** Completing these post game ritualistic musings sure has been so much more fun as the year has progressed than I would have expected early in the season. And writing during this season overall has brought me more pleasure to date than in the last six seasons combined.
** So I’m not going to complain about having to labor through my words for this game. Still, this wasn’t very much fun.
** I will say that I was looking forward to this game because it gave us a perfect chance to prove the laptops, the NET, the oddsmakers and bracketologists wrong.
** Heck, even three of the five PantherLair predicted a loss for the good guys today. There’s a good reason for that of course. Winning on the road in College Hoops is hard. Generally speaking, it’s harder in College Basketball than it is in just about any other sport.
** And while we are a pretty darn good team, we are not a great team and this day our imperfections were brought forth at the Cassell.
** One of the laptop favorites, Ken Pomeroy has the Panthers ranked around the #80 spot defensively and that’s about where we played today. Getting called for 24 fouls was certainly a big part of it, and while that number seems excessive, I was pretty hard pressed to see any that didn’t look like pretty clear fouls.
** But more than the fouls, what bothered me more on the defensive end is the number of back door layups and/or uncontested looks the Hokies got in the paint. And at worst, when the Panther were looking for stops for chances to cut the lead to six or even four in the final minutes, the Panthers were ruptured for dunks in the half court. Tsk, Tsk!
** On the road, it’s often a little tough to bring your best energy. What the Panthers have been able to do this year is garner some energy from there shooting. But Va Tech planned to take us out of our shooting game, and they executed well.
** Overall, this wasn’t a terrible offensive effort though. 72 points, and 42 in the second half is nothing to sneeze at. It’s actually fairly impressive scoring that many when Hinson only notched 4 and we only sunk three threes. But it’s not a coincidence there was a seven point difference at the foul line and a seven point difference in the final score.
** Credit needs to go to Nelly Cummings for one of his best all around offensive games this year. He took the right shots and got plenty for others.
** I was also pleased with the scoring the Twins were able to get for us when things looked most bleak because of Blake and Fede’s foul trouble. But they too just didn’t have it on the other end.
** It’s bad form to pile on Blake during his tough day, especially because he was just trying the make a play, but the charge that fouled him out was just a terrible decision. Not only did it send him out of the game for good, but it was also a chance to cut the lead to 8 just as that it felt like the Panthers were gaining a smidge of momentum.
** But that’s what happens on the road in College Basketball.
** So for now, it’s another week of complaining about the absurdity of the NET rankings and the AP voters who failed to place the Panthers in their Top 25.
** For my money, I’ll be happy enough to continue complaining about such things all the way to an NCAA Tournament berth.
** So let’s come home and win a pair to keep us on that path. If we can do so, I know I won’t have a very difficult time finding fun words to describe it.
