After defeating UVA by 34 points earlier this week, Virginia Tech heads off to Q1 against a Pittsburgh team looking to advance to the top four of the ACC with a double bye in the ACC Tournament. . With that said, here are the keys and predictions for the Hokies vs. Panthers game.
1. Win with your frontcourt
Similar to the UVA matchup, this is a game where the Hokies clearly have the advantage in the frontcourt, with Lynn Kidd and Maylijael Poteet leading the way. Pittsburgh lacks a consistently dominant center, while allowing opponents to shoot 50.9% from inside the arc and ranking outside the top 230 in the nation despite averaging 4.7 blocks per game. Also, he is not very good at defending interiors.
This is where Tech's offense needs to be sharp. Kidd and Pot-Eat won't be the only ones dominating off the block, but the Hokies will need to have their offense running at full capacity with any backdoor cuts that could cause problems for Pitt. He also needs to be effective on screens and be ready to deny decent threes for quality buckets near the rim and on big shots.
That being said, the Hokies will need Kidd and Poteet to continue to step up as they have done in many recent games, including against UVA. Brothers Federico Federico and Diaz-Graham are solid players, but Kidd and Potito are by far the better center duo and should dominate this battle in terms of scoring.
Tech also needs rebounding sharpness in its frontcourt, as Pittsburgh ranks in the top 80 nationally in total rebounds per game and offensive rebounds per game. Robbie Beran could play a big role in that as a more traditional 4-man, while Tyler Nickell, who has been active in more than just shooting lately, could play a 4-man role to give Veran some breathing room, among other things. When you're working at a company, you need to provide quality time in that regard.
2. Limit turnover
Virginia Tech has done a pretty good job of limiting and not forcing turnovers on offense lately, with just 13 turnovers in their last two games against top-10 North Carolina and Virginia. This included his only seven turnovers against his famous UVA defense, and the combination of Sean Pedula and Hunter Cattore had no turnovers themselves.
However, the Tech team can't let their guard down against a Pittsburgh team that ranks in the top 20 in the nation and boasts an amazing basketball defense that averages only 9.5 turnovers per game.
Sean Pedula did a good job of not trying to force things at times, even if it meant taking less than ideal shots. That's after Pedulla had just one turnover in the past two games after committing 17 turnovers in the previous three games. In a game where turnovers are kept to a minimum, Tech will need Pedulla to continue what he's been doing the past few games.
Overall, tech companies are always looking to turn a good shot into a great shot, but against Pitt teams in particular, it's important to know when to take a good shot instead of forcing risky passes or plays to go for a great shot. We also need to be smarter. It won't make too many mistakes. If Tech can keep turnovers to a minimum, they will have a great chance to win the road Q1.
3. Thoroughly understand the three-point rhythm
Virginia Tech hasn't been shooting the ball well lately, with the Hokies going 1-12 on 3-pointers in the second half against UNC and 8-23 (34.8%) on 3-pointers against UVA. It was recorded in
Unfortunately, the Hokies only shot 30.4% from 3-point range against the Panthers, and they haven't played the exact type of opponent the Hokies have the potential to break through the 3-point range. The Hokies may not be able to shoot at the highest level possible, but he needs to at least make 35-40% of his threes if they want any chance of winning this game.
Tyler Nickel could be key to this success, as the Hokie who transferred from UNC has been hitting 3-point shots consistently lately. Over the past five games, Nickel has gone 13-23, shooting at least 40 percent from 3-point range in each of those five games. Nickell has been more than just a sharpshooter lately, but with Tech's collective struggles from deep lately, the team will need him at his best.
Hunter Kattore has struggled recently against UNC, going 1-6 on 3-pointers, but bounced back against UVA by going 2-for-4 on 3-pointers. Kattoa has been a little up and down lately, but he's definitely a player who can find his groove when the Hokies need to, and that's exactly what they'll need in this game.
Tech doesn't need to shoot right field to win this game, but it will need to shoot its threes better in this game, led by Cattore and Nickell, even against a Pitt team that has defended its threes well this season. There is.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 72, Pittsburgh 68
Pittsburgh will be extremely motivated to turn things around after a blowout loss against Wake Forest, while the Hokies will be focused on the task at hand and make sure they're ready after a blowout win over UVA It's going to take a little extra work to do that. Tech companies have also struggled on the road this year, and Pittsburgh is by no means an easy place to play.
However, I think the Hokies can exploit weaknesses in Pittsburgh's frontcourt. The Hokies need other players to step up as Sean Pedula and Hunter Kattore have struggled with their shooting recently, but it's hard to imagine those struggles continuing.
Blake Hinson could cause problems for Tech given his length on the wing, but the Hokies will need a sharp rebounding effort in this game. After all, style breeds battle, and considering the inconsistency of Tech's interior defense, Mike Young's offense, which excels at backdoor cuts, Tech has superior post play. On top of that, I think it could cause a lot of problems for Pittsburgh. Add to that the red-hot 3-point shooting of Tyler Nickell, and if Hunter Catur does what Hunter Catur does, the Hokies will be able to pull off the upset.
