Sid Takes on “Basketball Grobe” Tonight (VT Thread)
There’s an early (7:00) tip tonight, as the Pack takes on the Castrated Turkeys on ESPNU. Before the season started, you wouldn’t have been surprised that one team enters the contest in sole possession of third place. But nobody would have predicted Virginia Tech to be that team. After losing their best big man and 2 all-conference caliber guards, the Hokies entered 2007-08 as arguably the least talented and least experienced squad in the ACC. Yet there they sit at 5-3. Seth Greenberg is bringing a knife to a gun fight, but he’s still standing. Like Jim Grobe in football, he is finding success at a job that would be a wasteland for most coaches – and challenging for league supremacy when the right mix of senior leadership and opportunity collide (see Wake football, 2006 and VT basketball, 2006-07).
That said, the Hokies are eminently beatable. They have no real star-caliber player, and shoot poorly from the outside. They don’t have the multiple, dynamic guards that give NC State fits. And if last season is any guide, they don’t have the right mojo.
Relive the glory of three decisive Wolfpack victories here, here, here, here, and here. I can’t explain this rationally. But this kind of thing has historical precedent – Dean Smith struggled against Les Robinson. Paul Hewitt crumbled against Herb Sendek. And maybe – just maybe – Sid has Seth’s number. Or it could just be a small sample size. I suppose we’ll find out tonight – and the Pack needs this one badly.
On paper, we should have an advantage for the reasons Brad points out…but it seems like the on-paper victories have been the toughest ones this year…
With a second pass through the ACC that includes terrible BC and Virginia squads, our NCAA chances still pass the straight face test if we can make it to 4-4, with the three toughest road trips behind us.
Good article on ACC parity here:
http://www.basketballprospectus.com/article.php?articleid=131
Regarding VaTech. I think we should match up well w/ this team. The key for us will be rebounding and TOs. VaTech is futile enough in the half court for us to run away w/ this one if we do these things well. In our last 3 games, we’ve allowed our opponent to get 40% of their misses. IMHO, these are the only ways – save an EPIC performance by the 6-5 gunner (I’m forgetting his name now) that VaTech beats us tonight.
The game is huge. Like BJD said, we need to go at least 5-2 vs. teams not named UNC or Duke. We win this game, it’s just 4-2. I’ve got our magic # at 6 right now – with 10 games left – only 2 of which will be against the best 2 teams in the conference – that sounds very doable. We lose this one – and we need to steal 2 games.
A win tonight with two winnable games on the road and this season could turn around. This is a big game!
Some stats about VT that stand out: defensive efficiency (especially in the paint) and rebounding.
(Pomeroy’s scouting report)
Hickson better step to the hoop with authority tonight.
Another must win. Two road games follow this at Maryland and BC, and then we get to host Clemson and UNC. We really need to win this one badly, if we have any shot at making to the NCAA’s. As competitive as the league is this year there are no “make up games” against teams “we should beat” coming up. Lose another home game against non-Duke and UNC schools and you can stick a fork in us, because we’re done, with regards to our NCAA tournamnet resume.
Along with rebounding and turnovers, we also need to hit our three point shots, to keep Va. Tech from packing in their defense.
keys to tonights game:
javi and MJ better get Hickson the rock tonight. he has been open several times and we just cant seem to get him the pill.
Also, it would be nice if Javi and MJ wouldnt get toasted off the dribble so much. that is forcing our bigs to come out of the paint to help defend the perimeter and then they are out of position for rebounds
I’ll take State by 5, please.
I doubt it’ll be a blowout either way, the turkeys suck on offense and so do we for the most part except for 3-5 minute spans. Deron washington is probably having his worst year of his career so far, so really you MUST defend the crap out of Vassallo and Delaney as they are the only 2 that can shoot worth a damn it seems.
Of course, we did have their number last year. Maybe Costner will remember the thrashing he gave them in our regular season meetings last year and remind us why we picked him for first team all-acc at the start of the year.
As I stated awhile back, T-Rev is going to play a very important role in State’s success this season. I’m well aware of how unpopular that opinion is, but my gut tells me tonight all of you will see just how right I am. State will struggle big time to score inside tonight which means we will see the coming out party gor one certain red head and his name ain’t Richie Cunningham.
Be there or be square.
Heeeeeey
If Little Jack Horner doesn’t do much of anything, it’s time for Sid to make him go sit in the corner. In a manner of speaking.
What chant are we doing tonight?
RAW^^ who is jack horner?
State by 12, why? Javi is getting better and better.
Jack Horner = Costner?
Horner=Horner duh
Does it matter who Jack Horner is? Sadly we have a few guys getting minutes, who don’t do much for us while they are on the floor.
I think this site needs to do a better job of screening applicants.
javi will show himself as a dominant player tonight… oh and HE is gonna dunk on Deron Washington also!!!!
yeah I know I am crazy… and I said the Pats were gonna loose the Super Bowl too. I need to be institutionalized.
Javi couldn’t dunk on me, and I’m old and fat. But this will be his night. And I can’t wait to see it, oops ESPNU, I mean listen to it
Javi dunk = automatic sportscenter material
Interesting that VT has already played and beaten UVA twice, in overtime each time.
I think our basketball season is/will be analagous to our football season in that we look much better when our schedule is much easier. Our basketball schedule is more up and down though.
This is a game to we should win and suddenly we’ll be 4-4 and tied for 4th in the win column.
Man I wish we’d won the GT game!
This will be Javi’s only chance to have both a size and weight advantage against the opposing PG, so who knows, the dunk could happen. And MJ will have a huge edge.
“And maybe – just maybe – Sid has Seth’s number. Or it could just be a small sample size. I suppose we’ll find out tonight – and the Pack needs this one badly.”
Doesn’t the Pack need them ALL badly?
It’s a shame that we lost to Georgia Tech. It seems like we OWN them lately, but we lost to them at home this year. That’s what scares me about the game tonight. We’ve owned Virginia Tech lately, too. And we haven’t lost (at home) to them since the 1940-41 season. It seems like teams and players always end their streaks against the Pack.
I’m not expecting anything. I’m just HOPING for the best tonight. GO PACK!!!
I predict that Javi and Fells will have good games tonight and that they will lead the Pack to a win. I say that because I expect VT to collapse into the interior to try to slow the bigs (Hickson and McCauley.)
I also think we just might see Costner have a decent game shooting from the outside. VT will have a hard time defending the outside shot and hopefully Sid will invert the offense early in order to slice through the VT D. Somewhere, somehow The Diesel (Costner) needs to get it in gear. Maybe this is the game.
I do have a good feeling about this game. One thing that concerns me is they might come in REALLY fired up over losing all three matchups with us last season. But I really don’t think they have the firepower to come in here and win tonight. But neither did New Orleans. This is State’s game to TAKE. I just hope we don’t have one of those nights where we play miserably. I don’t think we will.
GO PACK!!!
I’ve pretty much written off the Diesel for the year. What game was it, the Miami game, a few weeks ago when he was hot the first half (14pts), then down the stretch was riding the pine? I seriously believe that second half sent him over the edge. We are learning slowly, how to win w/o that big loaf. But gawd, I hope he finds it again.
Fergie is the missing link. If he can get some in-game confidence, he could seriously pick up at least some of the 3 ball slack.
Can’t wait to hear it all on the radio!!!