Wake Forest 61, Virginia Tech 44

Hokie Central's Game Report I thought the Hokies were oddly lethargic in this one. Wake came out and shot 15 of their first 21 shots from 3-point range, making enough of them that they pulled away quickly and left no doubt as to what the outcome of this game was going to be. Tech got some open shots early, but missed them as usual, with the exception of Ace, who hit a couple of mid-range jumpers in the first half. The most telling stat regarding the intensity of the game (or lack thereof, on the part of both teams) is in the foul totals. Each team only had 11 fouls in the game, which may not sound like particularly low totals, but they are, especially when you consider that many of the fouls came late in the game. That stat tells you that neither team was going at it particularly hard, on the offensive end or the defensive end. Foster started a tall lineup of Tor, Custis, and Wheeler (along with Manns and Jim Jackson) in an effort to combat the Demon Deacons twin towers of Duncan and Woods, but the post wasn't where the game was won. Wake shot 24 3-pointers and made 9, while Tech only put up 6, making just 2. There isn't a whole lot to say about this game, because Tech was just never in it. And they didn't look like they even thought they could be in it. On the bright side, Alvaro Tor played better than I thought he would (7 rebounds), and Russ Wheeler showed flashes of the ability that I think is going to make him an excellent player in his Tech career. Andre Ray hit a 3-pointer and had a monster dunk off a steal, and Brendan Dunlop showed no fear and displayed some defensive talent during his brief minutes. And I was shocked to see that Shawn Browne scored 10 points, because I cut the game off with about 7 minutes to go and missed most of them. I see some glimpses of a bright future for Tech, most notably in the play and potential of Wheeler, Ray, and Dunlop. There are two "if's" when it comes to the future of Tech basketball. If Andre Ray can learn to shoot the 3, he can complement Dunlop's ball-handling ability, producing a nice one-two punch at guard for the Hokies. More importantly, if Tech can recruit a 7-footer who can rebound and throw the outlet, as well as play safety in the full-court press (a la Jimmy Carruth), Tech's chemistry will come together and Bobby Hussey will be able to coach us to many victories. I think we're in for another tough year next year, however, as these young players mature. As for the 7-footer, the Hokies are recruiting Europe pretty hard and may be successful in that area. We could use a Michael Andersen (Rhode Island) type. Tech's record is now 10-9, 3-4 in the Atlantic 10. USA Today Game Statistics for Wake Forest 61, Virginia Tech 44

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