Miami Hurricanes Basketball Game 31 Preview: Virginia Tech Hokies
By Sam Jacobs
Location: Cassell Coliseum, Blacksburg, Virginia
Time: 12:00 PM
TV: Sun Sports
Line: Miami -5
The Miami Hurricanes basketball team secured an important victory over Pittsburgh on Wednesday. Miami (19-11, 9-8) now travels to play Virginia Tech (10-20, 2-15) for a second time this season on Saturday. With the ACC Tournament kicking off in a few days, the ‘Canes cannot afford to overlook the Hokies.
Recap of First Game
Back on February 18th, the Hurricanes used a big second half and an animated Coach Larranaga to beat Virginia Tech by 24 points. Sheldon McClellan led the way for Miami with 21 points on 7-10 shooting, and Tonye Jekiri had himself a double-double with 15 points and 15 rebounds. VT’s top performer, Adam Smith, scored 15 points of his own, but it was far too little to give the Hokies a chance. The ‘Canes really dominated this game on both ends of the floor, and it was Miami’s largest margin of victory over an ACC opponent this season.
Virginia Tech Scouting Report
The Hokies sit at the very cellar of the ACC standings with a 2-15 conference record and could have easily gone winless in ACC play. They boast just two victories, both of which came by 3 points or less. VT has currently lost 6 consecutive games.
Virginia Tech plays a lot of smaller lineups, and as a result they often get outrebounded. VT ranks 327th in the nation in rebounds per game and 340th in rebounding percentage. Recently, Tech’s tallest starter has been Christian Beyer. Christian Beyer is 6’7”. Miami had a 40-27 advantage on the boards in the first matchup.
The Hokies rely a great deal on outside shooting. As a team, Virginia Tech has shot just a shade under 40% on the season, good for 20th in the nation and tops in the ACC. Since taking Duke to overtime a couple of weeks ago, VT has connected on 45.9% of its 3-pointers. Limiting the damage from beyond the arc will almost guarantee Miami the victory. On the other hand, we could have another game like the Wake Forest matchup, in which the Deacons went 12-23 from 3-point range.
Adam Smith leads the way for the Hokies from 3-point range. The 6’1” guard has averaged 17.2 points per game over VT’s last 5 contests. He has hit on 47.1% of his threes during this stretch, making at least 3 in each game. He went for 15 points against the Hurricanes in the first matchup, shooting 3-5 from deep.
Prediction
Miami: 71 – Virginia Tech: 59
The Hurricanes shouldn’t have too much of an issue with Virginia Tech, as they proved in a one-sided game a few weeks ago. This Hokies basketball team doesn’t have enough reliable scorers outside of Adam Smith.
Manu Lecomte and Ja’Quan Newton look like a formidable duo in the absence of Angel Rodriguez. The lobs for alley-oops, clutch free throws, and defensive intensity will be missed, but the ‘Canes should hold up. Sheldon McClellan and Davon Reed combined for 39 points versus Pittsburgh. More of the same would be helpful against the Hokies.
In the first matchup, James Palmer got the start at the four to counter VT’s small lineup. I think either he or Ivan Cruz Uceda, who has shot well from 3-point range lately, will get the nod on Saturday. The best way to take advantage of Virginia Tech’s lack of size is to outrebound them. Tonye Jekiri has an opportunity for another big performance in this game.
This being the Hurricanes’ final home game of the regular season, the ACC Tournament is right around the corner. A win would earn Miami the No. 6 seed, while a loss…well, let’s not think about that.