Virginia Tech BB Preview: UVA & GA Tech

After a monumental win against the Terps to stay unbeaten at Cassell, the Hokies turn road warriors this week at UVA and Georgia Tech. Who’s waiting out there on the road? Check it out:

VIRGINIA (10-4, 0-1 ACC)

Biggest Win: at Arizona, 75-72

Worst Loss: Seton Hall, 74-60

The instate Cavs are near the bottom of the ACC ledger right now, but the conference campaign is just one game old, and the standings certainly won’t stay that way. UVA is a dangerous, poised team with some quality senior leadership that will be a tough, tough out in February and beyond. Let’s look at some of the Hoos’ main weapons.

As he has for three years now, senior guard Sean Singletary paces the Cavs. Singletary is a beast, plain and simple, a 6-foot dynamo that fills up a box score, averaging 17.9 points, 3.9 boards and a career high 6.6 assists per game. Singletary has been in double figures every game this year, and has dropped in 20+ on 6 occasions in his senior campaign. Singletary shoots, passes, and attacks well. The only significant chink in his armor is an increasing propensity to commit turnovers. He’s been asked to handle a bigger portion of the ball handling duties this year, and that responsibility has resulted in bumped up numbers in both assists and turnovers. Singletary averages nearly 5 turnovers a game, so Tech will likely have to pressure him and hope it can force a few gaffes.

Adrian Joseph has been UVA’s best front court player this year, and Joseph has certainly been a pleasant surprise. A contributor in years past, the senior has answered the bell this season, seeing his rebound numbers leap from 3.5 to 7.8 a game, and adding a few more points to go with the boards, scoring 11.9 up from 7.2 a game last year. Joseph is a dangerous player because of his nose for the ball and his ability to hit the outside shot. This is a 6-foot-7 man who shoots 40% from beyond the arc, and nearly 80% from the stripe. He’s not quite the size of ACC big men that have burnt Tech big time in recent years, but if any Cav is going to kill the Hokies singlehandedly, my money is on Joseph, not Singletary. UVA has lost 4 games this year, and in three of those games, Joseph has scored 6 points or less. If that doesn’t tell you that stopping Joseph is the key to this game, nothing will.

The Cavs have an ace sharpshooter in Mamadi Diane, the Potomac product that has drained a three-ball in 12 of 14 outings this season. Diane is hitting 48% of his threes on the year, and while that number just can’t last until March, Diane is certainly hot lately, with 16 of his last 36 made in competition. I’m always amazed when stud three-point shooters struggle at the free throw line, but Diane is only 70% from the charity stripe. If the game is tight late, the Cavs would be much better suited to foul Diane than let him get a clear look at the hoop from long distance.

Prediction: I don’t like this matchup for the Hokies. There’s certainly the momentum factor in Tech’s favor coming off the thrilling Maryland win, but UVA is really tough at home, and I don’t think VA Tech can keep up with the Hoos’ 79 points a game scoring pace. The Hokies take one on the chin. UVA by 12.

GEORGIA TECH (7-8, 0-2 ACC)

Biggest Win: at Notre Dame, 70-69

Worst Loss: UNC Greensboro, 83-74

If the Hokies are going to grab a road win in the ACC, this is their best chance. Tech is 7-8 and will be 7-9 after the Tar Heels come to town Wednesday night. The Jackets were hit hard by defections after last season, and come Saturday, will likely be experiencing the inevitable hangover the game after playing the nation’s top team. GA Tech is the perfect team against which Greenberg’s Gang can reach up and grab one away from Cassell.

It’s safe to say the Jackets are still trying to find their best rotation. Not a single GA Tech player averages more than 30 minutes per game, and 11 average 10 minutes or more. That’s an astounding amount of balance in minutes. Anthony Morrow, Tech’s senior guard, is the team’s most experienced player, and Morrow has had an up and down career. After a breakout sophomore campaign that saw Morrow average 16 points and 4 boards a game, he saw his minutes, points and rebounds all dip dramatically during last year’s campaign. But Morrow is back this year, leading the team with 15 and 5 a night, and an improved A:T ratio to boot, 1.21:1. Morrow has one of the sweetest touches you’ll see outside a massage parlor. The senior is shooting 47% from threeland, and small sample size isn’t a problem. He’s already buried 36 bombs in 15 games: 2.4 a game. Face guarding him and denying the ball is Tech’s biggest challenge in this game.

In the post, GA Tech will run out a rotation of several bigger guys who will come in with fresh legs and a hunger for the glass. Jeremis Smith is a senior averaging 10 points and 7 boards a game, who isn’t nearly as prone to turnovers as most other big men. Putting an early foul or two on Smith’s sheet would help a lot, because the longer he’s in the game, the harder Hokie post men have to work to keep up. Zach Peacock is another 6-8 banger, but he’s younger and less experienced. Still, he uses his height well, and unlike Smith, can drop in the occasional outside shot. And as long as we’re counting big men, we can’t forget Alade Aminu, a 6-foot-10 mountain from Stone Mountain, Georgia. At just 225 lbs., he’s not the strongest player on Tech’s roster, and it’s shown the last few weeks. After roaring out of the gate, Aminu has averaged only 4.7 points a game the last 9 outings; keeping him out of the box score and on the bench is another VA Tech key to victory.

Prediction: What hurdle will be hardest for the Hokies to leap, the sum total of GA Tech’s post men, or the sole force of Anthony Morrow? I’m not sure, but I think if VA Tech can win the battle in one of the two areas, it can get the win. Call it a gut feeling, but I don’t think the Hokies are going winless this week. Hokies by 5.

VA Tech BB Preview: Hofstra

There’s only one opponent for VA Tech over Christmas Week 2007, and it’s the struggling Hofstra Pride on Friday the 28^th. Tech will be looking to salvage some pride after a few recent rough outings. What’s the scoop? Read On:

Hofstra (2-6, 0-1 CAA)

The Pride currently occupy the cellar hole of the Colonial League, made famous to Hokie fans in recent years by the tourney successes of George Mason and James Madison. But Hofstra is on the other end of the 8-ball from those two mid-major beasts, staring at the business end of a 2-6 mark that has seen ugly early season losses to Holy Cross, Stony Brook, St. Francis and Fordham. Ouch. The only two wins have come by a deuce over Manhattan and Charlotte; but during a four game losing streak, the Pride dropped all four by four points or less. So I guess you could say they’ve got a lot of early experience playing in close contests.

The Hofstra attack is dominated by senior guard Antoine Agudio, a four year starter closing in on 2,000 career points. Agudio currently sits at 1,888 points, and its fair to say he knows a little bit about putting the ball in the basket. Agudio has averaged 15, 17, 20 and this year, 26.8 points a game. If he’s still averaging 27 points a game by year’s end, he’ll start to get some national attention as he approaches the 2,500 career point mark.

Agudio is a consistent outside shooter in just about every way. He’s been over 42% from beyond the arc in every year of his career, and he’s consistent game to game as well: in every game but one this year, he’s made at least 3 3-point buckets, and he’s shot at least 6 in every game. He’ll shoot, and he’ll make alot. No way around that. The key to stopping Agudio is - you can’t, really. He’s going to score. But with the added pressure of needing to carry a totally bad team this year, he’s forcing the issue a bit too much. Agudio’s turnover numbers are up to 3.9 a game from last year’s 2.2. If Agudio gets his 25, but Tech can force him in to 4-5 turnovers, Coach Greenberg ought to be satisfied with that performance.

The real key to beating Hofstra is to just not let anyone else beat you. Agudio will get his points. He scored 28 of his team’s 47 at Holy Cross, but the Pride still lost by 14. There just aren’t any other credible weapons. Charles Jenkins is a capable alternative, at 6-foot-3, 220 lb., with a 12.4 ppg, 4.5 rpg average line in his freshman season. He’ll contribute, but he’s nowhere near the put away threat Agudio presents, and not as deft with the outside shot either. Jenkins, too, has committed 3.9 turnovers a game; I think we’ll see as much pressure on the opposing guard corps as we’ve seen this year.

Beyond Agudio and Jenkins, Hofstra has relied on a steady rotation of bodies. No one else averages more than 26 minutes a game, but the leader is transfer Darren Townes, a 6-7 junior from New York City who leads the team with 5.8 boards a night. Townes is mostly a scoring threat on the put back, and hasn’t made a three all year. He’ll get a few rebounds. Some of the other threats are freshman swing Nathaniel Lester, who has exploded in to double digits in three of the last five, junior forward Dane Johnson, the biggest body on the squad, and Lithunian junior forward Arminas Urbutis.

Prediction: Tech is going to win this game by a lot. Antoine Agudio can only do so much. He’ll drain a few threes on the bigger stage, by if the Hokies don’t win this game going away, there’s big reason for concern. VA Tech by 19.

VA Tech BB Preview: Liberty & Wake Forest

After a disappointing loss to Old Dominion, Virginia Tech returns home for tune it up against Liberty before they’ll have to turn it up at Wake in the ACC opener. What does the week have in store? Check it out:

*all team ratings are RPI, courtesy of www.kenpom.com

Liberty (5-5, 0-5 Big South)

Biggest Win: #71 Niagara, 86-81

Worst Loss: at #334 Campbell, 73-70

The Liberty Flames come to Blacksburg Wednesday looking to get over the .500 hump. Liberty started the year roughly, dropping their first three, but then kicked off a 5-1 run with the only loss coming at Kentucky. Former New Mexico coach Ritchie McKay seemed to have the Flames headed in the right direction; then came Saturday’s devastating loss at the Campbell Camels of Buies Creek, North Carolina. So what Flames team will show up at Cassell?

