I would not be shocked to find out the Virginia Tech men’s basketball staff used several pens in drawing a large number of circles around February 19 on the calendar. The University of Miami is coming to Blacksburg and will take on the Hokies in a game with gigantic implications.

The Hokies are coming off of a 67-65 win at home against Duke on Thursday night – you heard about that one, right? – and now stand 6-6 in the conference. Miami is coming off a 68-63 loss to Wake Forest on Tuesday night, dropping its record to 15-8 overall and 6-6 in the ACC. The two teams are tied with Maryland for fourth in the league, making this a critical matchup as all three teams fight to finish in the ACC's top five and get a bye in the first round of the ACC Tournament.

Not to mention trying not to fall off the NCAA bubble.

Since the last two teams met on February 2nd (Tech won 73-63), the Hurricanes are 2-1 with wins over Maryland and Clemson. The Hokies had lost three in a row before pulling off the improbable upset of Duke.

One obvious key for the Hokies against Miami will be the play of Carlos Dixon. The forward has been inconsistent, and the team has suffered because of his lack-luster production at times. But they have also benefited from him stepping up, as he did in leading the Hokies with 18 points against Duke. In his first outing against the Hurricanes, Dixon was good for 17 points on 6-of-13 shooting. If Dixon can post numbers like those on Saturday, it will be a huge boost for the Hokies.

On Groundhog Day, sophomore Zabian Dowdell had a career game against the Hurricanes in front of a plethora of family and friends. The guard lit up Miami for a personal best 23 points, knocking down five three-point shots. The Hokies also received solid minutes from freshman forward Deron Washington; he chipped in 14 points and seven rebounds, shooting 6-of-9 from the field.

One thing the Hokies were able to do against Miami in the first meeting was rebound. When the clock struck zero, both teams had grabbed 32 boards. If the Hokies can hit the glass hard against the Hurricanes and stay out of foul trouble, they could be in very good position to pick up a victory.

It has long reached the point of the season where depth becomes a crucial factor in determining ball games. The Hokies have not been able to get many points off of the bench, which has left the starters drained during the final stretch of games. In the first meeting between the Hokies and the Canes, Tech’s bench posted just four points--this number must be improved on Saturday.

Miami’s ebb and flow is pinned on the production of their guards. High-scoring Guillermo Diaz dropped 15 points back in the first meeting, but only shot 6-of-18 from the field. The Hurricanes could be in big trouble in Blacksburg if Diaz has a similar performance.

One thing Miami head coach Frank Haith tried early in the game was feeding the ball down low. Sophomore center Anthony King started hot for the Hurricanes, but took just five shots (making all five). It might be wise for Haith to use King as a way to draw double-teams which result in kick-out passes so Miami’s guards can work on the perimeter. Tech’s center Coleman Collins should be busy early in the ball game and will have to limit King from grabbing offensive rebounds.

The fact that the Hokies drew even with the Hurricanes on the boards in the first meeting is a very big deal, considering Miami is one of the best in the conference in rebounding. The Hurricanes have a knack for getting second chance points, something the Hokies must limit in order to compete for the whole 40 minutes and put themselves in position to win at the end.

Diaz has been hot for the Hurricanes in his last three games, averaging 20 points (including a 27-point performance in the overtime win over Maryland). Tech head coach Seth Greenberg has addressed the lack of defensive intensity, something that improved against Duke, and that is an aspect that must be elevated on Saturday night.

One key note for the game is that Haith had surgery to remove his appendix and will not make the trip to Blacksburg.

Here is a look at the key stats for Saturday night’s game: