SMU just completed a two-game conference stretch against Cal and Stanford—an ACC matchup that would have been unthinkable to a college basketball fan in 2022. The Mustangs’ win streak stretches one game back as well. The ‘Stangs defeated NC State 63-57 on the road before that home stretch. Led by Samet Yigitoglu, SMU has caught fire again in the middle of the season. Yigitoglu led the team in scoring against NC State and Stanford, with 20 and 17 points, respectively.
Matt Cross has also done a great job of cleaning the boards from the forward position. He has eight games of double-digit rebounds on the year. Andy Enfield has a ton of history as a NCAA head coach and the Mustangs are vying for a Tournament bid in Enfield’s first year at Southern Methodist.
The Hokies have caught a second wind in the middle of the season. The Hokies have caught two consecutive wins against ACC opponents, Florida State and Virginia. Lawal was the team’s leading scorer (17) and rebounder (13) against Florida State, and Jaden Schutt was the Hokies’ leading scorer against Virginia. Ben Burnham led the team in rebounds.
Any given player on any given night can lead the Hokies in scoring. Lawal has probably been the most consistent scorer, but other players get some push too. Jaden Schutt, the Duke transfer has okay shooting numbers, and he has worked well as a catch-and-shoot threat. Ben Burnham has been the same for the Hokies, he’s a catch-and-shoot threat who could drain a three in a telephone booth. The dynamic freshman Tyler Johnson out-rebounds his height extremely well. He averages 5.2 rebounds to just 6.3 points as a wing. Mylyjael Poteat has been the prototypical dominant and athletic big for Virginia Tech.
There are plenty of other contributors too, Patrick Wessler, Jaydon Young, Rodney Brown Jr., and Brandon Rechsteiner have all been a solid second unit for Mike Young’s squad.
With tip-off just around the corner, be sure to stay locked in right here and refresh the page for the latest updates from Virginia Tech vs SMU!
Hokies’ and Mustangs’ starting lineup.
Hammond, Schutt, Johnson, Lawal and Poteat for #Hokies tonight — usual five vs. SMU. They’re without Brown Jr. (illness).
Miller, Edwards, Harris, Cross and Yigitoglu for Mustangs.
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) February 6, 2025
Ben Hammond with the three, SMU airballs, then Jaden Schutt hits a big three. Hokies take momentum early, 8-2 lead.
U-16 Media Timeout (14:48): SMU 9, Virginia Tech 8
This post was originally published on this site be sure to check out more of their content.
