Virginia Tech Hosts Arkansas-Pine Bluff

Time: 3pm
TV: ESPN3 (Internet Only)

Virginia Tech will look to start a winning streak when they host Arkansas-Pine Bluff in Cassell Coliseum on Saturday afternoon.

It’s been a tough year so far for the Lions…

Seattle University: 58-56 W
Oklahoma State: 86-72 L
Michigan State: 86-72 L
Cincinnati: 99-50 L
Nebraska: 67-44 L
Army: 81-60 L
Southeastern Louisiana: 62-60 W
Hawaii: 75-47 L

Not only are the Hokies playing a bad team, but they are catching them at the right time. Arkansas-Pine Bluff played in a 4-game tournament in Brooklyn that ended on November 28. They then traveled to Hawaii to play the Warriors on Wednesday, December 2. Then they had to fly all the way from Hawaii to Virginia to play the Hokies on Saturday, December 5. That’s a ton of travel in a short amount of time.

Arkansas-Pine Bluff is expected to go with the following starting lineup…

G Ghiavonni Robinson (6-3, 190, Jr.)
G Marcus Wallace (6-3, 180, Fr.)
F Thaddeus Handley, Jr. (6-6, 200, Sr.)
F JoVaughn Love (6-9, 220, Sr.)
F Chauncy Parker (6-8, 225, Sr.)

The Lions have a bigger lineup than most low major teams, but their W-L record doesn’t show it.

Tech has been great at rebounding and getting to the free throw line this season. That should work out in their favor against Arkansas-Pine Bluff, as the Lions have been dominated in both of those areas this season.

Rebounding margin: -8.3
Free throws: 150 attempts, 266 opponents attempts (186 makes)

In other words, their opponents have made more free throws than Arkansas-Pine Bluff has even attempted, and that is one of Virginia Tech’s goals each and every game.

It’s time for the Hokies to get hot. This starts a stretch of four straight games that are very winnable…

vs. Arkansas-Pine Bluff
at Radford
vs. Lamar
vs. Grambling State

If the Hokies can win those four games, they’ll be 8-3 heading to into a Brooklyn matchup against St. Joseph’s.