Saturday is a basketball fan's dream:  a rare men's / women's double-header in the Cassell, and both games are big ones.

At 4:00 on Saturday, Bonnie Henrickson's nationally-ranked lady Hokies begin their quest for an Atlantic-10 championship when they take on Duquesne.  The Dukes won't be mistaken for a women's basketball powerhouse any time soon (for that matter, nor will their men's team), but they do sport a flawless 7-0 record.

So far, in three home games, Tech's women are averaging a respectable 3,000 fans a game.  They're fun to watch, they're well-coached, and they're winners, so people are starting to turn out to watch them.

But in addition to all that, there's an important point to make here:  if the Hokies have a great season, it's possible that they could wind up as one of the top 16 seeds in the NCAA tournament, which I think means they would host an NCAA sub-regional in the Cassell.

In the women's tournament, the first two rounds are played on campus sites to increase enthusiasm and fan support.  So Tech could wind up hosting three other teams in the first round, but only if the Hokies have a great season.  We may be talking a 26-3 type of season for that to happen.

How much fun would that be, to have Tech host the first two rounds of the tournament?  So, as Hokie fans, we have a mission - to show up, support this team, and help them run the table on the home schedule.  The Dukes are the next stepping stone to a fun time in March, and at 7-0, they should pose a healthy challenge.  So be there!

To learn more about Duquesne's Dukes and what the Hokies are up against, check out this article from the Pittsburgh Tribune.

Then, at 7:00, the men entertain a very, very, very rare guest:  an ACC basketball team.  Namely, Wake Forest.  Surely you remember the Deamon Deacs.   They battled Tech to the wire for the services of Dennis Mims, and the Hokies won in the end last year, and Mims is now a Hokie.

You've got to hand it to Wake for having the guts to come to Cassell Coliseum.   Two years ago, the Hokies took a 61-44 pounding at Wake Forest, and in exchange, Wake is making the trip to Blacksburg, which is more than a certain orange-and-blue bunch of pansies to the north and east are willing to do.

I think I heard the other day that the last time an ACC team visited Cassell, it was Maryland, in 1991 (a game the Hokies lost, 82-67).  So, you should come out and see Wake play Tech, because you're likely to see Halley's Comet again before another ACC team visits Cassell Coliseum.

As you know, I'm not shy about grabbing excellent message board posts and pasting them into News and Notes, and on Thursday, I found a good one.  The post was from "Tuscaloosa Hokie," who provided some great information on Alabama's football season, how it went, and what he thinks it means.  Without further ado, here's the post:

A first-hand account of 'Bama's season
by Tuscaloosa Hokie

I've watched most of Alabama's games this year--several in person--and they've done the absolute most with what they have. Someone below suggested that 'Bama is better than their 7-4 record would indicate, and I have to respectfully disagree. Here's what their season boils down to:

1. BYU--'Bama jumped out to an early lead, 24-7 in the first half, only to have to hold on against a second-half BYU surge. The Cougars had a lot of success moving the football, especially on the ground. This game is most notable for who started at QB--senior John David Phillips. He played well and Bama fans were excited and relieved. Bama 38---BYU 31.

2. Vandy--'Bama trailed into the second quarter of this game, 7-0, but eventually got the ground game going. Shaun Alexander, who runs rather gingergly for a big back, had another good game. The defense recorded back-to-back safeties on successive Vandy drives. But, of course, Vandy is very, very bad.
Bama 32---Vandy 7.

3. @Arkansas--A blow-out from the get-go. Phillips looked like a fish out of water. The Hogs ran and threw at will and The Tide was never in the game. It probably could've even been worse.
Bama 6---Arkansas 42.

4. Florida--Phillips again started the game looking scared and indecisive. This game is crucial because it marks the beginning of the Zow era in 'Bama football. Zow, a redshirt frosh, came in to relieve Phillips and the team seemed to respond. Florida moved the ball all day at will (a common theme this season for the young Tide defense), but had three drives end in turnovers on the goal line. This game, too, could've been worse. As it was, 'Bama had the ball in Florida's half of the field with less than two minutes remaining, only down by six, but Zow ended up throwing a bad interception.
Bama 10---Florida 16.

5. Ole Miss--Rebel's QB Romero Miller put on an athletic display--running and throwing like he was playing in a seven-on-seven drill--or maybe seven-on-five. The Rebs seemed to control the flow of the game. Bama's defense was able to do the bend-but-don't-break thing again, and Zow pulled off a stirring 4th quarter, OT comeback.
Bama 20---Ole Miss 17 (OT).

