BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech looks to start 2022 on the right foot and earn its first ACC win of the season as NC State travels to Cassell Coliseum on Tuesday night.
The Hokies are coming off a nearly two-week pause due to health and safety protocols. Tech's last outing was a tightly-contested loss on the road to No. 2 Duke on Dec. 22. Tuesday's game will be the first game inside Cassell Coliseum in 27 days (Dec. 8 vs. Cornell).
There were plenty of promising signs in Virginia Tech's last contest against the ACC favorite Blue Devils. Keve Aluma (25) and Justyn Mutts (20) combined for 45 points inside Cameron Indoor Stadium. The game, in which the Hokies held the lead going into halftime, was Aluma's eighth-straight game scoring double digits. Storm Murphy has also come along as of late, shooting 52 percent from the field in Tech's last five games.
Tuesday's game will be Virginia Tech's first matchup with NC State since Jan. 11, 2020 – a 72-58 win for the Hokies at home. Nahiem Alleyne is the lone starter from the 2019-20 team that faced the Wolfpack that has been featured in Tech's 2021-22 starting rotation.
In its last outing, NC State dropped a tight league contest to Florida State, 83-81, extending its losing streak to five games. The Wolfpack are led by redshirt-sophomore Dereon Seabron, who is the only player in the ACC averaging a double-double (19.6 points, 10.1 rebounds).
GAMEDAY INFORMATION
Tuesday, January 4 | 7:00 p.m. ET
Cassell Coliseum (Blacksburg, Va.)
vs. NC State
Series: NC State leads 40-18
Game Notes: Virginia Tech | NC State
TV Broadcast
ACC Network
Play-by-Play: Jay Alter
Analyst: Malcolm Huckaby
Local Radio
Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Adam Witten
Analyst: Mike Burnop
THE SERIES
- Despite NC State leading the all-time series 40-18, the Hokies have prevailed in four of the previous five head-to-head matchups.
- The two sides did not meet last season. They were scheduled to clash in Raleigh, North Carolina for the regular-season finale, but was canceled due to COVID protocols.
- Tech won the last meeting with the Wolfpack, 72-58, in Blacksburg.
- The Hokies are 10-12 at home against NC State.
A WIN WOULD…
- Give the Hokies their fourth straight win over NC State, tying for the longest winning streak by Tech in the series since 2009-2011 (also four games).
- Improve Tech to 6-1 at home this season.
- Be Mike Young's 40th win as head coach of the Hokies.
HOKIE HEADLINES
- Keve Aluma has reached double-figure scoring in eight straight games. He's at least tied for leading scorer honors in five of the last six games.
- THE redshirt-senior dropped in a season-high 25 points on 11-of-20 shooting at No. 2 Duke on Dec. 22. It was Aluma's second straight ACC outing this season where he dialed up 20-plus points. Aluma leads the ACC in scoring for conference-only games at 24.0 ppg.
- Hunter Cattoor has scored double figures in six of the last seven games, including a career-high 21 points vs. St. Bonaventure on Dec. 17.
20-20 VISION FOR ALUMA, MUTTS AT DUKE
- Keve Aluma (25) and Justyn Mutts (20) combined for 45 points against the second-ranked Blue Devils.
- It was the first time since Nov. 28, 2020 vs. No. 3/3 Villanova two Tech players scored 20 or more points in the same game. Aluma (23) and Nahiem Alleyne (20) combined for the feat that night.
DOWN BUT NOT OUT
- Is the 0-2 start to ACC play less than ideal? Sure. Is there ground to be made up? You bet. Can this veteran Tech group rally as we begin the new year? We certainly believe so, and so does Coach K.
- Following the Duke game, Krzyzewski had this to say about the Hokies: "They are really good. They're old, they play outstanding defense and they are very difficult to defend. […] Mike [Young] does such a good job with his team. […] They are going to be as good as anyone in our conference."