Senior forward Alex McLean has been unquestionably Liberty’s best player this year. McLean, a Bayshore NY native, came on strong last year with averages of 14.5 ppg and 8.9 rpg. He’s picked up right where he left off last year with numbers of 16.7 ppg and 8.6 rpg, and will probably be a no-doubter first team all Big South lock. McLean has been especially good lately, going over 20 points and 9 rebounds in three of the last four games, including a 33-11 night against Longwood.

However, McLean also played a big role in the brutal loss to Campbell. Despite entering the contest with an 11:6 turnover:assist ratio in his last 6 games, McLean committed turnover after turnover against the Camels, neutralizing his big scoring night and giving Campbell tons of free possessions. Another interesting stat is that McLean has only averaged 2 fouls a game in his last seven contests. That’s a very low number for a 6’8” banger and the team’s leading rebounder. Is he afraid to get physical on defense? I haven’t seen Liberty play quite enough to know for sure, but Tech will be well served to attack him on defense.

Elsewhere, the Flames will get plenty of production and tons of minutes from its guard duo of junior Anthony Smith and sophomore B.J. Jenkins. Smith and Jenkins both average 33+ minutes and 12+ points on the year, and rebound pretty well for little guys too, pitching in 4.2 boards per game to the cause. Jenkins is kind of your classic feast or famine type of player. In four games this year, he’s over 16 points. In the other six, he hasn’t topped 9. Jenkins has already thrown up 46 3-balls in just 10 outings, so he’s obviously not afraid to chuck the ball, whether he’s hitting or not. Smith is the more consistent of the two, with between 8 and 17 points in all but one game this year, but he’s a poor distributor by guard standards, with a brutal 1:2 assist:turnover ratio.

Prediction: Liberty has a few weapons, I guess, but in its one chance to hang with a really talented team, the Flames fizzled. No reason to predict otherwise, especially since Seth Greenberg ought to have his team’s attention. Tech by 14.

At Wake Forest (6-3, 0-0 ACC)

Biggest Win: #193 Bucknell, 72-56

Worst Loss: at #163 Charlotte, 63-59

Here’s what I don’t get about the RPI: The Deacons have lost to all three teams they’ve played above 163, and beaten all six teams they’ve played below 193. So what rating are they? 127. Ugh. But I digress…

The true big loss of the year happened in the offseason, as Wake coach Skip Prosser died suddenly, leaving the Deacons in the hands of longtime assistant and friend Dino Gaudio. We’ll know a lot more about this squad after Wednesday’s informative clash with USF, but for now, this team is a near blank-slate, with nary an interesting win or loss to speak of.

Wake’s best player looks to be freshman James Johnson. Johnson is a 6-foot-8, 200 lb. sinewy beanpole from Cheyenne, Wyoming, but he’s looked right at home on Tobacco Road so far, scoring a bit (12.4 ppg) and rebounding a lot (9.7 rpg). Throw in at least one block in every game but one, 2 steals a game, 5 straight 11 rebound games, and you’re probably looking at an ACC Freshman of the Year frontrunner. At 41.5%, Johnson’s field goal percentage reveals he hasn’t yet developed that college shooting touch, so forcing him to take uncomfortable shots is a key for the Tech D. Surrendering a layup is always bad business, but especially so in this case, because when Johnson gets near the hoop, he’s a beast, with 30 offensive rebounds in the last 6 games.

This is a young team all around, with sophomore L.D. Williams second in scoring, junior guard Harvey Hale third, freshman guard Jeff Teague fourth and sophomore guard Ishmael Smith fifth. The team is almost incredibly youthful, with Hale the only upperclassman averaging above 1 point a game. They’re also small; of the top five scorers, only Johnson is above 6’4, and three of them are sub 6’2, 180 lbs. This is a time for Tech’s bruiser mentality to simmer to the surface. Even if Wake tries to use its bench height to stack up with Tech in the middle, subs Jamie Skeen and Chas McFarland will be playing far more than they’re used to doing.

Prediction: Whatever the basketball equivalent of “punching them in the mouth” is, Tech

needs to do it in Winston-Salem. The Hokies have the horses to beat Wake inside, and I

think they will. Tech by 6.

VA Tech BB Preview: Old Dominion

The Hokies take a little bus trip down south on Sunday, trekking to Norfolk to battle Old Dominion. What kind of challenge will the Monarchs present? Let’s take a look:

Old Dominion (5-4, 1-0 CAA)

The Monarchs have been a tale of two teams so far. They’ve looked very solid in all the games they’re supposed to win against other mid-majors, clubbing Toledo by 31, Iona by 11 and MD-Eastern Shore by 25. But ODU has been dominated by the big boys, losing by double digits to Clemson, UNC, Louisville and Georgetown, in a game many had circled as a potential upset. So, all told, ODU is playing like a solid mid-major team; taking care of business with clarity in the games they should win, but unable to matchup athletically with the big boys.

ODU is lead in both scoring and rebounding by Gerald Lee, who hails from Uusikaupunki, Finland. Gesundheit! Lee has been in double figures 6 of 10 times this year, averages 13.1 ppg and 6.6 rpg, and uses his 6-10, 255 lb. frame to create some matchup problems inside. Lee has been a nice surprise for the Monarchs this year after averaging just 4 points an outing last year. In Lee’s best outings of the year, he’s drawn some fouls and done damage from the charity stripe. Tech needs to play standup defense and make him make shots without giving him free throws. Even though he leads the team in rebounding, 6.6 isn’t a ton for a guy that large, so the task of keeping him off the boards certainly isn’t impossible.

Another key player to watch is senior point guard Brandon Johnson. Johnson is a 4-year contributor in the ODU system, and looks to be having his most well-rounded year yet. He’s not a big cat, at 6-1, 180 lbs., but Johnson is dropping in 7.4 pts, 4.9 rebs and 5.2 assists on the year. Johnson can do a little bit of everything, evidenced in his near-miss of a triple double in the Toledo contest (9-10-9). He’s the voice of experience out there for the Monarchs, but he is prone to costly turnovers. Johnson is averaging 4 turnovers a game in 2007, way up from 2.3 last year in similar minutes. He’ll make some great passes and some terrible ones, and he’s probably not quite good enough to beat Tech.

After Lee, Johnson and senior Brian Henderson, ODU has 7 guys averaging between 13 and 19 minutes a game. I’m not sure I’m ready to call this a deep lineup, as the Monarchs are trying to find the right mix early in the year. However, the team is obviously comfortable with a large number of different players on the floor, so if the game happens to turn in to a foul-fest or goes extra time, ODU will probably benefit.

Prediction: This ODU lineup feels like the perfect recipe for a big game from A.D. Vassallo. The Monarchs are within a field goal at half, but Vassallo leads a second half scoring run to give Tech a double digit victory. Tech 69, ODU 59.

NCAA Tournament Second Round Preview

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

After outlasting the Illini on Friday, Virginia Tech takes to the court in Columbus, Ohio again to battle another team from Illinois, Southern Illinois. Hokiehaven.com's Brian Golden takes a look ahead at the contest to see who will be headed to the Sweet Sixteen.

SOUTHERN ILLINOIS (28-6, 15-3 MVC)
Big Wins: VA Tech 69-64, at Creighton 58-57, at Butler 68-64
Bad Losses: at Evansville 75-68

Two days after making one less mistake than Illinois, and surviving a madcap final few seconds, Virginia Tech battles Southern Illinois today for a spot, presumably versus Kansas, in the Sweet 16. The Salukis are, in some ways, the anti-VA Tech. SIU won the Missouri Valley the way Virginia Tech couldn't win the ACC: by bringing the lunchpail every single night, and dispatching the less threatening conference opponents. Of course, Drake and Illinois State are a far cry from FSU and NC State, but Southern Illinois' tough mental makeup is clear. When some began to doubt if this 2007 edition would be as special as some of its predecessors, the Salukis woke up, and began a winning streak that would last 11 games, and 6 weeks.

Back before SIU totally had it together, they faced a Virginia Tech team still looking for its identity on November 26. Southern Illinois took game one of the season series 69-64, in a contest that saw four Saluki starters go for double figures. Tech recovered from that loss, however, and I don't think the previous contest will be much help for either team. Each unit has grown into a more experienced, mature version of itself on that November day. That was a sloppy evening of basketball, with each team committing turnovers by the truck load and SIU earning a nice win for their tournament resume.

The Salukis often struggle to score, but the tallies are led by senior guard Jamaal Tatum at 14.9 ppg. Tatum's numbers aren't eye popping, but he has a habit of going off in big games, averaging 19.6 ppg in the team's three big second half games, including 21 in the MVC tourney against Creighton. Tatum is good, but he's far from the other only threat out there. Randal Falker and Matt Shaw, the dual Saluki big men, will cause problems for VA Tech by their mere presence in the game. Shaw, plagued by a troubling inconsistency most of the year, has begun to find stability going for 11 points three straight games, and giving the methodical Hokies yet one more guarantee. Everyone that plays for SIU can control the basketball and play defense, but the team is not especially deep. Only two bench players saw more than five minutes against Holy Cross, therefore, penetrating the lane to draw fouls on Falker and Shaw is imperative. Unlike almost everyone Tech has played lately, SIU doesn't have a bench that can do damage.

Controlling the tempo is the first key to a Hokie victory. Or, it may be more appropriate to say, releasing the tempo. SIU will try to control the game's pace, settling in to half court sets and draining shot clock. VA Tech needs to trap a little, gamble a little, allow Dowdell to score and distribute in transition. SIU will win a game in 50s. Tech wins a game where they can score 65 or more. This is tough, but I think both teams are right at 60, and Tech loses a Hokie heartbreaker. SIU BY 2.

