would continue through as a Q1. It would more then cancel out the at home loss to Stanford. The reality is we need to pick off a big road win or two to get on the right side of the bubble. "Chalk" ( i.e. Just winning favored games) aint gonna get it done. SMU is one of the top 3 maybe 4 top remaining opportunities IMO. It itself isnt a must win, but id say we are going have break through with a big road win sooner or later. Might as well be Wednesday.

Hoos are the only remotely tourney-level team VT has beat thus far, and we need to get to 22 wins to feel safe. Assuming a home loss to Duke, VT would need to pick up 4 road wins. Maybe only 3 if things break right and / or there's an ACCT win or two. Chances right now don't look good unless this team really starts to gel and get healthy.

How do you get a unit to start playing better than good up to great? Is it shot selection? Better defense creating offense? Can we get there without Johnson and Dorn? (hopefully for not much longer)

I would put it into 3 buckets 1) perform what VT needs to do to play the way they need to play (i.e. run the system, be where you need to be when you need to be there) This is things like knowing all the plays and actions. Knowing which gap to be in defensively. Knowing where the ball needs to go and where the open teammate should be. Take care of the ball, dont foul, low possessions, team rebound, etc 2) play to the scout for VTs opponents - understand what VT is doing differently game to game that is designed to stop particular strengths of your opponent This is things like going under/over ball screens, hard hedging, stringing out, drop coverage on ball screens. Knowing who to sprint to on a closeout and who to play as a driver or passer. 3) play within the range of what you can do - what I mean by this is not being too passive as to make your skills useless, but also dont try to be so aggressive that the risk outweighs the reward. Stay within yourself while still pushing your comfort level and keep pressure on your opponent This is things like Avdalas being aggressive enough to use his strengths while someone like Pasha shouldn't try to take over a game when theyre in but rather play within themselves. BOTH cases should be pushing the limits of what their ceiling is, however.

we have really been torched by score first PGs, Ames, Okorie, Calamese. I would definitely be concerned if Boopie Miller plays (for our sake hoping is still feeling the effects of the flu).