET who are 1-6 in Q1 games. There is a team in the 20s in NET without a Q1 win at all. Typically it’s the full body of work that gets evaluated and not just one statistic that gets weighed. I feel certain if we win tonight, we still have an available loss in our back pocket...but if we lose tonight we have no more margin left.
The phrase “must win” is overused, but it applies tonight. We have no margin for error after the unlucky and devastating Clemson loss. There are not enough games to make up ground if we lose tonight. But if we win, we are definitely back in the hunt. I just hope Devoe makes his first couple of shots. When he does, he is dangerous.
 

JacketRacket

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Here's the box score from last game for any of those who need a refresher.


A couple of things to note:

Tyrece Radford, who accounted for 12 of their points and 26 minutes is suspended indefinitely due to a DUI and a weapons charge. He might be back for the ACC tournament, but I doubt we see him tonight.

Jalen Cone, who played the most off the bench (7 pts, 24 mins), injured his ankle early February but might show up tonight.

They also were very cold from 3 (4/23) and in general (21/55).


Ultimately, I think this will come down to how they bounce back out of COVID protocols/the break. They could come back really strong (like Duke, FSU, and us) or completely awful (like Louisville, Syracuse, and Clemson). But hopefully we can outpace them from the start. A shorter bench and more limited practices should work in our favor.
 

lv20gt

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Without Radford that puts a lot of pressure both on Aluma to have a big game and for someone else or two to step up and make plays.

Also, VT is very good for a team that plays a lot of underclassmen. I think their record is a bit inflated due to games @ UVA, FSU, UL, and @UNC being canceled but they are a strong team who has beaten UVA, @ND, Clemson, and Duke so shouldn't be underestimated. This year though we have a pretty good record against teams that are talented but younger and without Radford I like our chances of coming away with a big road win.
 

Northeast Stinger

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For those unaware, Virginia Tech has not played a game since Saturday, February 6th (3 games postponed vs FSU, vs Louisville, @ North Carolina)

Also:


Much speculation about how much the NCAA Tournament will pay attention to teams playing short handed, teams playing without rest, teams with long layoffs etc. Tech fans are congenitally disposed to seeing how this may work against us not for us. Thoughts?
 

JacketRacket

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Much speculation about how much the NCAA Tournament will pay attention to teams playing short handed, teams playing without rest, teams with long layoffs etc. Tech fans are congenitally disposed to seeing how this may work against us not for us. Thoughts?
We shouldn't have a lot of faith that the NCAA will use nuance in any situation, including tournament selections.

Luckily, the team's fate is in their hands still.
 

boger2337

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This -1.5 line screams trap. We either get blown out or we win by 10. I wouldn't touch -1.5 unless I was taking VT at home. Either Vegas LOVES GT tonight or like I said Trap game just get action on the game. The trap would be to get the public to buy VT.... So who knows.

I say GT by 8.
 

Deleted member 2897

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Without Radford that puts a lot of pressure both on Aluma to have a big game and for someone else or two to step up and make plays.

Also, VT is very good for a team that plays a lot of underclassmen. I think their record is a bit inflated due to games @ UVA, FSU, UL, and @UNC being canceled but they are a strong team who has beaten UVA, @ND, Clemson, and Duke so shouldn't be underestimated. This year though we have a pretty good record against teams that are talented but younger and without Radford I like our chances of coming away with a big road win.

Yep, Virginia Tech is the polar opposite of us. They've missed a lot of tough games where we've missed easy games. We could both very easily be 9-6. Given that its a road game, they should be maybe a 5 point favorite. Based on their missed games, this is about the easiest Q1 game you could ask for. Its basically as Cuse said a coin flip. Add to it their discipline and covid issues, and this is about the best time to play them you could ask for.

I'm not going to get greedy and ask for a 48-18 halftime lead like Saturday. Anything like 38-30 would be fine. :) Then close it out 80-64.

Win tonight, and we're tied for 4th in the ACC with 8 wins. Our NET rating is currently 49. We went up 10 points beating ****ty Miami on the road. Win tonight on the road against a Q1 and I suspect another 10 spot gain. 39 wouldn't even be last 4 in, we'd be in at that point. Of course we still have to keep winning, but the point is we'll be in the driver's seat if we win tonight.
 
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