I have no expectation of us winning this one. Kyle Guy looks to be on top of things compared to last year (which seemed to be Ty Jerome's year). What scares me about that is that Guy shoots exceptionally well off of the pick. You can't give him an inch to get a shot off or he's going to knock it down, regardless if he's off-balance or not. We'll have to be aware of picks and get around them cleanly to deny the shot. UVA might be slow paced, but they have an uncanny ability to catch their opponents sleeping. Tony Bennett has always coached a great defense, but he has offensive weapons. On inbound plays, he runs the same plays that Buzz seemingly runs: a pick for a shooter on the wing or in the corner. Ty Jerome was more talented at knock down threes.

Unfortunately, a win against anyone would probably cement this year's team in Virginia Tech basketball history. It just happens to be that we are walking into enemy territory against the team that should be #1 in the nation. In the 2017 football season, we had chances to get in the top 10 against both Clemson and Miami. We failed both tests. In the 2017-18 basketball season, we had chances to get in the top 25 if we beat Miami in Coral Gables and UofL/FSU at Cassell. We failed those tests.

Let's hope we can pass one of those tests for once. To do so, we'll need what we had last year in JPJ: a combination of great team play, fantastic defense, and an off night for the Hoos. It's not impossible, but two years in a row? Improbable to say the least.
[Post edited by jcvt11 at 01/13/2019 10:49AM]