NCAA Tournament First Round Preview

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

Virginia Tech will take to the court Friday night against Illinois in their first NCAA appearance in 11 years. Will the Hokies be a quick one and out or will March Madness reign in Blacksburg a little longer? Find out as Hokiehaven.com's Brian Golden takes a look ahead.

ILLINOIS (23-11, 9-7 BIG 10)
Big Wins: Indiana, Michigan State, at Indiana
Bad Losses: at Michigan

From a national runner-up finish two years ago to a 12 seed that struggled mightily in the not-so-mighty Big Ten, the Illini will come to Columbus wounded warriors, over which a win will be expected for Seth Greenberg's Hokies. Bruce Weber's troops took two from Indiana and also nabbed the Spartans, but have absolutely no marquee wins on which to hang their hat, and probably should have been omitted from the field entirely in favor of Syracuse or Kansas State.

None of that will matter when the ball is tipped early Friday evening, however, as Illinois is strong in all the areas Virginia Tech is weak and will thrive off a Big Ten friendly crowd in Columbus. Illinois is led by big men Warren Carter and Shaun Pruitt. Neither of the two upperclassmen has 'wow' talent, but after paying their dues behind more talented players, both Carter and Pruitt logged a ton of quality minutes this year. Carter, in particular, was solid, scoring double figures the last 10 games, helping Illinois finish 8-2 down the stretch. Chester Frazier is an explosive guard, and his season stats tell a beguiling story. Most games, Frazier isn't counted on to score much, only seeing double figures twice since January 4th. But occasionally, as in a 21 point outing against Penn State or a 10-rebound haul at Indiana, Frazier gets rolling and proves very difficult to stop. He's the kind of young player that can feed off a positive crowd and hurt you in a few ways; the crowd will be there Friday, Tech has to make sure Frazier isn't.

Elsewhere, the Illini operate on a fairly successful guard by committee plan; Jamar Smith (22 min./game), Calvin Brock (19 mpg) and Trent Meachem (18 mpg) have all had many ups and downs this year. Virginia Tech's goal with the Illini guards must be to force Weber's hand with substitutions. Weber is a good situational game coach, and Tech has to hassle the guard corps until one member of the unit must be replaced due to inefficiency, not at the convenience of Weber.

This game will, and should be the game this year's Hokies are remembered by. The questions that have harangued this bunch all year are all in play Friday night: Can they maintain a high level of play against a team with inferior talent? Can they play strong enough post defense to subdue active big men? Most importantly: Can they win a big game when the big game is NOT against a big team?

The crowd will be hostile early, and I think Tech goes into the locker room behind. But experience and talent will win out, and I think it is the HOKIES BY 7, in a game that could go either way until the final two minutes.

ACC Tournament Semifinals Preview

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

It's Day 3 of the ACC Tournament in Tampa, Fla. on Saturday with just four schools remaining in the hunt for the ACC title. Unlike the first day, most of the top seeds on Friday came out strong and pulled off the victory including the Virginia Tech Hokies. Come on in to see what is in store for the games on tap in the semifinals.

March 10 - Semifinals

1:30pm - North Carolina (26-6, 11-5) vs. Boston College (20-10, 10-6 ACC)

As the Tarheels dominated Friday, Boston College mounted a second half comeback to avert disaster, and vanquish the pesky Miami Hurricanes. Tyrese Rice, who we marked in this space yesterday as the contest's key player, went off for 32 points on six threes, helping Boston College advance to the semifinals against the top seeded Heels. Rice would do well to build on his track record against Carolina; the guard scored 20 in BC's five-point loss to UNC in February. The Heels are rested and ready, coming off an easy win over FSU that saw no one log more than 29 minutes. An already deep team gets deeper with that kind of balance. UNC's calling card Friday was shot selection and defense; the two elements combined to give them a 52% - 30% field goal advantage, a whopping total that, combined with a six-rebound margin, guarantees a win.

The Heels stopped Al Thornton, and will have a similar task with Boston College's Jared Dudley, although Dudley is a bit better and a slightly harder defensive assignment. In the team's first battle, a 77-72 Carolina win, Dudley scored 22, but only snatched three boards. This would be an acceptable outcome for North Carolina tomorrow. Boston College must force turnovers. Carolina gave the ball away 19 times to Florida State in an otherwise dominant outing, and ball control is priority number one for the Eagles. Boston College will need production from more than just Dudley, and getting an aggressive outing from youngin' John Oates would be a nice start. Oates had his finest performance of the year against Miami, and with BC's front line depleted, any contribution they get from Oates is a very welcome one.

How North Carolina Can Win: Keep rotating bodies and box out Dudley.

How Boston College Can Win: Tyrese Rice better keep shooting, and John Oates needs to eat the Wheaties.

What Will Happen: Often times, you'll see a team that survives a perilously close call loosen up and shock someone the next day. I don't think this will be one of those times. Carolina looked great Friday, and Boston College looks battered. Without the bodies in the paint, the Eagles just can't rebound with the Heels. HEELS BY 10.

4:00pm - NC State (17-14, 5-11) vs. Virginia Tech (21-10, 10-6)

We nailed the NC State upset over Virginia, even listing Gavin Grant's leadership as the key to the Wolfpack's success. Grant scored nine points in the last two minutes of the game, as North Carolina State exposed Virginia as a team with a gaudy home record, but almost no chance to win a big game on the road. The three big Packers scored 54 of the team's 77 points, and after listing Costner and Grant as the Most Important Players in games one and two, why not go with Ben McCauley in the semis? The sophomore has 36 points in two wins over Virginia Tech this year, and if he performs near the level Grant and Costner are, he will win the game, period.

Despite being the higher seed, Virginia Tech may very well be the underdog today. NC State won the first two meetings by a combined 36 points, and there's no reason to think the Hokies will be any better defending NC State's massive height advantage than they were in Raleigh or at Tech. A first glance at the box score of Tech's win over Wake doesn't provide many easy answers as to how the Hokies dominated the second half. But upon closer examination, a turnover margin of 18 (Wake) to just two for Virginia Tech proves the difference. A performance like that can't be expected every game, but extra possessions will be key in a contest where the Hokies are almost certain to be out rebounded. Citing Zabian Dowdell's need to control the game and Virginia Tech's need to box out and maintain competitiveness on the glass is getting old. So let's try this one – it would be awfully nice if someone other than the usual suspects proved a scoring threat. The Hokies aren't a very deep team when the chips are down, but Markus Sailes has seen his minutes increase near the end of his career, and has responded by knocking down a couple buckets, on his way to 14 points over the last three contests. If Sailes seeing the end of his Hokie career in sight can step up and at least force the Wolfpack defense to think about guarding someone other than Dowdell, Gordon or Vasallo, it could go a long way toward stretching the North Carolina State defense and minimizing their height advantage.

How North Carolina State Can Win: Do what they did twice this year by attacking the glass, bully the Hokies inside, own the paint and playing the game through Ben McCauley.

How Virginia Tech Can Win: Find a lesser known scoring option to stretch NC State's crowded post defense. Run and hope to tire out State since they've played an extra game in the past two days. Keep the rebounding margin within 3-4. Zabian Dowdell, feel free to hit some big shots, as well.

What Will Happen: Virginia Tech has a matchup problem with State, and based on prior performance it's a reach to think Virginia Tech suddenly plays great post defense. NC STATE BY 8.

ACC Tournament Quarterfinal Preview

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

ACC action continues on Friday with four more games from the St. Pete Times Forum in Tampa, Fla. After a day of upsets, the conference's top teams will take to the court including Virginia Tech. Come on in to see what is in store for the games on tap in the quarterfinals.

March 9 – Quarterfinals

12:00pm - North Carolina (25-6, 11-5 ACC) vs. Florida State (20-11, 7-9)

When the NBA drafts Al Thornton in June, his family is going to point to this weekend as one that helped make him a millionaire. The Seminole star, coming off a 25 point, 11 rebound performance against Clemson, is poised for a breakout performance if he can get on a roll against the Heels. In the first matchup between these squads, a 26 point UNC victory in January, Thornton exploded for 29 and 12, the first of his six 20/10 outings in ACC play this year. The 6-foot-8 senior has been unreal down the stretch; four of his last five outings have seen him score 23 points or more, three of those five have seen him snatch 11 rebounds. As I wrote in this space yesterday, Thornton is the kind of player that flies under the national radar all year until exploding in a postseason tournament. If the Heels don't defend him, or if Tyler Hansbrough is gun shy at all in attacking the glass, Thornton can win the game for FSU. The Heels come in after having backed into an ACC title no one really seemed to want. Despite dropping contests to Maryland and Georgia Tech, Carolina got help elsewhere to earn the tourney's #1 seed. No matter what happens in this tournament or the NCAAs, North Carolina will probably start 2007-08 as the nation's top ranked squad; their top four scorers are sophomores and younger, and underclassmen see about 85% of the minutes doled out by Roy Williams. This may not be the most telling stat, but UNC is 0-5 in ACC games where they give up 80 points or more. When they hold opponents to 80 or less, they're 11-0. Summary: you've got to score points, because like it or not, they're going to get theirs. The only chance against a team this deep and athletic is to attack, attack, attack.

How FSU Can Win: Al Thornton, this is your future calling.

How UNC Can Win: Shuttle all the bodies they can, and try to make the FSU star pick up some early fouls, neutralizing his aggressiveness.

What Will Happen: I said it yesterday, so I've got to stick by it. Thornton follows a gutsy performance with the game of his life, and moves up another five spots in the NBA Draft. Hansbrough will respond strongly from the Duke injury, but Thornton will shine, and FSU will play its way in to the NCAAs. NOLES BY 4.

