The Hokies posted the first wire-to-wire victory in the 2016 ACC Tournament, proving Vegas - and myself - wrong in the process. Virginia Tech was sharp throughout, setting school records for points scored in an ACC Tournament game and longest ACC win streak.
Vegas isn't looking too favorably on the Hokies tonight, with the line fluctuating between 7 and 10 points in favor of the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech has consistently proved me wrong the last few games, and they keep seeming to do the impossible: post more impressive victories. I'm just not sure how much longer the Hokies can keep this up - but six wins in a row is impressive and shows how much this program has turned around in just Buzz's second season. With revenge on their minds, I see Miami winning in a close game tonight - much closer than the line. Miami 72-70 in a late-night thriller.
Keys to the Game:
Virginia Tech:
Rebound margin. Virginia Tech kept it close here against Miami just a few days ago and they'll need a repeat effort again today. Of course, if the Hokies keep shooting like they have, rebounding won't play a huge factor.
Foul trouble. Virginia Tech must stay out of foul trouble. They got lucky that the fouls last night came while they had a huge lead.
X-Factor: Justin Robinson. He's not playing like a freshman anymore, nor should he be this late in the season. He's making the right decisions at the right times and it's playing huge dividends for the Hokies.
Miami:
Play to their strengths. Miami was out of sorts in the last matchup with Virginia Tech and just couldn't figure themselves out. They need to control the tempo and not let what could a pro-Hokie crowd rattle them.
Rebound margin. Miami should outbound Virginia Tech and they need to have a major advantage on the glass if they want to control this game. That means they'll need to lead in second chance points and offensive rebounds.
X-Factor: Ja'Quan Newton. He didn't play against the Hokies in either of their first two games this season, but he is their fourth leading scorer on the roster. If he's rusty, it could hurt the Hurricanes. But if he's ready to play, he gives Miami a much deeper bench.
Vegas isn't looking too favorably on the Hokies tonight, with the line fluctuating between 7 and 10 points in favor of the Hurricanes. Virginia Tech has consistently proved me wrong the last few games, and they keep seeming to do the impossible: post more impressive victories. I'm just not sure how much longer the Hokies can keep this up - but six wins in a row is impressive and shows how much this program has turned around in just Buzz's second season. With revenge on their minds, I see Miami winning in a close game tonight - much closer than the line. Miami 72-70 in a late-night thriller.
Keys to the Game:
Virginia Tech:
Rebound margin. Virginia Tech kept it close here against Miami just a few days ago and they'll need a repeat effort again today. Of course, if the Hokies keep shooting like they have, rebounding won't play a huge factor.
Foul trouble. Virginia Tech must stay out of foul trouble. They got lucky that the fouls last night came while they had a huge lead.
X-Factor: Justin Robinson. He's not playing like a freshman anymore, nor should he be this late in the season. He's making the right decisions at the right times and it's playing huge dividends for the Hokies.
Miami:
Play to their strengths. Miami was out of sorts in the last matchup with Virginia Tech and just couldn't figure themselves out. They need to control the tempo and not let what could a pro-Hokie crowd rattle them.
Rebound margin. Miami should outbound Virginia Tech and they need to have a major advantage on the glass if they want to control this game. That means they'll need to lead in second chance points and offensive rebounds.
X-Factor: Ja'Quan Newton. He didn't play against the Hokies in either of their first two games this season, but he is their fourth leading scorer on the roster. If he's rusty, it could hurt the Hurricanes. But if he's ready to play, he gives Miami a much deeper bench.
