Know Your Opponent: Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech (HokieSports.com)
Location: Blacksburg, Va.
Rankings: No. 7 KenPom, No. 10 AP
Record: 15-2, 4-1 ACC
NET/SOS: No. 9 NET, No. 148 SOS
Carolina Series History (Last Meeting): UNC leads 67-14 (Virginia Tech 80, UNC 69, Jan. 22, 2018, Cassell Coliseum)

Three-point shooting gets a lot of attention in this space, mainly because those shots are worth 50 percent more than any other and identifying which players take and make them can help understand why teams may or may not be successful. The 2019 Virginia Tech Hokies have used the long ball to develop into one of the most dangerous teams in college basketball.

Elite shooting is not new for Buzz Williams' Hokie teams. At its current pace, this year's VT squad would be the third in a row to rank in the top 10 nationally in effective field goal percentage.

A couple things have changed, however. Virginia Tech has slowed way down this season, averaging 3.5 fewer possessions per game than last year. Williams has always been willing to adapt in terms of pace - his 2012 Marquette team that went to the Sweet 16 ranked 15th nationally in tempo. After being right at the league average in 2018, the 2019 Hokies are slower than every ACC team not named Virginia.

Two other noteworthy improvements relate to offensive rebounding and defense. Despite standout rebounder Chris Clarke being lost for the season to a suspension, the Hokies have prioritized the offensive glass and rank in the top 100 nationally after being outside the top 300 in 2018.

But perhaps the biggest difference this year is Virginia Tech's ability to force turnovers. Hokie opponents are coughing it up 24 percent of the time, good for eighth-best nationally. That's a stat worth watching against a Carolina team that ranks 13th in the ACC in turnover rate during league play.

Individually, five Hokies make at least 41 percent of their 3s, including senior Ty Outlaw. A Roxboro native who missed all of last season due to injury, Outlaw is an incredible 38 of 76 from deep (50 percent). He is just fifth on the team in scoring, however, with sophomore wing Nickeil Alexander-Walker leading the way at 18.3 points per contest.

Returning upperclassmen Justin Robinson, Ahmed Hill and Kerry Blackshear also score in double figures, with the 6-10 Blackshear providing the primary interior threat.

At this point in the season, Virginia Tech's non-conference strength of schedule of 276 is the only real blemish on a very strong postseason résumé. Monday marks the start of the meat of VT's league schedule, and a win in Chapel Hill would send a message to the rest of the league that the Hokies are contenders.

Related Videos