2:00pm - Boston College (19-10, 10-6) vs. Miami (12-19, 4-12)

"Freedom's just another word for nothing left to lose…" The men of the Ibis were free as a bird yesterday, and played like it, stopping Maryland's seven-game winning streak in its tracks, and earning a quarterfinal matchup with fellow Big East émigré, Boston College. Miami didn't pass well (four assists), but crushed Maryland on the glass, 39-30, and got 17 points from Jack McClinton to beat a Terp team that shot poorly and rebounded worse. Now, the foe is Boston College, a team responsible for beating Miami twice already this year. Jared Dudley battered the 'Canes' weak front line in the schools' second meeting, a seven point Boston College win in February. Dudley's fresh legs against a tired and undermanned big-man crew are a really toxic recipe for Miami. The San Diego born senior has battered weaker opponents this year on his way to ACC Player of the Year honors. If the task were to just stop Dudley, Miami would be in enough trouble. But Tyrese Rice has also crushed the 'Canes this year, for 17 and 21 points, and when Dudley and Rice are both clicking, BC wins. Big.

How Miami Can Win: Same recipe as yesterday. Chuck away. Miami isn't going to out execute a fresh BC, but they might out shoot them.

How BC Can Win: Keep Tyrese Rice involved. If he is present and controlling his area of the floor, Miami just can't keep up defensively.

What Will Happen: BC flexes its muscles, and builds a big halftime lead en route to a fairly easy victory. Miami will shoot its way in to contention at some point in the second half, but the final score won't be close. EAGLES BY 13.

7:00pm - Virginia (20-9) vs. NC State (16-14, 5-11)

The Cavs are certainly the least known quantity among the teams receiving byes. Despite tying for the top record in the conference, Virginia won just three road games in ACC play, and didn't do much to distinguish themselves away from the JPJ. The Hoos earned their conference status, to be sure, but don't have the experience or the road resume to be counted on for a deep tourney run. NC State, on the other hand, is predictable as death and taxes, a team that will bang and mash with their three underclassmen posts, and is good enough to win the NIT if they grab an invite. Yesterday, we pegged Brandon Costner as the Pack's key to victory against Duke, and the kid delivered, scoring 30 and hauling in seven rebounds. Today it is Gavin Grant. Coming off Thursday's "upset", NC State needs temerity, not vitality, and State's oldest star is the ideal candidate to provide leadership. Additionally, Grant averaged just 11 and four in the Wolfpack's two early season losses to Virginia, and the key to their success tomorrow is having the three headed monster of Costner, Grant and McCauley all wreaking havoc. Engin Atsur and Courtney Fells are the NC State guards; both grab lots of minutes, and can score when necessary, but if either of the two is State's key offensive player, you can pencil in Virginia to the semifinals.

How Virginia Can Win: Keep the rebounding margin within sight, and take care of the basketball.

How NC State Can Win: Attack Cavalier center Jason Cain. If Cain picks up fouls, McCauley, Grant and Costner will go almost unchecked in the middle, and the upset will be sprung.

What Will Happen: It is easy to say this game will be a contrast in styles. NC State's best three players are 6-foot-8 and bigger. Everyone that does damage for the Cavs is a little guy. Despite the two earlier losses, I like this NC State team a lot, and I think they'll dominate the offensive class and spring the day's second upset. PACK BY 6.

9:30pm - Wake Forest (15-15, 5-11) vs. Virginia Tech (20-10, 10-6)

Who needs 4th of July with the fireworks the Deacs light off Thursday night? Capping a wild day of tourney action, Wake scored the fourth-straight upset win in preliminary action by shooting 64% from the field and (this is not a misprint) 69.6% from three point range. That's 16-23, for those of you with a scorecard, and it's safe to say that if Wake repeats that performance, Virginia Tech has almost no chance. So, how does a team shoot threes like they're trying layups and not blow the other squad out of the gym? Well, getting just 24 rebounds while committing 26 turnovers in 50 minutes is a good start. It's safe to say that if Wake repeats that performance, they have almost no chance. So, which Wake shows up? It will definitely be a tired Deacon squad, as Wake's three big guns all tallied 44 minutes or more into early Friday morning. Ideally, the Wake squad Tech sees today won't present as tight a battle as the one that came to Cassell and just missed in a three point Tech win back in December. That game feels downright prehistoric in hindsight, and hopefully shooting performances like the two of 13 gem from Zabian Dowdell will be extinct come tourney time.

How Wake Can Win: Pound the ball inside and attack the glass. Also, shooting 70% from three-land would help.

How Tech Can Win: Run a little more than they usually do. You're facing an already weak team coming off a marathon battle that encroached past midnight. The more the Hokies make Wake move their legs, the more likely the Deacons are to foul, get in bad position, and prove vulnerable on defense.

What Will Happen: Visser is a scary presence given Tech's record against big guys this year, but on tired feet, he won't be enough to cause the Hokies big problems. TECH BY 9.

ACC Tournament First-Round Preview

(This article appeared originally on www.hokiehaven.com.)

Always a spectacle to watch, the highly anticipated ACC tournament kicks off Thursday in Tampa, Fla. Some of the nation's hottest teams will play in the opening round including the red hot Maryland Terrapins. Come on in to see what's in store for the game's tomorrow.

March 8 – FIRST ROUND

12:00pm - Clemson (21-9, 7-9 ACC) vs. Florida State (19-11, 7-9 ACC)

Welcome to the ACC, where a team that began the year 17-0 ends up the #8 seed in the conference tournament. Clemson finished the year winning just four of their last 13, but a stunning win in Blacksburg on Hokie Senior Day has given the Tiger faithful a glimmer of hope that a tourney run may be in the offing. Florida State's record isn't quite as good, but they have been by far the more solid team throughout the season, and are probably closer to making the field of 65 than the orange tigers. Florida State might be in with a win Thursday, and would definitely be in with a victory over North Carolina. Clemson might be in if they advance to the ACC finals, but anything short of winning the tournament will likely send them to the NIT. Clemson won both of the regular season contests between the squads, taking a 68-66 decision in Tallahassee, and sealing the sweep 71-58 back in the Palmetto State.

How Clemson Can Win: Clemson's two wins over the 'Noles came courtesy of plenty of extra possessions. In the two battles, FSU committed 35 turnovers and Clemson blocked 12 shots. Clemson has to control the basketball and benefit from the extra looks at the hoop.

How FSU Can Win: Someone else has to score. Al Thornton has gone for 21 and 19 points in the first two games, and only two other players in those two games have scored more than nine. That's not good. And in the second contest, Thornton was only 4-14 from the field, but no one else could make an impact. Guards Isaiah Swann and Jason Rich have to take open shots, and make them.

Who Will Win: Florida State has been cruising under the radar all year, and has a chance to be very special in Tampa. Al Thornton is the best ACC player south of Tobacco Road, and just seems like the type of player to have a couple big post season tournaments, and raise his pro stock considerably. Throw in the FSU-friendly crowd, and its NOLES BY 7.

2:00 pm – Maryland (24-7, 10-6 ACC) vs. Miami (11-19, 4-12 ACC)

In a year where both Cavs and Hokies didn't have major resurgences, Gary Williams would be in line for conference coaching honors. Despite that, he has led Maryland to a 7-game season-ending winning streak that has brought the Terps from the unfriendly side of the bubble to a possible top 4-5 seed. D.J. Strawberry and Mike Jones are experienced guards with size, and they'll make this team one of the most genuinely scary outs in the NCAAs. Back in January, Maryland lost, 63-58, to this Miami team, in an ugly contest where the Terps shot just 22%. Yikes. You probably won't see that kind of outing again, especially against a Hurricane unit surrendering 82 points a game since a February 21st upset of Virginia. And yet, is there another 11-win team in America with 4 wins as credible as at Evansville, Georgia Tech, at Maryland and Virginia? Miami has beaten some quality teams this year, and if Anthony Harris heats up (15 points per game in the 'Canes three ACC wins), Miami could win the game.

How Maryland Can Win: Keep the ball in your guards' hands. With Clemente out for the 'Canes, Maryland's guards, already a strength, will be in position to yield their superiority even more strongly.

How Miami Can Win: Fire, fire away. Jack McClinton is not afraid to shoot the rock, and the bravery has been on full display in recent 21 and 31 point outings to close the year. These wounded 'Canes can't hang with Maryland in a slow-down, execute, tactical battle. They've got to bomb away, hope one of the little guys gets hot, and feed off the no-one-believes in us energy.

What Will Happen: If the Terps shoot well, they should win handily. Execution, shot clock management, and control are their keys to the game. Letting the dangerous Canes hang around too long is a mistake. TERPS BY 9.

7:00 pm – Duke (22-9, 8-8 ACC) vs. NC State (15-14, 5-11 ACC)

Duke, #1 NCAA seed almost every year since 1998, are a seven seed in the ACC. Ain't it nice? Some folks are still touting the Dukies as a top 4-5 seed in the Dance, but they didn't beat ACC front runners UNC, Virginia, Virginia Tech or Maryland this year. One team they did beat is NC State, who is fighting for a winning season, although it will likely need two wins to make the NIT. The Devils rode 13 steals and a 5-rebound edge to a 79-56 victory in January. This tournament, and the one that starts next week, are the first big tests for floor general Greg Paulus and Josh McRoberts, to see if they'll be the "next great Dukies". Paulus hasn't impressed much, dishing only 3.8 assists on the year. If his shot stays true, however (46% 3P on the year), he can do some damage, and sneak up on some teams late. McRoberts is the key cat in this battle, however, as he fights against NC State's biggest, and only strength: size. The Pack gets 46 points a night combined from three players over 6-foot-8, Gavin Grant, Ben McCauley, and Brandon Costner. Grant is the most experienced of the three, but Costner is a future ACC Player of the Year. A tell-tale sign for how NC State will perform is how well Costner rebounds. Get this stat: since January 24, when Costner grabs seven boards or less, the Pack is 1-7. When he's in double digits, they're 3-0. McRoberts will leave the freshman un-boxed out at his peril.

