Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team will look to build on a two game winning streak Sunday afternoon when it takes on the Georgia Bulldogs in Cassell Coliseum.

After dropping the fourth game of the season to Temple University, the Hokies (5-1, 0-0 Atlantic Coast Conference) have bounced back nicely with wins over Delaware and Iowa in the past week.

The Bulldogs (4-2, 0-0 Southeastern Conference) enter the game on a three-game win streak of their own. After a close loss to Wofford and a tough 72-56 loss to the University of Alabama-Birmingham on Nov. 21, Georgia reeled off three straight wins against UNC-Asheville, Jacksonville State and St. Louis to reestablish a winning record.

Hokies fans may remember the last time the two teams faced off.

Last season in Athens, Ga., the Bulldogs defeated Tech 67-66, handing the Hokies their fourth loss early in the season thanks to the work of Georgia’s current starting center, Albert Jackson.

After the Hokies took the lead with 57 seconds remaining, Jackson hit a layup to re-gain the lead for the Bulldogs.

When the Hokies got the ball back, they missed a pair of shots that would’ve given them the win, but a defensive rebound by Jackson with 0.5 seconds remaining sealed the win for Georgia.

Jackson returns this season along with a solid Bulldogs starting lineup that includes star sophomore forward Trey Thompkins.

Named to the SEC’s All-Freshman team last year, Thompkins has returned as Georgia’s go-to-guy in the paint.

Averaging 15 points and 7.8 rebounds per game, the sophomore has been consistent throughout the year.

In a win against New Orleans, Thompkins dropped 25 points and hauled in 12 rebounds, and last week against Jacksonville State, he added 19 points and seven rebounds to his line.

Adding to the Bulldogs’ production along with Jackson and Thompkins will be senior guard Ricky McPhee. Originally a walk-on at UGA, McPhee has earned a starting role on this year’s roster and has the nickname “McThree” for a reason.

McPhee is currently making 38.7 percent of his three-point attempts and is averaging 9.5 points per game for the Bulldogs.

While the Bulldogs haven’t had the toughest road to a 4-2 start, the Hokies won’t take them lightly.

Tech hasn’t found much consistency this season outside of the production it has found from junior point guard Malcolm Delaney.

Delaney is averaging 21.2 points per game and is currently the leading scorer in the ACC.

To say the junior has been carrying the Hokies at times this year would be an understatement. In Tech’s loss against Temple, Delaney scored 32 of the Hokies’ 50 points, while the rest of the team shot eight for 36 from the field.

Slowly, however, the Hokies are seeing more production from the players surrounding Tech’s star.

In Tech’s win over Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge Tuesday, the Hokies had four players end in double-figures.

Junior forward Terrell Bell scored 13 points and added six rebounds in the game, stepping up for the Hokies with some late scoring to put the game away.

Junior forward Jeff Allen and sophomore forward Victor Davila each contributed 10 points in the game as well.

While the Hokies have gotten off to a good start, they have been outshot by opponents this season 42.4 percent to 39.8 percent from the field.

The Bulldogs enter the game Sunday shooting a solid 44.1 percent from the field.

To avenge last season’s heartbreaking loss and improve to 6-1, the Hokies will undoubtedly need to stop Thompkins and Georgia’s frontcourt while pressuring the Bulldogs on the defensive side.

The Hokies enter the game ranked 23rd nationally in scoring defense while the Bulldogs clock in at 79th.

Tech’s matchup with Georgia is one of seven games remaining before Tech faces North Carolina in Chapel Hill on Jan. 10 to begin its tough conference schedule.

Georgia and the Hokies will tip off at 3:30 p.m., and according to the sports information office, fans are encouraged to wear maroon to the game.

The first 1,500 non-student fans will receive a free “Maroon Monsoon” T-shirt, and all Tech students will receive a free shirt as well.

Also, Tech students will receive one-dollar hot dogs all night long with their Hokie Passport.