Penn State (4-0) handed Virginia Tech (3-1) a reality check in their first big matchup of the season in the Hall of Fame Series in Baltimore on Friday November 16 with a 86-64 victory. Both teams have distinct playstyles, with the Hokies looking to score off of screens and dribble handoffs in the half court set, while Penn State looks to push the pace and score in transition with aggressive defense in a full court press.
The Nittany Lions worked their plan to perfection, dominating the pace of play and forcing 24 Hokie turnovers. No Hokie that played at least five minutes went without a turnover, and Mylyjael Poteat, Tobi Lawal and Ben Hammond each had four giveaways. Even when they didn’t get a steal, Penn State’s press forced Virginia Tech to slowly work it up the court, and therefore only have 20 seconds in the half court set.
The Nittany Lions pressure was similar even when the Hokies made it into the half court set, going over screens, playing passing lanes, and stripping Tech ball handlers on drives to the basket. Penn State led the country in turnover margin a year ago, and they put on a masterclass of a defensive performance in their first test of the season.
After a cold start that led to a 15-2 deficit in the first couple minutes, the Hokies had a decent shooting game, knocking down 50% of their shots in the second half, and 44% for the game. Still, the Hokies are struggling to knock down three-point shots, which is unusual for a Mike Young led team.
Tech went just 5/18 from long range, with Ben Burnham being their only efficient three-point shooter. Burnham, who had seemed largely unwilling to shoot in the first three games, came out ready to fire, knocking down both of his three-point attempts on his way to eight points in just 12 minutes. This is a great sign for Tech, as the Charleston transfer was projected to be one of the top scorers on the roster, and is imperative to the team’s hopes of having a surprise season.
Unfortunately, Burnham struggled to stay on the floor with foul trouble, fouling out in just 12 minutes of action. This was a theme in one of the most tightly called games of the season throughout the entire country.
There were 50 total fouls, which slowed down the game and put both teams in foul trouble. Besides Burnham, Penn State’s Yanic Konan Neiderhauser fouled out also in just 12 game minutes. The teams combined for four players ending with four fouls and another four with three personals.
As a result, both teams got in the bonus very quickly and lived at the line, as the Hokies went 19/26 from the stripe, while the Nittany Lions shot 22/30. Officiating didn’t necessarily favor either team, but it was one of the biggest themes of the game, as it completely stopped the flow of the game and put both team’s stars into foul trouble.
From Virginia Tech’s perspective, this was a measuring stick game to see where this team stands at this point in the season, and their performance proves there is still a long way to go. This is an incredibly young and inexperienced team as Ben Burnham is the only rostered player who has played at least 20 minutes per game in any season, and Mylyjael Poteat is the only returner who has played at least 15 minutes per game for the Hokies.
Mike Young didn’t play any freshman in his rotation a year ago, but right now both Ben Hammond and Tyler Johnson are comfortably in his rotation. Especially against a unique team like Penn State that full court presses all game, it isn’t surprising for this young team to struggle in their first challenging game of the season.
With that being said, 24 turnovers is unacceptable regardless of the opponent, and that will be something the Hokies have to figure out before conference play if they hope to have any chance against ACC opponents.
Another takeaway from both this game and the season is Virginia Tech’s lack of a number one scoring option. With the loss of Hysier Miller just weeks before the season, Mike Young was left with a lot of second and third scoring options, but no go-to guy.
On one hand, the Hokies' depth is encouraging, given they have still had a different leading scorer after each game, with Mylyjael Poteat scoring a team high 15 points against Penn State. On the other hand, when a team goes on a rough stretch or they reach the end of the shot clock, it is important to have someone who can create their own shot, and the Hokies don’t seem to have anyone on the roster like that.
Virginia Tech will look to bounce back against Jacksonville at 7 p.m. on Wednesday, November 20 in their return to Cassell Coliseum.
