In a typical 1-3-1, you put a wing out top to discourage the ball from moving both sides of the floor. You put a guard on the baseline to have the ability to cover both corners better than having a slower post player back there.

GT put Alvarado out top, they had the other guard play a wing and then the 3 or 4 in the center and the center under the rim. They tell their wings to be slightly higher than the deepest wings in the corner or on the wing. So from an alignment standpoint it is actually a 1-1-3 with the wings pushed up when the ball is at the top.

The best way to attack it is to first spread the floor and stretch those wings as far to the baseline as you can, or as far to the opposite side as you can depending on where the ball is.

From a general strategic standpoint you have to be able to get past the first line of defense to start breaking down the defense. VT was trying to break it down with the pass but without much movement away from the ball and with players on the floor that GT didnt need to guard.

As with most teams, GT didnt pay any attention to Bede whatsoever, and they gave Radford a lite version of that treatment as well. The best lineup against this particular team would be Bede (on the ball, at the top), Cattoor (off the ball), Bamisile, Radford, and Aluma...Bam or Radford could defend the 4 depending on who it was...but that lineup gives you the best mix of shooters off the ball and guys who when the ball gets in their hands can beat one player to make the rest of the zone shift/collapse

This even has its disadvantages though, as once Bede gets rid of the ball he is forgotten. You dont want to have Cattoor at the top because it isnt a shooting spot against this alignment. Cone wouldve helped. Pedulla wouldve helped. GT just didnt respect the players in the spots they were.

Once the front line is beaten in that alignment you can manipulate the rest of the defense rather easily. GT ran way more man than zone against Pitt because they continually were able to get the ball past the front line. They just also took some terrible shots and didnt defend.

VT is in sore need of a bigger wing who can shoot and defend the bigger wings teams like GT, Syracuse, Duke, FSU all play. I hope they look at the transfer portal there. A stretch 4 would also be super helpful.

So this isnt on Bede and his shortcomings. Radford was also a no-show due to his shortcomings as well. Same for Mutts. Always need to get more versatile until you can start recruiting players who have less deficiencies. Bamisile is a start, but he is a full year away from understanding how to harness what he can do