Three Keys for Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest
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Virginia Tech men's basketball is back in business tomorrow when it takes on Wake Forest in its penultimate home contest in Cassell Coliseum.
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Ahead of tomorrow's tilt in Cassell, here's my three keys to a Hokies victory.
No. 1: Take care of business — and do it by a good margin.
Tomorrow's tilt is not the kind of matchup that can dramatically boost Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament odds. Rather, a win would serve as protection, a way to safeguard the Hokies’ postseason positioning and avoid a damaging sweep in the series. It's a can't-lose contest rather than a win-booster, one where a strong performance can provide confidence and momentum heading into the season’s final stretch.
Virginia Tech has already lost to Wake Forest once this season — an 81-78 affair on Jan. 3 where the Hokies were felled by a Nate Calmese game-winning triple with 6.5 seconds to spare — and a Demon Deacons sweep would push the Hokies' NCAA Tournament chances even further into question. Avoiding that scenario is key, since a win would wash away part of the sting from that Jan. 3 loss. Additionally, winning convincingly could help send a message to the rest of the league that the Hokies are capable of bouncing back.
No. 2: Force turnovers and crash the glass:
Wake Forest is very disciplined with the ball (just 14.9% turnover rate in league play, No. 4 in the ACC), so forcing mistakes won’t be easy. The Hokies will need to capitalize on the Demon Deacons' weaknesses, and one clear area is offensive rebounding. In league play, Wake Forest ranks No. 16 in the league at offensive rebounding rate (24.3%). Crashing the boards and getting second-chance points can swing momentum and help Virginia Tech build or maintain a lead.
No. 3: Keep free throws in check and force contact.
Wake Forest is elite at the line, sporting a 77.8% clip in league play (second-best in the ACC), so giving them easy free throws is dangerous. Virginia Tech needs to contest shots without fouling excessively and get themselves to the line efficiently, putting pressure on Wake’s defense without handing them easy points. Controlling fouls and smart attacking will help the Hokies stay in the game late. Against Miami, Virginia Tech allowed 13 Hurricanes free throws and only logged three itself. For the Hokies to walk out victorious, that disparity can't happen agin.
Virginia Tech will take on Wake Forest on Saturday, Feb. 21 at noon ET. The contest will be carried on the ACC Network.
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Thomas is a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. He currently works with Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student-run newspaper, as a staff writer for its sports section. In addition, he also writes for 3304 Sports as a staff writer and on-air talent, as well as Aspiring Journalists at Virginia Tech as a curator. You can find him on X: @thomashughes_05.
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