Virginia Tech is starting to heat up in conference play, defeating Georgia Tech 91-67 on Saturday night for its third straight ACC victory. This followed a six-point win over North Carolina State on the road and a diving-point win over Boston College at home.
The Hokies will now face one of Sexson's toughest tests. Monday night in Blacksburg will be a great place to be as Virginia Tech hosts the #12 Duke Blue Devils in a primetime Big Monday showdown on ESPN starting at 7 p.m.
Duke is coming off a controversial one-point victory over Clemson at the Cameron Indoor, and the Blue Devils have won 10 of their past 11 games. Duke was upset by Pittsburgh, which Tech has never played, but other than that anomaly, the Blue Devils are arguably the most talented team in the conference. Here are the keys to the Virginia Tech vs. Duke game.
1. Hokies must bring physicality to Blue Devils
Duke is known for his size and physicality, and Tech knows that too. Kyle Filipovski and Mark Mitchell were starters on last year's Blue Devils team and still cause problems for Duke opponents in every game. Swingman Ryan Young also comes off the bench, and Duke has enough size to not intimidate a ready opponent.
Given how Tech's frontcourt played against Georgia Tech, which beat the Blue Devils in December, the Hokies will be ready for Duke's physicality. Robbie Beran, Lynn Kidd, and Maylijael Poteet bring a physical brand of basketball to the table against Duke's frontcourt and must ultimately be ready to fight down low and on the boards. not.
2. Hunter Kattore must dawn the Superman mantle against Duke again
Duke certainly knows Hunter Kattore well up to this point in his fifth-year career. Kattoa has scored double-digit points against the Devils in his career, including his infamous 31 points in a four-game span for the Hokies in four days en route to ACC Championship glory in the 2022 ACC Tournament. It has been recorded 4 times.
Last year, Kattoa scored 15 points with efficient shooting splits as INTEC narrowly defeated Duke at home. The Orlando native has been very good over the last few games, averaging 13 points per game on 51% shooting from behind the arc, making him one of the players with the volume needed to qualify. They have the best record in the ACC.
Tech will need Kattoa's shooting and two-way game to upset Duke again.
3. Tech's guard has to be better than Duke's guard
Cattoor is a different story, but Tech's guards need to be good offensively as a unit. Sean Pedula and MJ Collins will have to step up in the scoring department and also protect Duke's explosive guards. Tyrese Proctor, Jeremy Roach, and Jared McCain are one of the nation's top guard trios and will be a handful to keep an eye on.
Collins will need to score in double digits and have a defensive matchup with either McCain or Proctor. Tech will also need that crazy hot shooting night from Sean Pedula. He delivered the final barrage against Clemson, the last time Tech faced a ranked opponent. Additionally, Pedulla will have to manage the basketball and keep Duke from capitalizing on mistakes on offense.
4. Limit turnovers to less than 10 in two consecutive games
Virginia Tech had its first single-digit turnovers this season against the Yellow Jackets in the ACC, but only put the ball up seven times. Before Saturday's game, the Hokies had committed 15 or more turnovers in their last three ACC games and four of their last five.
As mentioned above, Pedula and Collins have to not get too focused on the basketball and play within the flow of Tech's offense. Not making dangerous passes will be the key to keeping Tech from having a high turnover game. The Hokies are a team whose life and death depend not only on the three-ball on any given night, but also on whether or not they can turn the ball over at a high rate.
Matchup to watch: Tyrese Proctor vs. Hunter Kattore
Not only are Proctor and Kattore likely to play against each other on one or both ends, but they are both, in a sense, their respective leaders of the team. Proctor guides Duke's ship offensively, with the offense running through a combination of his scoring and playmaking. Cattur is the Hokies' leader and most capable shooter and perimeter player, even though he plays more without the ball.
Both are different games, but the overall impact is similar, and which one is more impactful on Monday night could make the difference in this game.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 77, 12th Duke University 70
I believe Virginia Tech is playing with house money and will play 12th place Duke University again on the grounds of Cassell Coliseum. History is on the Hokies' side in this matchup, as Polytechnic has won five of his last six games played in Kassel since 2016. He needs to complete at least three of the above keys for Virginia Tech to win.
In the 2024 edition of the rivalry, expect the Hokies to go all out and ride the scoring performances of Hunter Kattore and Sean Pedulla to their second-best win of the season.
