The Flyers return to the hardwood after an extended layoff and open Atlantic-10 play against the Virginia Tech Hokies at 3:00 Sunday afternoon. The Hokies come into the game at 6-6. While three of the Hokie’s losses have been by a total of 6 points those have come at the hands of Radford, Liberty and a less than stellar West Virginia club. Tech’s most impressive win is over UNC Charlotte, and they had a quality loss in a 10 point decision against Auburn. Virginia Tech opened what may well be their final season in the A-10 by getting pounded 86-67 at Xavier, in a game that was not nearly as close as the final score. Xavier was able to utilize pressure and ran at every opportunity to create a fast-paced game, a style of play at which this Virginia Tech team is particularly ill-suited. As a result, Xavier’s superior quickness and athleticism overwhelmed the Hokies.

Tech committed eight turnovers in the first 10 minutes of the game, gave up numerous easy buckets on slashes to the hoop, countless offensive rebounds, and frequently took quick, ill-advised shots. In short, Xavier completely took Tech out of their game in opening up an early 22-4 lead, which they later extended to 30 at the first half buzzer.

Dayton will likely try to employ the same strategy on Sunday. Look for the Flyers to attempt to press the Hokies and put a lot of pressure on the ball handlers. The Hokies are very prone to turning the ball over, averaging nearly 17 turnovers a game. The Hokie offense also struggles in an up-tempo game as their perimeter players tend to take quick shots, frequently keeping their best weapons from getting involved in the offense. Against Xavier, Rolan Roberts and Russ Wheeler combined for nine field goal attempts, and only four in the first half. Virginia Tech also has trouble defending a team that fast breaks and creates dribble penetration — with Roberts, Wheeler, and Dennis Mims prone to foul trouble. However, if Tech can take care of the basketball and create a half-court game they are capable of doing damage. Mims, Wheeler, and Roberts are all effective scorers inside and create a strong, physical presence. All are better than 45% from the field, with Mims coming in at 53%. Mims scored 17 against Xavier from his power forward slot, and is averaging 13 points and nearly seven boards.

Roberts can hit the perimeter jumper and is spending most of his court time at the small forward position. He leads the team in scoring at 14 and is second in rebounding at 5.5 a game. He is not a pure 3 man however as he is inconsistent hitting the jumper outside 15 feet. From the three point line Roberts is connecting on just more than 25% of his attempts. Look for Dayton to play off Roberts on the perimeter and make him prove his jumper is on. Roberts may also play inside against UD and try to take advantage of his size advantage against Brooks Hall or Tony Stanley. Wheeler has been a bit of a disappointment this year, averaging just seven points and five boards. He was held scoreless against Xavier. Jon Smith and David Whaley are the primary bench players in the frontcourt. A highly regarded freshman, Smith is averaging one point and one rebound in seven minutes a game, while Whaley averages five points and three rebounds in his 10 minutes of court time.

In the backcourt, the Hokies start Brendan Dunlop and Andre Ray. Ray is not much of a scorer but at 6’5″ is an excellent defender. He sticks to perimeter shooters and fights through screens. Tony Stanley had a lot of difficulty getting shots when guarded by Ray in the two games last year. Ray is not much of a threat to score, averaging just five points a game. If left open he can be streaky and hit a few shots in a row — and he grabs his share of offensive rebounds. Brendan Dunlop starts at the point and has been largely ineffective. He has shot the ball poorly, connecting on just 37% from the field and a woeful 15% from behind the arc. Despite his poor percentage on treys, Dunlop leads the team in attempts with 35. Since becoming eligible at the close of the first semester, Brian Chase comes off the bench to spell Ray or Dunlop. He actually sees more minutes than either starter. Chase is third on the team in scoring at 13 a game, and has made 40% of his three point attempts. He is not much of a distributor, with just five assists to go against 12 turnovers. Tony Dobbins and Jermaine Kimbrough round out the Tech backcourt.

The Flyers would like the scoring in this game to be in the mid-70s or higher. In that type of a game, UD will have a significant advantage and can get to the offensive glass. Before pulling back on the throttle early in the second half, Xavier missed 15 shots and managed to rebound 11 of those. In an up-tempo game the Flyers could once again outrebound their opponent on the offensive glass. If Tech is able to keep the score in the 50s or low 60s they may be able to take advantage of their superior size and strength. Regardless of tempo, the key will be taking care of the ball, not giving up easy baskets off turnovers, playing solid defense in the halfcourt, and hitting the defensive boards — a recipe for success in every game.