Game Preview: Penn State vs. Virginia Tech
Penn State (6-1, 0-0 B1G) takes on Virginia Tech (4-2, 0-0 ACC) in the ACC-Big Ten Challenge Tuesday night at the Bryce Jordan Center. Penn State is riding a four game win streak while Virginia Tech has bounced back nicely after losing two consecutive games and seek their third straight win.
These two teams are very similar when it comes to their place in their respected division. Neither teams are the best or the worst but float in the middle.
Both these teams have started off the season on a good note. The argument can be made that neither team has faced any notable opponents but in the end, it’s the record that counts.
The Nittany Lions have opened the season with terrific play on both sides of the ball. Their offense, led by D.J. Newbill, is high powered averaging around 76 points per game and are shooting at a high percentage.
Virginia Tech’s offense on the other hand is not that explosive. The Hokies average around 70 points a game. The Hokies rely on their guards to handle majority of their offense. Starting guards Adam Smith and Justin Bibs are the two leading scorers of the team. These guards shoot at a very high percentage from the field, so opposing defenders can’t afford to leave them open.
Penn State’s defense could be better. They started off the season with terrific defense, but now opposing teams are figuring out how to score on this defense. Geno Thrope is their anchor on defense. The 6-3 guard is a pesky defender who will harass his opponent and force him into making turnovers.
Virginia Tech relies on its stellar defense to win games. The Hokies are holding opponent teams to 62 points per game. The Hokies play great team defense and hold opponent’s to around 30 percent shooting.
D.J. Newbill is emerging to be a superstar for the Nittany Lions. Newbill shared honors with Melo Trimble of being Big Ten player of the week. He can do it all offensively, averaging around 25 points per game and has led the Nittany Lions to multiple close game wins.
Adam Smith, the 6th man for the Hokies, is on a hot streak coming in to the game. In his last two games, Smith has combined for 11 threes. He is shooting 56 percent from the court and 50 percent from behind the three point line.
The key to a Virginia Tech victory is easy, stop D.J. Newbill. If they can hold Newbill for less than 20 points they should emerge victorious. The second thing this Hokies defense has to stop is Ross Travis on offense. He is an offensive rebounding machine averaging four offensive rebounds a game. The forwards are going to have their hands full trying to keep Travis off the offensive boards.
The key for a Penn State victory is to get Newbill going early in the game. The Virginia Tech defense is stellar in the first half holding opponents to around 26 points. Trying to beat Virginia Tech in a defensive game won’t end well for the Nittany Lions, so they will need to score more than 70 to secure a win. Ross Travis will need to have a big game offensively. His offensive rebounding ability will have to show against this Hoakie defense.
Photo Credit: (AP Photo/Mic Smith)
Abhar Shah is a junior majoring in broadcast journalism. To contact him email abs5349@psu.edu.
