FanPost

WBB: State Opens Conference Play by Hosting Duke

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Coach with Hunter, Jones, Rogers and Cunane. photo by Sbas. Flickr.com

State puts their 13-0 record on line in the team's opening game for conference play by hosting Duke. Last season State opened conference play by hosting Louisville. State fell behind 26-1 before ending the half trailing 28-12. State pulled to within 4 with 3:16 left in the game but lost the game 55-47. Two seasons ago State opened conference play by defeating Notre Dame 70-62. That loss for Notre Dame was only the team's second ACC loss to that date.

As noted above State enters tonight's game with a 13-0 record, a warrennolan live rpi of 8, a Group I record of 3-0 (home 1-50; neutral 1-50; away 1-50) and an ELO Chess of 8. Duke enters tonight's game with a record of 8-4, a warrennolan live rpi of 39, with no Group I wins and with an ELO Chess of 31. State's best win was over Michigan State (rpi 21) while Duke's best win was over Maine (rpi 71). Duke beat Maine at Maine 66-63 while State crushed Maine in Raleigh 84-46. Warrennolan picks State to win 74-56. (While warrennolan picks State to beat Duke, the site picks State to lose at Boston College, State's Sunday opponent!) According to warrennolan if State wins it is a positive 48 rpi points and if they lose it is a negative 254 rpi points.

VaTech

There are three unbeaten teams in the ACC, those teams being Louisville, State and VaTech. Of the three, other than State, VaTech interest me the most. In the 2016-17 season VaTech started the season 13-0 just like this season, but only won 4 games in conference play. Last season VaTech went 11-2 before entering conference play only to go 6-10 in conference play. One has to wonder if the team will do better in conference play this season. VaTech begins conference play today at Miami-a 2 p.m. tip-off. There is no doubt that Kenny Brooks is building a solid program at VaTech having signed six-four Elizabeth Kitley who was a teammate of our Elissa Cunane's AAU team-note that HoopGurlz actually rates Kitley higher than they rated Elissa. Note that VaTech has two really solid wins, one over Rutgers (rpi 23) who recently beat Maryland and one over Villanova (rpi 30). State hosts VaTech January 20th, a game I am definitely looking forward to attending.

Oh, and VaTech got Dara Mabrey, the last (?) of the Mabry sisters others of which have been or are stars at Notre Dame.