Virginia Tech Basketball: 3 keys to upsetting the Duke Blue Devils

2. The dynamic duo must step up in the big moments

The Virginia Tech Hokies have always fared well when the odds have been stacked against them. They managed to go 8-4 without Justin Robinson in the rotation to close out the regular season. His return will certainly give them a boost and he’ll need to be prepared to step up in big moments.

When it’s time to get a basket or make a play, look for Justin Robinson to be involved in some way. His return has been key in Nickeil Alexander-Walker’s recent boost in production. Alexander-Walker is averaging 13.0 points per game on 46.7 percent shooting from the floor, a boost from his recent slump. Without Robinson in the rotation, Alexander-Walker took over some of the duties as a primary distributor but he wasn’t been quite as effective as Robinson.

Now, with the season on the line, look for Alexander-Walker and Robinson to play key roles in a victory. Ahmed Hill and Kerry Blackshear Jr. have been models of consistency even without Robinson but Alexander-Walker has seemed a bit out of rhythm. With Robinson back, look for Alexander-Walker to have a big game. He scored 13 points on 3-of-10 shooting against Duke in the last meeting. He’ll have to be a lot more efficient than that if he hopes to propel Virginia Tech to victory.