Late Game Defensive Lapses Are Going To Sink The Hokies If Not Fixed Soon

When it comes to Virginia Tech basketball, something’s happening here.

And what it is ain’t exactly clear.

At many points in the history of Hokie basketball, the team has been the Cardiac Hokies, coming back from big deficits to pull a win out in the final seconds. But lately they are more like the Manilla Folders, finding new and creative ways to lose close games.

You can say it’s because the other team played better, or the calls went against the Hokies, or it just wasn’t their night. But one thing keeps standing out to me throughout the agita Virginia Tech keeps bringing into my house, and it involves defense.

Last night’s game against Georgia Tech was a prime example, and I think this chart shows a disturbing trend. The Hokies led by 14 points with 5:52 remaining and squandered it down to only two points in the final minute. This is the play-by-play chart of all of Georgia Tech’s scoring in those final 5 minutes and 52 seconds:

Notice anything? Like the fact every point the Yellow Jackets scored was either a layup or dunk, or it came at the free throw line. So either the Hokies fouled Georgia Tech and PUT them on the line for uncontested points, or they made like a matador waving a cape and let them go right down the lane and score a layup.

Yes, teams beat you with clutch shots, but those shots are a lot easier when your defense goes passive and lets the opponent either get to “his spot” or just drive all the way through the lane. It’s like playing a prevent defense in football where if there isn’t sufficient aggression, all you do is prevent yourself from winning.

Georgia Tech’s last four baskets when the game was on the line were layups. The final 19 points for the Jackets – when they went from trailing by 14 to trailing by two – were all layups and free throws with 12 coming from layups and a dunk.

There were other things you could point to for the game going from relative comfort to panic again in the final minutes on the offense, but right now I’m only talking about the defense. You can complain about which players aren’t scoring enough or getting involved in the offense, but you’re not going to win many more games playing defense like this.

The Hokie ship has enough talent to sail into waters the team hasn’t been in in a while.

But they’ve got a leak with this late-game defense that is going to sink them if not fixed soon.