Three Players to Watch for Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest
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Virginia Tech men's basketball looks to avoid falling to .400 in league play tomorrow when it takes on Wake Forest.
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Ahead of tomorrow's tilt, here are three main players to watch from both squads — plus an honorable mention:
No. 1: Juke Harris, Forward, Wake Forest
Harris has shone as of late; in the Demon Deacons' (14-12, 5-8 ACC) last eight games, the guard has paced the team in points all but once. That effort included a 31-point performance against NC State in an eventual 96-78 loss.
In Wake Forest's last game, a 85-77 home victory over Clemson, Harris tallied 20 points and seven rebounds. Against Virginia Tech (17-10, 6-8 ACC) on Jan. 3,
Through 26 games, Harris is averaging 21.3 points (No. 14 in the country) in addition to 6.7 rebounds.
No. 2: Neoklis Avdalas, Wing, Virginia Tech
Avdalas has struggled as of late in regard to shooting; the wing languished through a stretch where he was shooting 16% from the field.
Though he's picked up back up his distribution, logging eight assists in the Hokies' last game against Miami, he was quiet from the field, scoring just two points on 1-of-3 shooting. For Virginia Tech to emerge victorious, Avdalas will either need to step up, or the Hokies will need a large contribution from their backcourt in Jailen Bedford, Jaden Schutt and Ben Hammond.
No. 3: Ben Hammond, Guard, Virginia Tech
Speaking of Hammond, the second-year guard has starred this year. Through 14 ACC games, 10 of which he's started, Hammond is averaging a team-high 14.9 points in league play. Moreover, the guard is also 25-for-51 from the three-point line for an elite 49.0% clip.
Hammond has scored in double figures all but once in league play and has gone for 20 or more points in three league games. Arguably, his best game came against then-No. 21 Virginia on Dec. 31, where the sophomore guard poured in a career-high 30 points on 7-of-16 shooting — and a 16-for-18 clip at the line. Hammond also logged five rebounds and five assists that day.
Honorable Mention: Nate Calmese, Guard, Wake Forest
It was Calmese who drove the stake in for the Hokies' hopes of winning in Winston-Salem last time out; the guard drained the game-sealing three-pointer with 6.5 seconds to spare. In that game, Calmese went 9-for-18 from the field, including a 3-for-6 clip from beyond the arc, logging 25 points and seven assists.
Virginia Tech's contest against Wake Forest tips off tomorrow at 2 p.m. ET: viewing for the game will be available 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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