Tech Struggles on Offense in Loss to BC

Virginia Tech played another poor game offensively, this time with Erick Green out with a leg injury, and fell to Boston College 61-59 on Saturday afternoon. The Hokies dropped to 11-6 overall and 0-3 in ACC play. BC improved to 7-10 overall, and 2-1 in league games.

Green injured his knee in practice on Thursday, and as a result freshman Marquis Rankin and shooting guard Dorenzo Hudson had to handle the point guard position. Rankin played 23 minutes and was 0-of-8 from the field, while Hudson scored 13 points but finished with seven turnovers.

Victor Davila had 14 points and four rebounds, but the Tech offense didn’t run efficiently enough to get him enough touches. Jarell Eddie had another tough game. He scored eight points, but six of them came in the final few seconds when the outcome was already decided. Robert Brown had seven points off the bench, but like Eddie, he hit two threes late in the game when BC already had a comfortable lead.

C.J. Barksdale had six points and four rebounds off the bench, and the Hokies outrebounded BC 30-28, but their halfcourt offense was non-existent for much of the game. Tech scored 21 of their 59 points at the free throw line, and even though the Eagles played a poor game in their own right, the Hokies looked lost offensively.

As a team, the Hokies shot just 17-of-47 (36.2%) from the field, though it was worse than that for most of the game. They made four of their last six field goal attempts to make the score close, but BC led by 11 late before Tech ran off several shots to make the score closer.

Robert Brown and Jarell Eddie combined for four three-pointers in the final three minutes. Before that, Victor Davila, Cadarian Raines and C.J. Barksdale were a combined 9-of-13 from the field, and were responsible for nine of the team’s first 13 field goals. The rest of the team made just four shots in the first 57 minutes of the game.

Through three ACC games, Tech has not been able to score 60 points in a game. Defensively, they aren’t quite as good as they usually are, but it’s still been good enough to win. However, their offensive struggles have been tough to watch at times.

They’ll have to get better in a hurry, because they’ll face an angry UNC team fresh off a blowout loss to Florida State. Tip-off is scheduled for 9pm on Thursday night, and the game will be televised by ESPN.

Box Score: Boston College 61, VT 59

6 Responses You are logged in as Test

  1. We likely would have won this game with Green. Rankin was not nearly as highly rated as Brown, DFS and Barks and he was a big dropoff replacing Green at the most important position. If we had been 1-2 with a road win it would have felt a lot different. And the loss to FSU doesn’t look so bad now after they whipped UNC. (Don’t know what happened to them at Clemson.)

    Coming into the season I had no expectation that this would be an NCAA team. Years ago I heard Seth say that players make their biggest improvements from their freshman to their sophomore years. That has generally looked true. So, I want to see next year before deciding on him.

  2. Hudson, Brown and Eddie have looked terrible the past three games and Finney-Smith plays 4inches smaller than his height on the offensive side of the ball. I commend Green on his offensive improvement from last year but he’s not going to be able to carry this team. We need a defensive presence in the middle, it seems we always struggle against teams with length and height. I think Greenburg is in some real trouble if he can’t find some quality wins soon. He might end up being the scapegoat for his own success.

  3. One NCAA in eight yrs, no improvement in the last six hrs, certainly suggests a change in coaches is warranted. However the team has had such horrible luck for the last 2-3 hrs, I would say give Seth one more year to make tournament. If no, then change.

  4. Well, won’t have to worry about being a ‘bubble team’ this year for NCAA or NIT. Looks like a team that will finish near the bottom of the ACC. Thought the incoming talent would offer a much more promising season. Disappointing.

  5. I would tend to agree. Having no set offense or an offensive identity doesn’t bode well for a coaches longevity.

  6. I hate to say it but time may be running out on Coach Greenberg. If anything this team is regressing. BC is not a good basketball team and neither is Wake Forest. I’m not one to call for the coach’s head but this team is doesn’t look motivated and doesn’t look confident.

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