Sunday, February 15, 2009

Virginia Tech Basketball falls to the Terps

So Maryland comes in last in the ACC in 3 point % and 3 point % defense. They were last in FG% and rebounding margin. The Terps were 72% free throw shooters as a team. And what happened when the Hokies went up there????

The Terrapins shoot 48% from the field. Their season average 26% 3 point shooting goes out the window and they shoot 39% from 3 point land. They nearly matched the Hokies on rebounds (28-26) and they shot 92% from the free throw line AS A TEAM. And they went on to beat the Hokies 83-73 in a game the Terps never trailed.

The Hokies did not play well. They made a few runs, but Malcolm Delaney is obviously the key to this entire offense and he had a bad day. However, that does not excuse the fact that the Hokie defense was a complete and utter embarrrassment. Ok, so there's nothing Tech could do about Maryland's high free throw shooting percentage (which was a total anomaly), but still, Maryland had no business shooting the ball as well from the field and the 3 point line as they did. There were too many easy buckets.

Of course, in this case, Maryland had to win or be essentially eliminated from NCAA tournament consideration. As a result, yesterday they played with far more desperation and desire than Tech did. Now the Hokies had better find a way to win on the road at Virginia or they are going to find themselves in the same desperate spot. Of course after watching the way Maryland played in that situation, maybe that's not such a bad thing. 

3 comments:

Anonymous said...

it's good to see the blog commenting on basketball too. thanks for always keeping me up to date on all things hokie! keep up the good work.

MadJay said...

Will do, although the basketball blogging is a lot harder on me personally because watching this team go out and disrespect the blue-collar hard nosed basketball that the talent-shy teams of Hokie past made their bones on is so painful.

These players are so beyond the talent level of previous Hokies' teams and they don't lay it on the line for each other on defense. It very well may cost them an NCAA bid which this school needs to help build a basketball tradition. I just hate watching it and I am more of a nervous wreck watching the basketball team than I am watching the football team (well maybe not MORE nervous, but nervous in a different way).

Anonymous said...

i think that it is hard to go from being a die-hard football fan to a casual basketball fan like myself is especially difficult. in football, a win is just the lowest thing in the world...then when you can actually catch the airing of a hokie basketball game, i get the same "win or it's all over" mentality. it's good to see the talent level on the court for the hokies. it says alot about the job that seth has done. maybe the football team can give them a loaner lunchpail to bring to the court. i think things are looking up, but damn i miss football season. again, keep up the good work. love the blog....been here since the yahoo group days!