[caption id="attachment_4455" align="aligncenter" width="700"]![Chris Clarke attacking the rim against Ole Miss [Credit: Harley Taylor]](//techlunchpail.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/chris-clarke-attacking-the-rim-against-ole-miss.jpg?w=700)
Chris Clarke attacking the rim against Ole Miss [Credit: Harley Taylor][/caption]The Virginia Tech Hokies are one win away from an almost ideal 11-1 start to their season with their home ACC opener against Duke on New Year's Eve. However, the Hokies still have one more challenge in the form of a UMBC that is the best team that the Hokies have faced since beating Ole Miss.
UMBC hasn't played that hard of a schedule as the Hokies are the first and only power conference program that UMBC will have faced, but the Retrievers are 9-3 with those 9 wins being tied for the most that they have had in the last 8 season with the last time UMBC won double-digit games coming in the 2008-2009 season with 15. UMBC is also led by a first-year head coach in former Virginia Tech assistant Ryan Odom who makes his first return to Cassell Coliseum as a head coach.
Both teams have proven that they score a lot of points with UMBC averaging 83.7 points and Virginia Tech averaging 83.5 points, but the Hokies are the better defensive team with the Hokies giving up 67.2 points per game compared to UMBC giving up 74.1 points per game.
Rebounding has been a weakness for the Hokies and UMBC does have some size with 6'10'' forward Nolan Gerrity who is averaging 6.2 rebounds in only 19.3 minutes per game and 6'9'' forward Max Curren who is averging 2.7 rebounds in only 9.9 minutes per game. However, Virginia Tech's backcourt will have to be physical as UMBC's guards have proven to be capable rebounders including their leading rebounder being 6'2'' guard and UMBC leading scorer Jairus Lyles who is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.
Virginia Tech will need players like Chris Clarke, Khadim Sy, and Zach LeDay to be effective on the boards while Virginia Tech as a whole will need to make sure they are consistent with boxing out in a game that could be a good test to see if the Hokies have improved in that area.
UMBC does have some length which will make this a good tune-up for ACC play for guys like LeDay and Clarke to face some guys bigger than them in the frontcourt again before facing Duke on Saturday. LeDay and Clarke have both played well so far this season with LeDay continuing to be consistent and Clarke being the Hokies' utility belt leading the Hokies in rebounds and steals, being second in assists, and averaging almost 10 points per game.
Clarke has given opponents plenty of skills as a "jack of all trades" player that can seem to do everything and will cause plenty of issues for UMBC.
Virginia Tech will also have to play good perimeter defense as the Retrievers are shooting an impressive 41.5% from beyond the arc this season. However, the Hokies have plenty of quality shooters as well and with Virginia Tech having more length in the backcourt, they should be able to slow UMBC down somewhat.
The Hokies best backcourt trio seems to be Justin Robinson, Seth Allen, and Ahmed Hill with Hill being the featured shooter, Robinson being the main ball handler, and Allen doing both s the senior point guard has shot the ball significantly better than he did last season. Expect this trio to get a fair amount of playing time together and to have plenty of production led by Hill who has emerged as Virginia Tech's best shooter and most versatile scorer.
Expect UMBC to keep this game interesting for a while given how they can shoot the basketball and are a quality team, but the Hokies are the better team and it will show in the end as they will pull away to get the victory before Saturday's showdown with Duke led by strong performances from Chris Clarke and Ahmed Hill.
![Chris Clarke attacking the rim against Ole Miss [Credit: Harley Taylor]](http://techlunchpail.com/wp-content/uploads/2016/12/chris-clarke-attacking-the-rim-against-ole-miss.jpg)
Chris Clarke attacking the rim against Ole Miss [Credit: Harley Taylor][/caption]The Virginia Tech Hokies are one win away from an almost ideal 11-1 start to their season with their home ACC opener against Duke on New Year's Eve. However, the Hokies still have one more challenge in the form of a UMBC that is the best team that the Hokies have faced since beating Ole Miss.
UMBC hasn't played that hard of a schedule as the Hokies are the first and only power conference program that UMBC will have faced, but the Retrievers are 9-3 with those 9 wins being tied for the most that they have had in the last 8 season with the last time UMBC won double-digit games coming in the 2008-2009 season with 15. UMBC is also led by a first-year head coach in former Virginia Tech assistant Ryan Odom who makes his first return to Cassell Coliseum as a head coach.
Both teams have proven that they score a lot of points with UMBC averaging 83.7 points and Virginia Tech averaging 83.5 points, but the Hokies are the better defensive team with the Hokies giving up 67.2 points per game compared to UMBC giving up 74.1 points per game.
Rebounding has been a weakness for the Hokies and UMBC does have some size with 6'10'' forward Nolan Gerrity who is averaging 6.2 rebounds in only 19.3 minutes per game and 6'9'' forward Max Curren who is averging 2.7 rebounds in only 9.9 minutes per game. However, Virginia Tech's backcourt will have to be physical as UMBC's guards have proven to be capable rebounders including their leading rebounder being 6'2'' guard and UMBC leading scorer Jairus Lyles who is averaging 6.9 rebounds per game.
Virginia Tech will need players like Chris Clarke, Khadim Sy, and Zach LeDay to be effective on the boards while Virginia Tech as a whole will need to make sure they are consistent with boxing out in a game that could be a good test to see if the Hokies have improved in that area.
UMBC does have some length which will make this a good tune-up for ACC play for guys like LeDay and Clarke to face some guys bigger than them in the frontcourt again before facing Duke on Saturday. LeDay and Clarke have both played well so far this season with LeDay continuing to be consistent and Clarke being the Hokies' utility belt leading the Hokies in rebounds and steals, being second in assists, and averaging almost 10 points per game.
Clarke has given opponents plenty of skills as a "jack of all trades" player that can seem to do everything and will cause plenty of issues for UMBC.
Virginia Tech will also have to play good perimeter defense as the Retrievers are shooting an impressive 41.5% from beyond the arc this season. However, the Hokies have plenty of quality shooters as well and with Virginia Tech having more length in the backcourt, they should be able to slow UMBC down somewhat.
The Hokies best backcourt trio seems to be Justin Robinson, Seth Allen, and Ahmed Hill with Hill being the featured shooter, Robinson being the main ball handler, and Allen doing both s the senior point guard has shot the ball significantly better than he did last season. Expect this trio to get a fair amount of playing time together and to have plenty of production led by Hill who has emerged as Virginia Tech's best shooter and most versatile scorer.
Expect UMBC to keep this game interesting for a while given how they can shoot the basketball and are a quality team, but the Hokies are the better team and it will show in the end as they will pull away to get the victory before Saturday's showdown with Duke led by strong performances from Chris Clarke and Ahmed Hill.
Pick: Virginia Tech 79, UMBC 65
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