1. Don’t get lost in a 3-point shootout
The Virginia Tech Hokies are a team that likes to play fast on both ends. They are a team used to running on the break on offense, then creating chaos on defense. Washington, on the other hand, plays with a different tempo.
Sophomore guard Jaylen Nowell is their main scorer and distributor, producing 18.8 points, 4.6 rebounds and 3.4 assists per game through 10 games. Nowell should be playing with a chip on his shoulder heading into this one given how last year’s meeting went. He put up 26 points on 10-of-18 shooting against Gonzaga back on Dec. 5. A big game could be on the way, but he’ll need to play within himself.
They also have a heavy reliance on getting the ball inside to Noah Dickerson and getting him easy baskets. In doing that, he’s also getting to the free throw line. Dickerson is averaging 8.0 free throws per contest and making 6.0 free throws per clip.
Finding Dickerson early will be hard enough but the good thing for them is they have Matisse Thybulle on defense. Thybulle is putting up 2.6 steals and 2.3 blocks per game along with 7.8 points, 2.9 rebounds and 2.0 assists per contest. He does a little bit of everything when he’s on the floor for the Huskies.
Washington isn’t a bad team considering their 7-3 record overall. If they can keep the Hokies guessing on defense and play smart basketball on offense, they could find themselves on the brink of an upset. It’s happened once already against the Gonzaga Bulldogs back on Dec. 5. They could give Virginia Tech a game on Saturday, which makes for good weekend basketball.