Virginia and Virginia Tech are the two hottest teams in the ACC heading into their Big Monday clash (ESPN, 7 p.m.).
Virginia has won four straight, including a win at then-#7 Duke last week. Virginia Tech has won five straight to get back to .500 in ACC play.
Let’s take a deep dive look at Virginia Tech to see how the Hokies got there.
Hot shooting
Largely, they’ve have done it with highly efficient offense. In their streak, they’re shooting 52.1 percent from the floor and 48.8 percent from three, including an otherworldly 18-of-25 from long-range in the 85-72 win over Florida State on Jan. 29.
Tech is averaging 77.4 points per game over its last five, and scoring 1.224 points per possession in the stretch.
That would rank the Hokies second nationally if it were a full-season number (Gonzaga averages 1.226 points per possession to lead D1).
Clamping down on D
They’re also getting it done on the defensive end. Opponents are averaging 63.2 points per game in the last five and scoring .999 points per possession, which would average third in the ACC in conference games for the full conference schedule to date.
It’s significant to point out that even with that stretch of D, the Hokies are 14th in the ACC in defensive efficiency in conference games, at 1.102 points per possession.
Obviously, defense was a big part of why they got out to that 2-7 start in the ACC.
Tech was surrendering 1.179 points per possession in those opening nine conference games.
Yikes.
Key guys
Numbers for coach Mike Young’s key guys over the past five games:
- Keve Aluma: 14.4 ppg, 26/42 FG (61.9%)
- Hunter Cattoor: 10.8 ppg, 20/43 FG (46.5%), 16/36 3FG (44.4%)
- Justyn Mutts: 10.2 ppg, 8.2 rebs/g, 19/33 FG (57.6%)
- Storm Murphy: 10.2 ppg, 18/36 FG (50%), 10/24 3FG (41.7%)
- Nahiem Alleyne: 9.2 ppg, 17/37 FG (45.9%), 10/23 3FG (43.5%)
- Sean Pedulla: 7.4 ppg, 11/18 3FG (61.1%)
- Darius Maddox: 7.4 ppg, 8/13 3FG (61.5%)
Story by Chris Graham
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