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2022 ACC Tournament: What should UNC basketball, Hubert Davis expect from Virginia Tech in semifinals?

chapel fowler, the fayetteville observer
·3 min read
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Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis coaches against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Barclays Center.
Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels head coach Hubert Davis coaches against the Virginia Cavaliers during the first half at Barclays Center.

BROOKLYN, N.Y. – With 12 wins in their last 14 games, their first AP Top 25 ranking since November and an instant classic victory at Duke, coach Hubert Davis’ UNC Tar Heels might be the ACC’s hottest team.

With two season-extending wins in their last two games and one of the country’s best 3-point shooting rosters, coach Mike Young’s Virginia Tech Hokies might not be far behind them. At least Brooklyn-wise.

In other words, expect a lot of points at the Barclays Center when third-seeded UNC plays seventh-seeded VT in Friday’s ACC Tournament semifinals with a Saturday night championship berth at stake.

UNC is 2-0 against Virginia Tech this season, with a 78-68 home win on Jan. 5 and a 65-57 road win on Feb. 19. The winner of this rubber match plays either Duke or Miami in the ACC championship game.

“The two games that we played them, one in Chapel Hill, another one in Blacksburg, were highly contested and very competitive,” Davis said in a postgame news conference after UNC’s 63-43 quarterfinal win over sixth-seeded Virginia. “And it'll be another great matchup tomorrow night.”

Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brady Manek (45) shoots over Virginia Cavaliers forward Jayden Gardner (1) during the first half at Barclays Center.
Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; North Carolina Tar Heels forward Brady Manek (45) shoots over Virginia Cavaliers forward Jayden Gardner (1) during the first half at Barclays Center.

No. 25 UNC entering Thursday’s tournament opener averaging 88.7 points over its last three games, a stretch headlined by last Saturday’s 94-81 win and 55-point second-half masterclass against Duke.

The Tar Heels fell short of that mark against Virginia’s pesky pack line but assuaged any immediate Durham hangover concerns with some strong defense of their own. The Cavaliers scored a measly 13 first-half points, and their 43 total points were the fewest UNC’s allowed in 32 games this season.

The Tar Heels’ 38.5% shooting from the field and 26.1% shooting on threes wasn’t anything to write home about, though graduate forward Brady Manek turned those into secondary stats. He finished with 21 points on 8-15 shooting and was personally outscoring UVa. at halftime.

Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Mike Young coaches his team against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Barclays Center.
Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Mike Young coaches his team against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the first half at Barclays Center.

UNC’s reward for that resounding quarterfinal win over coach Tony Bennett’s squad? Another stop on the postseason commonwealth tour and a third matchup with Virginia Tech, the lowest remaining seed in the ACC Tournament which defeated second-seeded Notre Dame, 87-80, earlier on Thursday night.

That was likely a season saver for Virginia Tech (21-12, 11-9 ACC), which sits squarely on the NCAA Tournament bubble but has actually used this week’s tournament to improve its status – unlike fellow ACC bubblers Notre Dame (VT’s Thursday victim) and Wake Forest (a prompt Wednesday flameout).

Forward Keve Aluma and guard Storm Murphy – two Wofford expatriates who followed their former coach Young to Blacksburg – poured in 20 and 16 points, respectively, as Virginia Tech sank 57.4% of its field goals against Notre Dame and 18 of 24 free throws to offset a bit of an off night behind the arc.

The Hokies also got contributions from forward Justyn Mutts (11 points, 10 rebounds), guard Sean Pedulla (13 points), guard Nahiem Alleyne (12 points) and guard Hunter Cattoor (nine points) as they scored an ACC-high 87 points and advanced to their first conference tournament semifinal since 2011.

Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Storm Murphy (5) reacts after a three point shot against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Barclays Center.
Mar 10, 2022; Brooklyn, NY, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Storm Murphy (5) reacts after a three point shot against the Notre Dame Fighting Irish during the second half at Barclays Center.

That split – Aluma and Mutts patrolling down low with a stable of backcourt shooters to supplement their paint production – can make Virginia Tech a sneaky matchup. It certainly worked against Notre Dame as well as Clemson, which VT beat in Wednesday’s second round on an overtime buzzer beater.

“From an offensive standpoint, they just have a lot of movement,” Davis said. “They’ve got great spacing and balance. They’re an outstanding 3-point shooting team. But they also have two guys that can score consistently down low on the block, and both of those guys are outstanding passers.”

“So, automatically, it puts you into making a choice,” he continued. “Do you double-team the post, or do you stay at home with the shooters? They’re just a very difficult team to match up with.”

UNC and Virginia Tech are scheduled to tip off at 9:30 p.m. on Friday on ESPN.

Chapel Fowler is a recruiting reporter for The Fayetteville Observer and the USA TODAY Network. Reach him by email at cfowler@gannett.com or on Twitter at @chapelfowler.

This article originally appeared on The Fayetteville Observer: UNC basketball, Hubert Davis face Virginia Tech in ACC Tournament semifinals