How Duke Can Win: Box out Brandon Costner. Listen to Coach K.

How NC State Can Win: Attack the glass mercilessly, and take the game to McRoberts. A foul on the big guy is worth at least a couple baskets down the line.

What Will Happen: NC State matches up great with Duke, despite the early season hiccup. Duke still probably wins, but it won't be overwhelming, and Virginia will finish them off tomorrow. DUKE BY 4.

9:30 pm – Georgia Tech (20-10, 8-8 ACC) vs. Wake Forest (14-15, 5-11 ACC)

Tech is probably in after finishing the regular season with a victory over Boston College, but a win against Wake would seal the deal for Paul Hewitt's team. Wake is…well, pride is important, too. The Jackets are kind of a not-quite-as-talented version of last year's Florida Gators. They don't have a senior scoring more than five points a game, and they've got talent, athleticism and moxie. If Georgia Tech can control the basketball better than they did at weak parts of this season, they could roll into the Sweet Sixteen. The season series between these two squads was a split, with Wake defending the home court in January behind an 8-rebound advantage, and 26 and nine from senior center Kyle Visser. Wake hasn't won a game in 2007 where Visser didn't have at least 14 points and six boards.

How Georgia Tech Can Win: Drawing fouls on the big man and converting foul shots would be a great start. Not allowing strings of sloppy ball control and 3-4 straight turnovers would seal it.

How Wake Can Win: Try to make the Jackets play. Extend the shot clock, throw some press, force Tech to execute. The Deacons have no chance to out-athleticize, or even probably out-shoot Georgia Tech if the Jackets are hot. Forcing the young, often sloppy team to execute presents a recipe for an upset.

What Will Happen: The Yellow Jackets produce an impressive performance, and provide one mortal lock for tomorrow's slate of games: At 9:00, Tech will win. GEORGIA TECH BY 14.

A Look Ahead

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

The Commonwealth of Virginia will showcase two of the nation's top teams in perhaps the biggest sports battle in years between the two in-state powers. Now conference opponents, Virginia and Virginia Tech square off in what very well could decide the ACC regular season championship. Hokiehaven.com's Brian Golden takes a look at the upcoming contest.

VIRGINIA (19-8, 10-4 ACC)
Big Wins: Duke, Maryland, at Maryland, Arizona
Bad Losses: Appalachian State, at Purdue, at Miami

The Birthplace of Presidents elects an ACC champion Thursday, with a Hokie win essentially sealing the title for Tech, and a Cavalier win maintaining Virginia's chances while paving the way for North Carolina to take the crown. The Cavs have followed a more traditional path to the conference lead than Virginia Tech. Where Tech has dominated the league leaders, and tripped against the bottom-feeders, three of Virginia's four losses are to Tech, UNC and Boston College, with a fourth to Miami. The Hoos haven't played a team with a winning record in the ACC since February 10, and that was a 27-point loss to Tech. That blowout ended a seven-game winning streak that included wins over Duke, Maryland (twice) and Clemson. Since then, Virginia has looked pretty average.

There's no doubt that playing in John Paul Jones Arena benefits Virginia. The Cavs are undefeated in the new crib this season, and junior guard Sean Singletary has been markedly better there. Just lately, Singletary has put up pts-reb-ast. totals of 24-7-4, 19-6-6, 19-4-7 and 22-4-5 in the last four home games. Running mate J.R. Reynolds has been over 20 points eleven times this year, and the two create a backcourt that is probably the only one in the ACC more seasoned and perhaps better than Dowdell and Gordon.

Home prowess aside, Tech is the perfect squad to break the home winning streak and end Virginia's flawless JPJ season. After non-conference struggles, the Hokies have already gotten four ACC road wins, including conquests of Duke and UNC, and don't expect Zabian Dowdell to back down from a hostile crowd. The Hokies have performed very well against guard dominated squads this season, and Virginia's big men combined for only 2 points in the February 10 matchup. Its hard to pick against an undefeated home team, but the Cavs are the perfect matchup for Tech tonight.

The Hokies win by 4, and start clearing the rafter space at Cassell.

Hokies Have Come a Long Way to ACC Title

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

Huge.

That's really the only word to describe the next five days of Virginia Tech basketball. In the catbird's seat for the ACC Championship with two games to play, the Hokies have 80 minutes of basketball to prove they have come full circle since their much-doubted inclusion to the conference just three seasons ago.

For over a decade Virginia Tech has struggled in every conference they have played in since 1995-1996, logging a 58-104 record that has spanned the ACC, Big East and Atlantic 10. After high hopes gave way to a disappointing slide during the 2005-2006 campaign, the Hokies have shown resiliency this season, rebounding strong from big losses, and scoring a triad of big wins: a season sweep of North Carolina, and a road win at traditional power Duke. Greenberg's Gang is just the third ACC school to win at both Tobacco Road powers in the same season.

However, there have been disappointments as well, occasional head-scratchers, baffling outings of lethargy that have left Hokie fans nearly as down as the monumental Tobacco Two-fer left them up. Virginia Tech has been swept by 14-13 North Carolina State, yielding two losses by a combined 36 points in performances that left critics asserting the Hokies were not ready for prime time. A frustrating loss to Florida State and a pair of occasionally listless victories against Miami have made Tech's next performance almost impossible to predict.

The roller coaster ride rolls in to Charlottesville tomorrow, and the John Paul Jones Arena will rock. The cross-state Cavaliers have a 10-4 ACC record to match Tech's, and are undefeated in their new digs this season. The contest is one of the biggest in recent memory to hit the Old Dominion State, which is consistently overshadowed by the traditional roundball power of its southern neighbor, North Carolina. But this year, Duke has struggled, and Tech has swept the 'Heels, making Wednesday's derby the biggest ACC matchup of the year.

Here's a look at how the standings shake out right now:

Virginia Tech 10-4 at Virginia, Clemson
North Carolina 10-4 at Georgia Tech, Duke
Virginia 10-4 Virginia Tech, at Wake

If Tech ties for the title with UNC, Tech wins.
If UNC ties for the title with UVA, UNC wins.
If all three tie for the title, Tech wins.
If Tech and UVA tie for the title, after a Tech win Wednesday, Tech wins.
If Tech and UVA tie for the title, after a UVA win Wednesday, Tech and UVA tie.

The ascension from also-ran to the apex of the ACC mountain has been navigated by Tech's trio of super seniors, Zabian Dowdell, Coleman Collins and Jamon Gordon. Under the seniors' charge, Tech has risen from a team some coaches said would lower the talent pool of the ACC, to one with 20 wins, a likely top-five NCAA seed and a dominant home court advantage.

Dowdell's rise has been particularly magical. One of the most underrated guards in the nation, Dowdell has quietly led the Hokies through adversity, and his scoring total of 1700 is currently good for eighth on Tech's career list. With just 105 points in Tech's remaining four games (minimum), Dowdell would rise to fifth all-time. His 18.1 points per game have him poised to be just the third Hokie ever to lead his team in scoring three times.

Ultimately, the legacy of these three seniors and Coach Seth Greenberg will be left for history to judge. Win or lose Thursday, 2007 has been a watershed campaign for Virginia Tech basketball. Several more will be required if the hardcourt is ever to compete with Frank Beamer's squad as the main attraction in Blacksburg. Regardless of the final score in Charlottesville, this senior class has left its mark indelibly pasted on Virginia Tech's basketball fortunes. Gordon, Dowdell, Coleman and Greenberg will and should be legends, celebrities in Blacksburg for years to come. A 20-win season, a dominant home campaign, and a high NCAA tournament seed will be these Hokies' star on the sidewalk. A win at Virginia and, thereby, an ACC title, would be their handprints in the concrete.

What's Your Forecast for the Big 12 Tourney?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

I was thinking of boycotting this column until the Big XII tournament returns to Kansas City, and Kelly’s, and Westport, but alas…a deadline is a deadline. I just wrote an ACC Tournament preview in 35 minutes for the Virginia Tech Rivals site, I guess I can churn this one out as well.

Iowa State vs. Oklahoma, first round.
Oklahoma seems a lot scarier than they are, probably because I still get confused as to why the best player on their whole team is actually the coach. I like Jeff Capel, but he may be in over his head in the Big XII. The same can’t be said about Greg McDermott, and I like the Cyclones to pull this one out by 6. Wesley Johnson with his umpteenth double-double.

Iowa State vs. Kansas, second round.
Ssshhhhh. Take a nap, Jayhawks. Don’t worry. We set your alarm for NCAA tourney time. Just…lean back…head on the pillow….Sssshhh….Rock-a-chalk Jayhawk, in OKC…Cyclones catch Kansas napping, and squeak the stunner.

Iowa State vs. Kansas State, semifinals
Dang it. There’s no way in H-E-L-L this Cyclone team has a Big XII title run in them, but I certainly can’t pick ISU to drop three in one year to Huggy Bear Thuggins from the Little Apple? Gawd, what to do? OK. I’ll be reasonable. Hopefully Jiri sings the Jayhawks an authentic Czech lullaby, because that’s the only way we’re getting to this game. I say Michael Taylor finally stops shooting when we’re down by 15 with a minute left. 17-16 on the year, and an outside shot at an NIT bid. Yeah, that’ll do.

