Hokies need to find consistency
With the calendar flipping to February before the Hokies play again, perhaps they can fix their recent trend of getting off to slow starts that cost them games.
Last week's losses to BYU and Maryland followed the same script they used for most of January, which saw them brick their way through miserable first halves and then piece together rallies which saw them come up a possession or two short.
Virginia Tech scored one point in the first 9:43 of its Jan. 25 defeat against BYU, missing its first 15 shots. Then it played when coach Seth Greenberg felt was its best 30 minutes offensively, but still lost 70-68.
In their 73-69 defeat at Maryland on Jan. 28, the Hokies shot just 6-of-25 in the first half and dug a 32-19 hole. They were sitting at 17-of-51 late in the game before making 7-of-10 down the stretch to make it closer at the end.
It's not hard to figure out the troubles. Other than point guard Erick Green, Tech's starting lineup, as constituted at Maryland, featured no other double-figure scorers and one other guy capable of creating his shot off the dribble -- freshman off-guard Robert Brown.
While moving senior guard Dorenzo Hudson to a sixth man role gives the bench some punch, it also means opponents can hone in on Green at the game's start and take their chances with everyone else.
Coach Seth Greenberg refuses to take a gloom-and-doom approach with his squad, but said after the Maryland game that he would take a look at how his team is warming up and preparing for games.
Whether that review includes a return of Hudson to the lineup, no one knows. But if the Hokies are to improve during February and March, they must find the consistency which wasn't there in January.
NOTES, QUOTES
--The Hokies were more than hospitable hosts to BYU in a rare non-conference matchup on Jan. 25, missing their first 15 field-goal tries and falling behind 13-1 before F C.J. Barksdale finally put back a missed shot at the 10:17 mark of the first half. After that, they hit 24-of-41 from the floor and led by as many as six points in the second half before the Cougars won 70-68. The teams will play again next season in December in Salt Lake City.
--Virginia Tech was hitting 51.1 percent from the field in the second half of its home games, through the weekend, a stark contrast to its shooting percentage in the last 20 minutes of road games. It was making just over 42 percent of its shots in that circumstances, thanks to a hot second half at Maryland. It was 18-of-36 there, including making five field goals in the last 35 seconds as the Terrapins just let them get to the bucket and tried not to foul.
--The loss at Maryland evened the Hokies' record in TV games in coach Seth Greenberg's nine seasons at 99-99. They are 4-8 in front of the blinking red eye this year after going 16-11 in TV appearances last season. Every one of their games for the season's remainder is scheduled to be on TV.
QUOTE TO NOTE
"When you're having a special season, all those two-point games go your way. Unfortunately, at this point, we haven't been as fortunate as we'd like to be." -- Coach Seth Greenberg after a 70-68 loss to BYU Jan. 25.
THIS WEEK'S GAMES
--vs. Duke, Feb. 2
Perimeter defense vs. Duke guards. The Hokies were defending the 3-point shot better than anyone in the nation at 25.9 percent through the weekend, but the Blue Devils can fill it up from beyond the arc with Seth Curry and Andre Dawkins leading the way. Tech must be ready to defend the long bomb with both heels firmly on the arc.
--vs. Clemson, Feb. 4
F Victor Davila vs. F Devin Booker. Davila played well last week and will have to be at his best against Booker, a really good athlete who is capable of double-doubling any night. Davila has to be conscious of keeping Booker off the offensive boards as he averages nearly three per game.
FUTURES MARKET
Sophomore F Cadarian Raines moved into the starting lineup Jan. 28 at Maryland, although it's partly because freshman F Dorian Finney-Smith missed 21 straight shots in the last four games, entering the week. Raines, a 6-foot-9, 238-pound power player, had not been hampered by injury for the first time in his three seasons with the Hokies and has played decently. He led the team in rebound rate (one every 3.8 minutes), through the weekend, but was still too foul-prone.
PLAYER NOTES
--Senior F Victor Davila (sinus infection) averaged 13 points and six rebounds despite the illness. He had 14 points and eight rebounds in the loss to Maryland, one of his better games of the season.
--Freshman G Marquis Rankin (strep throat) missed the Jan. 25 loss to BYU but returned for the game at Maryland. Rankin played 11 minutes in that one with two points and two assists.
--Sophomore F Jarell Eddie had the first double-double of his career in the defeat to BYU with 12 points and 14 rebounds. Eddie contributed 11 points at Maryland before fouling out at the end.