Stay Up Late (9 p.m. Tip, ESPNU). Look at some hoops. Life is short.
1. How spoiled have we become? From 2008-09 to 2020-21, FSU had a top-40 defense nine times, five of which were top-10. The defense currently ranks 52nd.n.d. nationally, and 7th 15 points in the ACC, which feels terrible.Alabama has a bad defense and is ranked #1.cent Place it in the SEC. Baylor has a bad defense and the debate now is whether they are a 2nd or 3rd seed. So the problem must be aggressive, right? No, it's not. In ACC play, FSU is 7th, just like the defense. Our offensive efficiency has been better than Virginia this season and we have a chance to win the conference. The problem is, FSU isn't doing anything well. Of the four factors, only turnovers by defense have FSU in the top 50. That's not a winning formula. A good team is either good at most things, or good at one or two things. FSU is right there. It's his NIT team in the middle of nowhere. That's why it happens.
2. One of Coach Hamilton's postgame staples is to talk about how many close games there are in the ACC. Not so much this year. Only 16.8% of games were decided by four points or less (or OT), the lowest in the conference since 2011. Three strong teams (UNC, Duke, and FSU) won big games that year. Of a bad team. There aren't many good games this year. Mike Young has been at Virginia Tech for five years, and this will be the fifth time the two teams have met. The first three games were double-digit outbursts (VT won twice) and it looked like it would be the fourth straight game in Tallahassee this year, but then VT's backdoor covered with an 11-1 run to end the game. I doubt this will hurt you, but that's why you play the game.
3. FSU needs to win eight straight games to qualify for the tournament, which would make them 15-5 in the conference. Virginia Tech only has seven games left, and even if they win all of them, they won't be able to advance. By the way, the current odds for FSU to win all of those games in a big way are 0.09%, or roughly 1-1,100. That's why I'm saying that. There's a chance.
4. It feels increasingly likely that Ham will be allowed to let his contract expire and coach his final season on some sort of farewell tour. I hope FSU fans don't get upset if the coach forgets to give Hamm flowers, but more importantly, will the farewell tour be exactly what the doctor ordered? If you're a transfer looking to play one year, there are worse situations than helping a HOF coach, a pioneer in basketball's minority representation, go to a dance club for the last time. Are you feeling it? Drop some bags, keep core players and add talent? Hello?
5. It's finally 5th I'm not saying anything about Virginia Tech. They're not a very good basketball team, but how do they make free throws? (7th Nationwide! ). So there you have it. And FSU has committed more fouls than Mike Tyson, so stay up late and watch the free throw clinic.
