The Virginia Tech Hokies are back on the road, this time traveling to upstate New York to take on the Syracuse Orange at the JMA Wireless Dome.
Syracuse has been playing solid basketball lately, winning three of the last four games, including a solid win over NC State and a blowout win over NC State. At 18-10, the Orange are ranked 85th in net and remain on the outside looking in, making every game they play a must-win at this point.
Virginia Tech, on the other hand, has been up and down, losing five of its last seven games, but is currently 34 against the Virginia Cavaliers, one of five ACC teams in the projected NCAA Tournament berth. It was a stunning victory. After going just 15-12 on the season and losing by 15 points to Pittsburgh, all eyes are on the Hokies as it's becoming clear they can't count on an at-large bid to reach the NCAA Tournament. . We are currently working on getting the best seed possible for the ACC Tournament.
game key
Game Match: Hunter Kattore vs Chris Bell
Hunter Kattore and Chris Bell play very similar roles as pure marksmen in their respective squads. Bell knocks down 2.7 threes per game, at a clip of 42.7%, and Kattore knocks down 2.6 threes per game, at 42.4%, both leading the ACC in 3-point percentage and completion percentage. Ranked 6th. This match could come down to two of his sharpshooters, as Bell and Kattore both have the ability to get hot and take over games on their own.
Kattoa, the Hokies' all-time leader in 3-pointers, did it on the biggest stage, taking seven threes en route to a career-high 31 points in the 2022 ACC Championship vs. Duke. Meanwhile, Chris Bell has improved over the past week, going 8-for-10 on 3-pointers against North Carolina State last Tuesday and making 4 of 5 attempts against Notre Dame on Saturday. brought down. .
These two players may not be the best scorers on the team, but they have the potential to lead their team to victory if they get into a different zone on the floor and turn up the heat.
home court advantage
The big difference between these two teams, which appear to be nearly even on paper, is that Syracuse is 13-2 at home so far this season. The Hokies are equally dominant on their home floor, but are one of the worst road teams in the entire ACC at 1-8 overall, with their only road win of the season coming at North Carolina State.
As a team that relies heavily on 3-point shooting and guard play, Virginia Tech has had a very hard time shooting the ball on the road, and that trend applies to nearly every player on the team. During the season, Hunter Kattore was a 51% 3-point shooter at home and less than 40% on the road. Tyler Nickell shot 44% from deep at home and less than 41% on the road, and Sean Pedulla shot 42% from the field at home but just 38% on the road. Even starting center Lynn Kidd has fallen victim to these struggles, as he's shooting 71 percent at home and 50 percent on the road.
If the Hokies can break the deadlock and get a win on the road from Cassell Coliseum, they'll need their scorers to step up and knock down shots against the Orange tonight.
Which version of the Hokies will we see?
Throughout the season, Virginia Tech was far from consistent, dropping games to teams like Notre Dame and then defeating tournament-level teams like UVA.
The Hokies have performed well all season, but the question Mike Young must be asking himself is, what changed in that 34-point win over Virginia and how can he get back to that level of play? I'm saying that.
Offensively, Virginia Tech moved the ball around the court, with Kidd and Mairijael Poteet dunking in the paint and shooters like Nickell and Cattoa hitting shots from long range. In other games throughout the year, the offense has felt more stagnant and completely reliant on Sean Pedula's pick-and-roll.
Defensively, the Hokies did a great job of defeating Virginia's shooters running screens, forcing the Hoos to force contested shots late in the shot clock. It won't be every game like the one against UVA, but for the Hokies to win tonight, Mike Young will have to find a team that has completely dismantled one of the ACC's top basketball programs. Good results in the ACC tournament.
Prediction: Syracuse 79, Virginia Tech 72
The Hokies' road woes will continue, as Chris Bell's continued sharp shooting and Judah Mintz's 20+ point performance will help the Orange overcome MJ Collins' 15+ point performance. If Syracuse can finish the season with a win against Clemson, they will have a chance to return to the bubble and stay alive until another day. Meanwhile, the Hokies are unlikely to make it to the NIT unless they make it to the ACC Tournament, like they did in 2022 when they won the title in Brooklyn.
