An intriguing matchup between Virginia Tech and St. Bonaventure is slated for Friday as part of the Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout.
Game time: Friday, December 17, 4:00 p.m. ET
TV schedule: ESPN2
Location: Spectrum Center, Charlotte, NC
Friday afternoon hoops? Book it. The 2021 Basketball Hall of Fame Shootout is going down on Friday, with four games on tap at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte. And possibly the most compelling contest of the quadruple-header is Virginia Tech vs St. Bonaventure. It’s still December, but both of these teams are looking like they’ll be in the NCAA Tournament conversation come March. So a neutral site win against a quality opponent could help the seed line… or it could be the difference between the right and wrong side of the bubble. Here’s what to expect.
The Hokies check in at 7-4 on the season so far, but the need for a ‘quality win’ has been eluding them. They’ll have plenty of chances when ACC play rolls around, but as of right now their best ‘W’ has come on the road against Maryland. Which should hopefully look good in the long run, but the Terps program has been in flux this season so who knows.
Aside from that, the Hokies missed an opportunity against another A-10 team in Dayton last time out. Their other losses have come to Memphis, Xavier, and Wake Forest. Good teams, for sure. But they’ll be hungry to take down the Bonnies and beef up that resume a little bit.
Keve Aluma leads the way for the Hokies with his 14.4 points per game. Add in 6.4 rebounds and a shooting percentage north of 50 percent (50.8%, to be exact), and the senior forward could prove to be a problem for St. Bonaventure. He’s joined in the frontcourt by fellow senior Justyn Mutts, who checks in with 10.1 points and a team-best 7.5 rebounds per game. If Virginia Tech is going to come away with the win, it’ll be thanks to their two star forwards.
Kyle Lofton was back to participating in today's practice. It's been 12 days since he sprained his ankle.
— SBUnfurled (@SBUnfurled) December 14, 2021
Meanwhile, the Bonnies sit at 8-2 on the year. And much like their opponents, they’re coming off a tough loss against a formidable squad (Uconn). Bona’s other loss came to Northern Iowa, but they’ve balanced it with wins against Boise State, Clemson, Marquette, and Buffalo. Unlike the Hokies, they’ve passed more than a few big tests this season. This is much needed, considering the A-10 doesn’t look like it’ll provide much in terms of quality wins. Mark Schmidt and Co. will look to add another to their stack.
And they could be getting one of their stars back. Senior point guard Kyle Lofton has missed the Bonnies’ last three games, but it’s quite possible he returns this weekend.
That would be a big lift for Bonaventure considering Lofton is averaging 17.4 points and 5.9 assists per game. Also averaging 17.4 points per game is senior Jaren Holmes, who has picked up a lot of the scoring slack for the Bonnies with Lofton sidelined. That’s a lot of seniors on both sides. With a couple of veteran squads, expect a good one on Friday afternoon.
Prediction: St. Bonaventure 70 – Virginia Tech 65