After a week off, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team opened the Battle 4 Atlantis on Wednesday night in the Bahamas against Colorado State and former Hokies' guard Brandon Rechsteiner. The Rams were a tournament team last year and will likely be one again this year as one of the top teams Mountain West Conference.
They entered the game as the fourth-best team in the country, shooting 3-pointers and one of the top free-throw shooting teams in the country. Virginia Tech held them to 4-for-19 from behind the arc and overcame 11 offensive rebounds to grab a two-point win and improve to 6-0. They advanced to the semifinals on Thursday at 2:30 p.m. against the winner of the fourth and final quarterfinal between Wichita State and Saint Mary's. Here are three thoughts on the Hokies' win.
Virginia Tech overcomes Colorado State's offensive rebounding
If there is one area of concern for the Hokies this year, it's on the inside. The Rams exposed that on the offensive end. They grabbed 11 rebounds and had 14 second-chance points. They knocked three of their four 3-pointers off of offensive rebounds. If Virginia Tech had grabbed a few more defensive rebounds, it would have won more comfortably.
Colorado State (4-2) had 44 of its 64 points in the paint, while down the other end, Virginia Tech didn't grab its first offensive rebound until late in the second half. Rebounding is going to be a concern going forward this week and beyond.
Jailen Bedford dominates against Colorado State....... again
When he was at UNLV last season, Jailen Bedford dropped 17 points on the Rams. This year for Virginia Tech, he dropped 17 again, which was a game-high against Colorado State. He grabbed four rebounds as well, but his ability to get to the basket and finish with both hands on both sides was huge. He has been great so far for the Hokies this season to date.
Virginia Tech avoids nightmare scenario
Early in the game, star freshman guard Neoklis Avdalas turned his ankle and went down. The whistle was blown after Colorado State scored in transition, and he limped off the court. He went to the locker room but came back later in the first half. He ended up being big, making some big shots, three from behind the arc, and finished with 13 points, second on the team.
Ben Hammond came in and played really well for the Hokies. He had nine points and three assists and was in the game a lot of Avdalas to allow him to play off the ball. Virginia Tech won the game with Tobi Lawal scoring just three points and being in foul trouble the entire game. Amani Hansberry had 10 points, while Tyler Johnson was big with nine points and a game-high 12 rebounds.