Brian #2

When it comes to predicting the Big 12 tournament, not much of my analysis really involves Iowa State. In fact, I see the Cyclones falling in the first round to Oklahoma, 62-54. The first time around, we were able to beat Oklahoma because Jiri Hubalek went unchecked for a 10 minute period while we built a huge lead. In the rematch, Longar Longar will have none of that, and Cyclone fans will probably have an array of wild shots and turnovers from Mike Taylor to keep them off balance and interested in defeat. I am predicting at least one Rahshon “Radioactive” Clark dunk over Longar Longar, but little else on the offensive end for the Clones.

First Round:
Iowa State 54, Oklahoma 62
Texas Tech 68, Colorado 52
Oklahoma State 67, Nebraska 69
Missouri 57, Baylor 55

Second Round:
Kansas 84, Oklahoma 71
Texas Tech 72, Kansas State 66
Texas A&M 70, Nebraska 65
Missouri 63, Texas 61

Semifinals:
Texas Tech 72, Kansas 69
Texas A&M 58, Missouri 54

Finals:
Texas Tech 65, Texas A&M 60

A title for Bobby Knight just a week after his team beat Iowa State by only 2? Call it a hunch, because there certainly is not much else behind it, but they have risen to the occasion in big games all season, and it is no fun to pick Kansas or A&M. Watch for Tech to play their way off of the bubble and into a 6 seed with a great tournament performance.

Brad

Although Brian #2 is my brother, he tends to see ISU’s fate a little bit differently than I do. The Cyclones have been playing better basketball of late, and Oklahoma simply isn’t the team people think they are. Yes, Rahshon Clark had Longar Longar’s number on a posterizing dunk in high school, and that will continue. Yes, Jeff Capel can’t coach his way out of a cardboard box compared to Greg McDermott. Yes, ISU is ready to make Oklahoma City Cyclone country for a weekend. Here is the way I see the Big 12 tourney playing out:

First Round:
Iowa State 61, Oklahoma 51
Texas Tech 72, Colorado 60
Oklahoma State 70, Nebraska 60
Missouri 68, Baylor 55

Second Round:
Iowa State 55, Kansas 54
Kansas State 73, Texas Tech 64
Oklahoma State 81, Texas A&M 78
Texas 67, Missouri 60

Semifinals:
Iowa State 64, Kansas State 59
Texas 76, Oklahoma State 73


Finals:
Texas 82, Iowa State 67

It won’t be easy for ISU to make it this far, but I truly believe that it won’t have much trouble with the Sooners in the first round. As long as it closes the deal on KU in the second round, Cyclone fans will be online in large numbers trying to purchase first round NCAA tournament tickets. The law of Averages says it’s tough to beat a team twice in the same season. Well, hopefully that applies to three times, too. Kansas State downright embarrassed ISU in Manhattan just a couple weeks ago, but if Mike Taylor pulls a Minnesota (we’ve all been hoping for that since the Minnesota game), we can do it.

The semis will include a rematch of the Texas-OSU classic in Stillwater this year, and it will live up to its expectations. In the finals, Jessan Gray re-injures his nose, and Michael Taylor has one of those games where he misses every shot (you know, every other game?). Kevin Durant will be seen stomping on anything closely resembling a Cyclone logo after the game, and all the ISU fans that travel down for Sunday will be crushed. Revenge stinks—thanks, Tasheed.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

A Look Ahead

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

Virginia Tech will look to refocus their efforts in the final run of the season. With just four games left, two this week and two next every game means more and more for the Hokies. Tech will need to right the ship to assure themselves a top spot in the ACC tournament and an NCAA at-large bid. Check out what's on tap this week.

BOSTON COLLEGE (18-8, 9-4 ACC)
Big Wins: Virginia Tech, Virginia, Michigan State
Bad Losses: Duquesne, Vermont, at Providence

Winner can win the ACC title with a little help. Loser can't. Tonight, its that simple.

The Eagles ambushed Tech on February 3, posting a 21-point win, dominating in all phases of play. Boston College snared five more rebounds, dished 11 more assists, and buried 10 more 3-point baskets in the rout. That contest came when the Eagles hadn't played an ACC game in a week, and it showed, as they beat up on the tired Hokies. This time, Tech has less rest yet again, but VT's focus should be at a season-high after an embarrassing 25-point drubbing against NC State. The formula for beating Virginia Tech has remained constant since early December, and there are only two criteria: 1. your leading scorer is above 6-foot-7, and 2. your jersey doesn't say "North Carolina." All but one of the Hokies' losses have come to teams fitting those two bills, and Boston College fits in completely. Eagle power forward Jared Dudley has continued to be a beast in the paint, posting 19.7 ppg and 8.5 rpg in a season that will likely be good enough for ACC Player of the Year honors. Dudley is just the kind of player able to massacre Tech's weak frontline defenders, and the picture doesn't get rosier checking out the rest of BC's starters including 6-foot-6 guard Sean Marshall (15.1 ppg, 4.7 rpg) and 6-foot-6 small forward Shamari Spears (8.1 ppg, 5.6 rpg) both have to make Seth Greenberg cringe.

If there's hope for the Hokies, it has to be found in good shooting nights from the guards. In the last 39 days, Tech has shot 45% from the field and 70% from the line in the same game just three times. For a guard dominated team that has to make its living scoring baskets, that's a bad stat. If VT wins this one, they can beat Virginia to put all the heat on Carolina to win out for the ACC title. If they don't, the Hokies will be just a game above Duke for 5th place. This is this week's "Biggest Game of the Year."

MIAMI (10-16, 3-9 ACC)
Big Wins: Georgia Tech, at Maryland
Bad Losses: at Buffalo, at Cleveland State, Binghamton

Although one must hesitate before considering any game played by this year's Hokies a foregone conclusion, this seems about as un-scary an offering as the schedule makers could have presented. The 'Canes have been brutal in a rugged ACC, and Tech gets them in friendly Cassell before a week-long layover leading up to the Virginia contest.

Since a conquest of then-ranked Maryland on January 10, Miami has won just once, going 1-8 and suffering repeated blowout losses over the last six weeks. Tech struggled with this team earlier in the year, however, needing 34 made free throws and 58% field goal shooting to hold off the Canes, 92-85. Dowdell pumped in 30 in that game, with half coming from the charity stripe, and got 23 from Deron Washington in support. Washington's 23 and 10 night wasn't enough to subdue Miami's Denis Clemente, who went off for a season high 24. Clemente has been pretty quiet since that contest, breaking 10 points only once in the last five games. When Clemente gets "hot", he still doesn't really shoot that well…he just shoots a lot. In the five games this year he's scored 14 points or more, he hasn't been over 55% shooting in any one of them. Clemente will keep shooting regardless of the outcome, so if he's cold, the Hokies might actually be wise to try and induce him in to a shooting spree.

Brian Asbury, a 6-foot-7 swingman, is the only player that is likely to do VT serious damage. Asbury's height creates matchup problems, as does his consistency. He's been in double figures eight of nine games, and if the Hokie defense resorts to fouling, his free throw shooting skills are great for a big man, which could hurt Tech. This shouldn't be a tough game by comparison to the Boston College contest, but as is truer with VT than with any squad in the nation…this year, you never know.

Which Big 12 Rival do you most enjoy beating?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

Being asked which Big 12 opponent is the most fun to beat is kind of like being asked which of the five straight victories over Iowa was the most fun; the mere question brings back a flood of happy memories, and there are just too many choices.

My colleague Brad has separated schools in to their football and basketball programs, picking Kansas in basketball and Nebraska in football. This is fair, but I’m looking for a global answer here, so I’ve got to rule out schools where I don’t have any ill-feelings toward one of their two programs. This knocks off:

Kansas football: what did the Maneating Mangino ever do to anybody?
Oklahoma State football: kind of like watching Bobby Reid and Adarius Bowman, not gonna lie
Baylor basketball: Scott Drew is related to Bryce and Homer Drew of Valpo fame. That’s enough for me.
Texas football: They’re a lot better than everyone else, and Vince Young is probably the coolest dude I’ll never meet.
Texas Tech basketball: The general always has good teams, and has never thrown a chair at Hilton.
Texas A&M football: 12th man = cool.

So that’s half the league gone, and we’re left with: Nebraska, Colorado, Kansas State, Missouri, Oklahoma.

I’m going to throw out Oklahoma and Kansas State, because we just don’t have enough experience beating them in football in my lifetime for them to be seriously considered, and I’m going to throw out Colorado, because they’re typically so bad in basketball, and ISU pounded them at Hilton so many years in a row, that beating them has lost a lot of meaning.

Which leaves Missouri and Nebraska.

The 36-14 slaughter of Nebraska was one of my favorite Cyclone wins ever, as it represented such a watershed moment of the program truly “arriving” has a competitor in the Big 12. Marvin’s Miracle and the 35-27 conquest in 2004 are also high on the list. When it comes to basketball, the Devaney Center is pretty much a big warehouse with a couple rims, so its never been too special to get ‘er done in Lincoln, but who can forget the unreal victory there, when Tinsley inbounded to Martin Rancik with .9 on the clock, helping ISU win their second straight Big 12 Title?

My antipathy toward Missouri goes back to my early childhood. For some reason, in the early-mid 80s, ISU and Missouri got in to several brawls on the gridiron, and it seemed like every time the Cyclones and Tigers were playing, punches ended up being thrown. The teams in general have been bad together, good together, mediocre together, and almost every contest in the series seems to go down to the wire. There’s ISU’s 20-14 goal line stand in Columbia, Mizzou ruining our Big 12 North title, 17-14 in Ames, and of course this year’s epic Dan McCarney send off, 20-16, in Ames. On the basketball side, Brian #2 will chronicle one of the weirdest, longest games in Cyclone history (rest peacefully, Zach Fortune), and two of the most reviled coaches in the Big XII, Gary Pinkel and Quin Snyder. When one of those guys isn’t doing crack with his player’s girlfriend, the other is demanding apologies from officials and pretending like his team won a football game it fairly lost. I’m going with the Tigers here, and cheers to our next victory over that OTHER black and gold enemy.

