The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team looks to ride the wave of momentum from beating Maryland when the Hokies (6-2) open up ACC play on Saturday, welcoming Wake Forest (7-1) to Blacksburg. VT didn’t play their best game against the Terps but did enough to earn a 62-58 victory, while Wake is coming off an overtime victory against Northwestern.
Where to watch?
The game will tip-off at 2 p.m. ET from Cassell Coliseum, and it will air on the ACC Network.
What to know about VT
Boy was that an ugly win in College Park. It was impressive that the team came from behind after trailing late, but they did shoot 38.3 percent for the game. Being 9-or-20 from deep helped the cause, but in the ACC they must find consistency in their starting five. Point guard Storm Murphy didn’t record a single point, but he had four critical assists. Getting him buckets, and more importantly some more confidence, will be key. Coach Mike Young doesn’t seem concerned and believes in his team, but he’ll be hoping to get more out of Darius Maddox, with the sophomore giving a spark off the bench against the Terps with his four points, making both of his shots. He’s earned more minutes, and now it is time to see if he can deliver in conference play.
What to know about Wake
They’ve earned some valuable experience so far this season, being tested against big-conference competition, while going to overtime in two of their last three games. The man to watch is senior Alondes Williams, who is averaging 19.5 points per game, greatly surpassing the 6.7 he averaged last season. He’s shooting 58.4 percent from the field and is coming off a 21-point display where he also had nine rebounds, four assists and two steals.
Prediction
The Hokies find their touch on offense, Murphy goes for double digits and they cruise to victory in their ACC opener.
VT 71, Wake Forest 55
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