6. ECU--In some respects, the Tide pulled a Tech/Temple thing. Jumped out to an early lead, 21-7, and sort of went to sleep from there. Zow missed some opportunities in the second half and Steve Logan was at his weirdest--following the game, he actually said, with a straight face, that ECU had 'Bama "right where we wanted them" when it was 21-7. To be honest, I think I know what he was saying because it seemed like 'Bama wasn't used to playing ECU and got surprised when the Pirates didn't jump ship, so to speak.
Bama 23---ECU 22.

7. @Tennessee--In the game longer than expected, Bama was killed by a third quarter 101-yd kick-off return for a TD by Peerless Price. It was a plucky performance, but they ultimately ran out of steam and got "out-athleted."
Bama 18---Tennessee 35.

8. So Miss--I didn't see this game (I made the sojourn up to the 'burg to see my Hokies handle the Mountaineers!). Zow threw for something like 350 yards, and from what I heard, the game wasn't as close as the score indicated.
Bama 30---So. Miss 20.

9. @LSU--Alabama seemed overmatched by the disappointing but talented Tigers. Bama used some fluke bounces (two touchdown catches that deflected off of defenders) and an onside kick to pull one out that they didn't really "deserve" to win. Again, 'Bama had trouble stopping the running game and the offense sputtered until late in the fourth quarter, when Zow put together another amazing comeback.
Bama 24---LSU 20.

10. @Miss. State--This was a miniature version of the Arkansas game. 'Bama really was playing catch-up the entire game, as Miss. St. was able to run the ball up the gut, hit a few deep passes, stuff 'Bama's running attack, and confuse Zow and the passing offense with pressure and weird formations. They even blocked a 'Bama kick. Can you say "blueprint"? As in, if the Tech coaches are smart, they'll take a few hints from the Miss. St. gameplan.
Bama 14---Miss. St. 26.

11. Auburn--Ah, the Iron Bowl. I can honestly say that I've known nothing like that atmosphere. Legion Field. Brisk night. What seemed like an entire state standing for three hours of football. Incredible. And Auburn dominated the first quarter--running off 17 unanswered points. It was still a game halfway through the fourth quarter until Auburn muffed a punt deep in their own territory and Bama went in for the decisive score. Auburn had a 100 yd rusher for the first time in nearly two years. TWO YEARS.
Bama 31---Auburn 17.

Wins: BYU, Vandy, Ole Miss, ECU, So. Miss, LSU, Auburn.
Losses: Arkansas, Florida, Tennessee, Miss. State.

By posting all of that, I mean to say that Alabama is a mid-level SEC team (no disrespect intended) who's maximized their wins this season. They could easily be 5-6 or worse. I feel strongly that we *should* be able to beat the Tide rather convincingly because our talent and style of play matches up very well against them.

All four of their losses were to teams with fast, attacking defenses and offenses who can run the football (of course, Florida and Tennessee can both run and pass) very well. I know of a certain Chicago Maroon and Burnt Orange clad bunch that fits that description pretty closely.

The real test is going to be on Dec 29th. Do we handle a team we *should* be able to beat? Or do we give even more ammunition to those who love to bad-mouth the Big East and Tech? It's a barometer game and I'm anxious to see how we measure up.

Will here again - I could do research for hours and not come up with anything better than that.  An Alabama fan calling himself "Luke" who read the post followed up with more interesting information about players to watch:

Andrew Zow - Took over as QB mid-season. This kid has a strong arm and cannot be intimidated. He also hasn't lost his composure in the face of adversity, see LSU. The only thing I think he needs work on is some touch on the long ball. Excellent for a first year QB.

Shaun Alexander - A dangerous running back when the OL offers him anything to run through. One thing about SA that seems to have been overlooked is that his speed is very deceptive. When you watch him run it looks like he is just kind of leisurely trotting around. Then you realize that a fast LB is chasing him and not catching up. SA also hits the gaps and gets through them quick. If the D can contain him in the backfield he goes down, but if he gets moving forward he's hard to tackle.

Daniel Pope - Seems kind of odd to talk about a punter when discussing players to watch doesn't it. Pope averages 49 yards per kick and his long is (I think) 69 yards. Remember, that's an average and he's the guy that kicks the short punts as well as the boomers. If he's in his end zone, you can count on your return man receiving the ball on about the Va Tech 30 - 35.

Thanks to both posters for the great information, and there's your dose of Music City Bowl prep material for today.  Study hard, because there will be a quiz on December 29th.

• I got an email that had a good suggestion in it:  if you're going to the Music City Bowl, try to wear a little orange with your maroon.  Alabama's crimson looks a lot like Tech's maroon, so if you want people to know at a glance that you're a Hokie fan, not a Tide fan, mix some orange in, or else sport a huge VT somewhere.

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