Brian #2

My first reaction to the question of which Big 12 rival I most enjoy defeating was probably the same as almost any other Iowa State fan’s; Nebraska in football and Kansas in basketball. If I can only pick one between the two sports, though, it has to be Missouri.

It seems like there are a thousand reasons to hate Missouri. Gary Pinkel, them keeping us out of the Big 12 title game, their colors, Gary Pinkel, Quin Snyder in his day, and just the face that they come out in the shotgun on the goal line. In basketball, Missouri just pisses me off because they seem to have one of their average players go off against us every year. Marshall Brown, Thomas Gardner (before he blew up), and others just start bombing in threes with no abandon when the Cardinal and Gold are on the other side of things.

Missouri is also fun to beat because we have so many dramatic games against them. There is the goal line stand with the knockdown by Atif Austin, the 4 OT loss where Leonard Perry almost had to go in to play point guard, and this year’s basketball game at Missouri, where a last second Wesley Johnson tip-in won the game. The two teams seem to play close, fairly matched games more times than not, and those games are always more fun.

Don’t get me wrong, I certainly hate Nebraska and Kansas. Missouri, however, is a game that I always love winning because it is generally close to a measuring bar for our season, and they run in the middle of the Big 12 in football and basketball most seasons, meaning that a win over Missouri usually means that we will be going to a bowl game, or have a decent chance at the basketball postseason. So my reasons to love beating Missouri are not as emotional as my reasons for loving to beat some others teams, but Missouri is my favorite Big 12 Rivals to beat. It is not quite my Super Bowl, but it is always a pretty big game.

Brad

The question of which Big 12 rival I enjoy beating the most is a difficult one, and is dependent on the sport we are talking about. When it comes to basketball, nobody is more fun to beat than Kansas. During the fall on the gridiron, watching the Huskers to the west cry themselves to sleep is a victory in itself.

I had the privilege (misfortune) of living in Omaha, Nebraska during the 2004-2005 year. Don’t get me wrong—Omaha is a nice city with a lot to offer and, overall, the people are exceptionally friendly. But the utter arrogance and stupidity that permeates its college sports fan base is unavoidable.

First of all, the people aren’t loyal to a school—they are loyal to a winner. To be sure, 99% of the population cheers for Nebraska in football. When it comes to the second biggest Division I sport, basketball, they are all over the map. Creighton, North Carolina, Duke, and yes—KANSAS. So, it’s about the worst combination of teams that any single population could cheer for.

Of course, Nebraska football has a rich tradition that is to be admired. Lincoln, Nebraska claims to be the third most populated city in the country on a Husker game day. However exaggerated that is, there is no denying the passion of Big Red faithful. That doesn’t stop me from hating them—doesn’t even do anything for that cause, really. Nebraska has always been a winner, and a big one against ISU. During the 90s it had no trouble pouring it on until Jim Walden and Dan McCarney called for mercy—and then the Fuskers would score some more.

This all changed in 2002 when, due to the running ability of Seneca Wallace and a stout defensive effort, ISU outscored Nebraska 36-14. This prompted one of my all-time favorite Pete Taylor quotes: “This may not be the Nebraska of old, but it’s certainly the Cyclones of new.” That pretty much sums up the triumphant feeling we all had that day.

As for basketball, it boils down to the same arrogance of the KU faithful but, of course, arrogance is usually backed up. Kansas basketball has a tradition that is unquestionably in the top five nationally, with names like Fog Allen, James Naismith and Roy Williams. ISU has had considerable success against the Jayhawks and it feels oh so good. Early in the decade, Larry Eustachy guided ISU to five straight victories against KU, which would have seemed impossible. Roy Williams even remarked, “You know when you go up against Larry, you aren’t going to out-coach him”

Kansas basketball fans and Nebraska football fans are from the same breed. That breed is one we ISU fans would love to pummel into extinction, wishing them an infinite streak of losses.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.

A Season to Remember

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

In the blink of an eye, Virginia Tech's 2007 campaign has graduated from a special one to a permanent, hands-down, no-doubt program changer. In beating North Carolina 81-80 Tuesday night, the Hokies became just the third team in history to win at Duke and Carolina in the same season. Tech won at North Carolina for the first time in eighteen tries, the first time since 1966, but despite the gaudy statistics, Greenberg's Gang did something far more important.

Every element of Tuesday's matchup favored the Heels. Carolina boasted more star athletes, higher-ranked recruits, more height, an undefeated record at home, a National Coach of the Year, and the revenge factor, wanting badly to equalize a loss to the Hokies earlier in the season. Virginia Tech would have taken no shame in losing Tuesday, and would have come off the expected loss with a high ACC finish, a great NCAA tournament seed, and a chance to finish the year with 20+ wins, a feat not accomplished in these parts for a long, long time.

But the expected wasn't good enough.

In rallying to victory in a game there would have been truly no shame in losing, the 2007 Hokies, led by the ACC's most valuable player, Zabian Dowdell, branded the future of their program with a fortitude and bravery that can't be taught, found or recruited. The spirit of champions can only be forged in the fire, and now every member of this team has it.

I honestly don't know how many teams in college basketball history have beaten three top-5 teams in the same season, or beaten two of those teams on the road, or had all three of those teams from the same state.

I don't know how many teams in ACC history have come from winning just four conference games to controlling their own destiny on Valentine's Day.

Those stats are not what this season is about anymore. Turning a program around isn't easy. Plenty of programs have mini-turns every year, momentary, two to three year bursts in performance that eventually regress. To truly turn a program, a team has to have three things:

1. A head coach that is no mere flash in the pan, that has built a program from the ground up, and won not by recruiting one dynamic class of athletes, but by teaching the game of basketball.

2. An experienced group of leaders that can impart the lessons of losing on their teammates in times of trial.

3. One standout win that says to the conference and the nation: We had every reason to lose this game, but we won because we are here, and we know what it takes to stay here.

Hokie fans have known for awhile that their team had the first two components. Tuesday night, they got the third. Now the question is, where will they go from here?

A Look Ahead

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

Coming off of a sound win over Virginia on Saturday, Virginia Tech's schedule doesn't get any easier with two road games including one to Chapel Hill against top-five North Carolina. This week will go a long way in determining where the Hokies stand in the ACC. Check out what's on tap this week.

North Carolina (22-3, 8-2 ACC)
Good wins: at Arizona 92-64
Bad losses: at North Carolina State 83-79

The Hokies have been working really hard, so when do they get a day off? North Carolina is next and the Heels, undefeated at home and sniffing revenge, will present Virginia Tech an incredible test tonight in Chapel Hill.

Some things in life just aren't fair. Carolina wins a national title in dominant fashion, and two years later, is absolutely loaded with talent, as they always are, and this talent is incredibly young. Nine of the top ten scorers are freshmen or sophomores. Nine different players snag at least 2.5 boards a game. No one plays more than 29 minutes a game, and 10 players play at least 12. The talent is so deep that Roy Williams has been afforded the luxury of spending the good part of the season until February tinkering with the lineup, rotating players liberally, and keeping everyone rested and healthy. No doubt the team is gelling now, and a BC/VT sweep this week will make Carolina a near-lock for the ACC title.

The Heels are paced by sophomore Tyler Hansbrough (18.4 ppg, 7.8 rpg), and get key support from a trio of freshmen: Brendan Wright (15 and 6), Wayne Ellington (12 and 3) and Ty Lawson (12 and 3). Wright has been particularly good lately. Check out his line against Wake Forest: 7-7 FG, 15 pts, 7 reb., 5 assts. When a team like Virginia Tech, that has struggled with height, is playing a big man shooting, catching, and passing the ball this well…it can get ugly.

So, how did the Hokies knock off this squad in January? Forget rebounding – Carolina won that battle, 42-28. VT created an astounding 14 steals (9 from Dowdell and Gordon), and got to the free throw line 38 times. Both these stats speak to aggression, and Tech has to have it tonight. They've got to go after the ball to create steals, and attack the basket to draw fouls. They truly have nothing to lose: a loss at UNC is a loss at UNC. Expected. Aggressiveness, good shooting and a bit of luck might propel the Hokies to a program-turning win, and the reward is worth the risk of aggression.



North Carolina State (13-10, 3-7 ACC)
Good wins: North Carolina 83-79
Bad losses: Cincinnati 80-71

From a team seeking revenge to a team due for it, Virginia Tech battles with the Wolfpack on Sunday. If Tech finishes a game away from the ACC title, or misses a bye by a game, the January 31st incident against NC State will be circled on the calendar as the culprit for the Hokies' shortcoming. Tech lost by 11 at Cassell, their only home loss of the year, and the margin could have been more. Outrebounded by nine and outshot by 18%, only superior ball control (5 turnovers total) kept VT in the game at all.

NC State followed that road upset with another shocker, beating in-state bully UNC at home by 4. Just when it seemed the team was making an NCAA run, road losses to Georgia Tech and Miami killed the momentum, and has the Wolfpack, barring a miracle, NIT bound. The 'Pack is a streaky bunch, clearly, and presents significant matchup problems for Tech. All three leading scorers are above 6'8 and, as we pointed out last week, almost every team that has beaten Tech this year has been led by a big-man scorer. Freshman Brandon Costner has been steady as she goes in his young ACC career, missing double figures only once, and hunting for his seventh double-double.

