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(22) Virginia Tech (1-0) at (3) Kansas State (1-0)
High expectations and a national ranking won’t translate to easy victories. Kansas State and Virginia Tech found that out the hard way.
After lackluster season openers, the No. 3 Wildcats host the No. 22 Hokies on Tuesday afternoon in an early marquee matchup of teams hoping to make deep postseason runs.
Kansas State, sporting its highest ranking since being No. 3 in 1962, needed an early second-half run to beat James Madison 75-61 on Friday night.
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Sophomore Nick Russell had 11 of his 19 points in the second half and preseason All-American Jacob Pullen scored a game-high 20 for the Wildcats, who only had a 38-30 halftime lead.
“It’s not going to be perfect in a first game,” Pullen said. “We lacked some energy and had some guys who were nervous. But I thought our guards picked it up defensively.”
Still, after a run to the regional final in last season’s NCAA tournament, coach Frank Martin wants more out of the Wildcats (1-0), who are a popular pick to reach the school’s first Final Four since 1964.
They’ll be tested early with a non-conference schedule which could prove to be difficult. Following the meeting with Virgina Tech, the Wildcats face No. 11 Gonzaga on Nov. 22 and play at ninth-ranked Florida on Dec. 18.
Martin hopes his team can learn from Friday’s slow start. Kansas State, which shot a dismal 17 of 32 from the free-throw line, faced an early 6-0 deficit and allowed James Madison to shoot 50 percent in the first half.
“It was complete breakdown after complete breakdown defensively,” Martin said. “Those are things we’re going to have to grow up with and overcome.”
Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg didn’t have much better to say after his squad struggled in its 70-60 victory over Campbell on Friday.
The Hokies, picked to finish second in the ACC behind No. 1 Duke and ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1995, didn’t pull away until midway through the second half. Campbell got as close as seven with 11:18 remaining before All-ACC guard Malcolm Delaney scored five points in an 11-0 run.
“I was very disappointed in the second half,” Greenberg said. “Our commitment to defense was atrocious. We got lazy, we got out of our stance, and (Campbell was) patient.”
Delaney led all scorers with 20 points, senior Terrell Bell had a career-high 17 and Jeff Allen added 11 with 14 rebounds for his 28th career double-double.
“We’ve got to get more stops on defense,” Delaney said. “But for the most part, I thought we did a good job.”
Aside from Kansas State and the rigors of the always-difficult ACC schedule, the Hokies (1-0) will face No. 14 Purdue on Dec. 1.
This will be the first meeting between these schools.
High expectations and a national ranking won’t translate to easy victories. Kansas State and Virginia Tech found that out the hard way.
After lackluster season openers, the No. 3 Wildcats host the No. 22 Hokies on Tuesday afternoon in an early marquee matchup of teams hoping to make deep postseason runs.
Kansas State, sporting its highest ranking since being No. 3 in 1962, needed an early second-half run to beat James Madison 75-61 on Friday night.
ADVERTISEMENT
Sophomore Nick Russell had 11 of his 19 points in the second half and preseason All-American Jacob Pullen scored a game-high 20 for the Wildcats, who only had a 38-30 halftime lead.
“It’s not going to be perfect in a first game,” Pullen said. “We lacked some energy and had some guys who were nervous. But I thought our guards picked it up defensively.”
Still, after a run to the regional final in last season’s NCAA tournament, coach Frank Martin wants more out of the Wildcats (1-0), who are a popular pick to reach the school’s first Final Four since 1964.
They’ll be tested early with a non-conference schedule which could prove to be difficult. Following the meeting with Virgina Tech, the Wildcats face No. 11 Gonzaga on Nov. 22 and play at ninth-ranked Florida on Dec. 18.
Martin hopes his team can learn from Friday’s slow start. Kansas State, which shot a dismal 17 of 32 from the free-throw line, faced an early 6-0 deficit and allowed James Madison to shoot 50 percent in the first half.
“It was complete breakdown after complete breakdown defensively,” Martin said. “Those are things we’re going to have to grow up with and overcome.”
Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg didn’t have much better to say after his squad struggled in its 70-60 victory over Campbell on Friday.
The Hokies, picked to finish second in the ACC behind No. 1 Duke and ranked in the preseason poll for the first time since 1995, didn’t pull away until midway through the second half. Campbell got as close as seven with 11:18 remaining before All-ACC guard Malcolm Delaney scored five points in an 11-0 run.
“I was very disappointed in the second half,” Greenberg said. “Our commitment to defense was atrocious. We got lazy, we got out of our stance, and (Campbell was) patient.”
Delaney led all scorers with 20 points, senior Terrell Bell had a career-high 17 and Jeff Allen added 11 with 14 rebounds for his 28th career double-double.
“We’ve got to get more stops on defense,” Delaney said. “But for the most part, I thought we did a good job.”
Aside from Kansas State and the rigors of the always-difficult ACC schedule, the Hokies (1-0) will face No. 14 Purdue on Dec. 1.
This will be the first meeting between these schools.
