Buzz Williams has the Virginia Tech basketball program churning in the right direction and that was evidenced by an 11-1 record as the team approached a New Year’s Eve showdown against No. 5 Duke. However, the Hokies were not seen as significant threats to knock off what many believe is the best college basketball team in the country, even on their home floor in Blacksburg. Forty minutes later, the Hokies were completing a dominant performance in style with an amazing alley-oop in the closing minutes of an 89-75 win.
Senior guard Seth Allen connected with sophomore swingman Chris Clarke on the highlight-worthy jam and it doubled as something of an embarrassing moment for Duke. The Blue Devils were without Grayson Allen, who remains suspended indefinitely, in this game but Duke entered as a five-point favorite and never really threatened to knock off what appeared to be a more motivated Virginia Tech team.
While the highlight itself was pretty enough, the full context is noteworthy in that the Duke “defense” was virtually non-existent while jogging back in a sense of surrender.
Good god Va. Tech just went Warriors on Duke. This game is a wrap. pic.twitter.com/RTsQNDWGpv
— Matt Norlander (@MattNorlander) December 31, 2016
Seeing a team like Virginia Tech morph into the collegiate version of the Golden State Warriors late in the game was enough to make any Duke detractor salivate. It is worth pointing out that the Blue Devils likely won’t submit a performance this ugly again in 2016-2017, as Coach K’s group is seen by Las Vegas as the favorite to cut down the nets in early April. In the same breath, it is another reminder that winning on the road in college hoops is very difficult and not everything is rosy in Durham right now.