The Pack doesn't have the home court advantage other ACC squads do; in fact, the UNC stunner was the only home conference game they've won all year. Tech certainly won't be headed in with a nothing-to-lose mentality. With five days to rest, confidence is key, and the route to that assuredness is in the hands of the experienced guard combo of Dowdell and Gordon. VT can't mash with NC State, they just can't. The Hokies need big games from their guards, both in controlling and distributing the ball, but in possessing the "we've been here before" mentality that can carry Tech to victory.

A Look Ahead

(This article originally appeared on www.hokiehaven.com.)

After a tumultuous week losing two straight badly to North Carolina State and Boston College, Virginia Tech got a week off. The Hokies took time off to hopefully refocus their efforts on what is left of the regular season. This week is Virginia Tech's chance to prove they are still one of the better teams in the ACC when they take on conference leader and in-state rival Virginia.

Virginia (16-6, 8-2 ACC)
Good Wins: Arizona 93-90, Gonzaga 108-87, at Clemson 64-63
Bad Losses: Appalachian State 81-69

Buoyed by the energy of a new home court and one of the most experienced lineups in the ACC, in-state rival Virginia turned heads, grabbing a share of the conference lead with just six games to play. On an expressway to the NIT at 9-6, 1-2 in ACC play, the Cavs kickstarted their season with a 103-91 victory of Maryland at John Paul Jones Arena, where they are undefeated this year. That outing was the beginning of much improved play from junior guard Sean Singletary and junior forward Jason Cain. Since the Maryland game, Singletary has been over 17 points five of the last seven times, and made three or more 3's in four of those contests. Cain has rebounded at a clip of 9.2 per game since that night's 16 board performance.

Cain is probably the bigger threat to the Hokies in Saturday's outing. Tech has struggled mightily against teams that carry a powerful inside presence. Preventing Cain from owning the rebounding wars is the top priority for Collins, Washington and Witcher. The Cavalier junior isn't an all-ACC player, but at 6-foot-10, he's the only Virginia player averaging more than 4.5 rebounds a game. Although Virginia is light on big bodies in the starting lineup, Dave Leitao's bunch does bring a small army of decently sized players off the bench for 7-13 minutes per game. Four, count 'em, four Virginia reserves get those kind of minutes; all are 6-foot-8 and above, all are brought in to win extra possession by attacking the glass. Adaptability on defense is key. It seems like such a simple concept, but the Virginia Tech post defenders have to be fully aware of who's in, who's out, and what Cavalier they have a duty to box out on each possession.

The Cavs are riding a seven-game winning streak, but this is a good matchup for Tech. The Hokies have been able to beat almost every guard dominated team they've played this year. With the game at Cassell, the Hokies coming off an off-week of preparation and a two-game losing streak, you have to think they'll be rested and prepared. At this point, this is an important game for Virginia, but an absolutely huge one for the Hokies. Virginia Tech wins by six, and preserves an outside shot at the ACC title.

How did ISU men's basketball do on their Big XII mid-season report card?

(This article originally appeared on www.big12-fans.com.)

Brian #1

Three weeks ago, Two Brians and a Brad asked what the % chance was that ISU would make the NCAAs this season, with answers coming in between 10% - 51%. A recent five game losing streak has plunged that probability to dependent completely on leaving Oklahoma City with the Big XII Tournament Title, an outcome that isn’t going to happen.

In our family’s preseason prediction pool, yours truly set the over/under on the amount of Cyclone wins this season at 15, knowing that the two suckers who share this column with me would drink some cardinal & gold Kool-Aid and take the over, even though I expected more in the ballpark of 11-13 wins. As it stands, ISU is 12-10 and 3-5 in the Big XII, with 8 conference tilts and at least one bonus game in OKC remaining.

Left with just four scholarship players after a boatload of defections from the Wayne Morgan regime, McDermott has transformed this team’s identity in just a season. The Cyclones, despite not always succeeding at doing so, clearly place a priority on valuing the basketball, treating each and every possession with reverence, and pounding the ball inside on as many possessions as possible. The problem is, without any solid Big XII ball handlers, and lacking the size to consistently gain leverage in the paint, this team isn’t that great at accomplishing its priorities. Last year’s team, even when giving away possessions like food stamps at a Hawkeye alumni gathering, was still pretty good at the other things, like scoring in transition, and wearing sporty head bands.

Wesley Johnson, at 12.7 ppg and 9.0 rpg, is clearly the story of this year’s team, but I’m a bit skeptical of his ability to turn into an all Big XII caliber player. He’s currently 6’7 and 190 lbs. Are people 6’7 even allowed to be that skinny. Putting on weight in basketball isn’t as easy as it is in football, and if Wesley doesn’t add a good 25-30 pounds, he doesn’t have a prayer of being a true banger in the Big XII. His outside shot is pretty good, however, and I think if continues to develop, he can make a big impact in the cardinal and gold.

I have no doubt whatsoever in McDermott’s ability to turn the Cyclones in to a long term winner, but this year isn’t the smashing success we were all projecting two weeks ago. The next two weeks of games will be absolutely crucial: Missouri, at Texas, Oklahoma and at Kansas State. If ISU wins 2 of 4, it’s an NIT team and might have a chance to win a first round game in OKC. 1 of 4, and they’ll be sitting at 13-13 with 4 to play. A goose egg over the next two weeks will kill any thoughts of post season play, and almost ensure a losing record.

Grade: B

Brian #2

I see the question “How do Greg McDermott’s Cyclones break down on the midseason report card” breaking down into two categories- recruiting and coaching. Basically, I feel like McDermott should be graded first against the team I expected when he took the job, and second against the potential of the players now in place.

After McDermott accepted the job and people were done defecting, I was strongly considering trying out for the team in hopes of being the starting point guard. We had Ross Marsden, Jiri Hubalek, Rahshon Clark, and Jessan Gray coming back. None of those guys are remotely close to being able to handle the ball well enough to play guard, and the consensus entering the year was that only one of them was really a Division One player (Clark). This was after the Spring signing period, so basically even all the leftovers were already pledged to a school.

So what did McDermott do? He went out and signed a JUCO guard who could dominate the ball (Mike Taylor), and two serviceable guards in the short term (JUCO Corey McIntosh and freshman Dodie Dunson). And then there is Wesley Johnson. The story of the rock under which McDermott’s staff found the coltish 6’7” freshman has been told too many times, but guys like that don’t usually slip through the cracks. He has every chance to become an All Big Twelve performer as soon as next season. So McDermott’s grade on compiling talent in such a short, talent squeezed window has to be an A. He got three players better than any that I thought were still available.

Coaching, though, has not been as good. He is far from struggling, but I was expecting him to excel in this area, and I’ve seen more individual player development than actual cohesive growth of the team. Certainly, Hubalek is much improved from when this year started, and others have gotten better, as well. But the team hasn’t grown by the leaps and bounds I expected. We are better right now than I expected three months ago, but not as good as I expected one month ago, if that makes any sense. However, Hubalek has improved enough to merit a B in the coaching category for McDermott.

So an A and a B. In my book, that averages to a B+ when you take into account Mike Taylor’s on court antics. I cheer for him, but I know that he would be public enemy number one if he was wearing the opposing team’s jersey because of his propensity to showboat. I’m happy with McDermott, but I almost want to give an incomplete, because these are far from his players. Taylor is a necessary piece right now, but he would have no place in a regular McDermott offense, so that may be slowing down the team’s growth. He will probably be necessary next year, as well, so I think the 2008-2009 season will be the first one where we can really evaluate McDermott as we will know him for the rest of his time.

Grade: Incomplete

Brad

I’ll admit it—to say I got my hopes up too high too early for this ISU men’s basketball team would be the understatement of the year. Everyone in my family, and every sensible Cyclone fan, was telling me otherwise. But I didn’t listen. My optimism overtook any common sense like it does every season, whether it be football or basketball. Maybe it’s because I long for the days when I would eat Cyclone sherbet over bowl victories, or hang out with Curtis and Will at Aunt Maude’s. I want winning to be synonymous with Cyclone basketball again.

Of course, this optimistic guy does not see the program going to hell in a hand basket; in fact, I think “NC-two-A” tourneys are right around the corner. I miss you Larry. The fact is, this team has some decent players, and it has some terrible players. And then there’s Chris Caesar. The problem is: he actually plays—significantly against Baylor. He is, surprisingly, quite athletic. I’ve seen him almost pull off 360 dunks in warm-ups. So, he could be good in an amateur And-One League with no one guarding him, but that won’t get us anywhere in the Big 12.

Greg McDermott has stuck to his guns and played the style he likes to play, even if it doesn’t suit the current roster like it did his gritty UNI teams. He likes to slow the game down, play tough defense, and grind out wins. Our defense has improved immensely under his guidance, but our offense allows us to grind out more losses than wins. I’m still disappointed with the loss at Colorado and, until seeing the recent K-State success, was mildly upset over the home loss to the wild kitties. But we never play well in Boulder, and KSU still has better talent and more experience than the Cyclones.

McDermott and staff are moving things in the right direction. Recruiting looks strong for next year and we even have quite the head start on the upcoming years. He’s making our man-to-man defense fun to watch, even though we are usually outmanned. When we fill some of our holes and the guys get more experience in the system, the offense will come around. Right now, I’d give McDermott and Co. a B+.


Brian #1 is a freelance writer living in Chicago, and a regular contributor to Rivals.com and his website, briankgolden.blogspot.com. Brian #2 is a sophomore at Iowa State University majoring in finance and Spanish. Brad is a junior at Notre Dame, majoring in Economics and Philosophy.