Fighting Gobbler
Fansided

Virginia Tech Basketball: Where Will the Hokies Land on Selection Sunday?

By Mike McDaniel

Feb 2, 2017; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Buzz Williams calls out instructions during the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 2, 2017; Blacksburg, VA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Buzz Williams calls out instructions during the game against the Virginia Cavaliers at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Michael Shroyer-USA TODAY Sports /
facebooktwitterreddit
Prev
2 of 4
Next
Feb 8, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Virginia Commonwealth Rams forward Mo Alie-Cox (12) shoots as George Washington Colonials forward Arnaldo Toro (11) defends during the first half at Charles E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports
Feb 8, 2017; Washington, DC, USA; Virginia Commonwealth Rams forward Mo Alie-Cox (12) shoots as George Washington Colonials forward Arnaldo Toro (11) defends during the first half at Charles E. Smith Center. Mandatory Credit: Brad Mills-USA TODAY Sports /

ESPN

Region: West

Match-Up: #8 Virginia Tech Hokies vs. #9 Virginia Commonwealth Rams

The Skinny: 

First one to 100 points wins?

Sure, Shaka Smart is not the coach of the Rams anymore. He’s in his second season at Texas (for those keeping score at home). However, this VCU Rams team plays the same press-heavy up-tempo offensive style that they have always played.

The Rams face-off in the Atlantic-10 Semis on Saturday against cross-town rival Richmond, with an opportunity to advance to the conference final. The Rams shared the Atlantic-10 regular season crown with the Dayton Flyers, finishing the season with a 25-7 record, and a 14-4 record in conference play.

More from Fighting Gobbler

I consider VCU to be a poor man’s Florida State. High intensity offense and defense, a team that can really shoot the rock, and a team that is extremely deep. VCU has 10 players that average at least 10 minutes per contest, and they are very well-balanced offensively, with seven players averaging at least 5.7 points per game.

However, if you had to pick one go-to guy for the Rams, it is undoubtedly their senior point guard JeQuan Lewis. As the leading scorer, Lewis is averaging 14.6 points on 44% shooting, and is a respectable 38% shooter from three.

The good news for the Hokies is that despite VCU playing the same style as Florida State and possessing the same depth up-and-down the roster, the Rams are not very big in the frontcourt. The tallest player on their roster is 6’9″ senior forward Ahmed Hamdy-Mohamed, who is averaging only 3.7 boards per contest.

The Hokies have been smoked on the glass in a majority of their losses this season, but this is a game where they can certainly rebound well and hang around. Taking care of the ball, along with rebounding, as always, will be key.