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Blacksburg, Va. – The Saint Francis men's basketball team (1-3) plays its third consecutive game against a ranked opponent on Saturday, Nov. 24, when it heads to Blacksburg, Va. to face off with unbeaten and 13th-ranked Virginia Tech at 1 p.m.
 
Scouting Virginia Tech
 
The Hokies entered the season with lofty expectations and haven't disappointed with four wins in four tries including a win over No. 23 Purdue last week. Virginia Tech is outscoring teams by a +17.8 scoring margin and is led by All-ACC guard Justin Robinson and sophomore Nickeil Alexander-Walker. Alexander-Walker leads the team in scoring at 21.8 ppg while Robinson is shooting 45.0% from three-point range to average 17.0 ppg and 6.0 apg. Senior Ahmed Hill (14.5 ppg) and redshirt junior Kerry Blackshear Jr. (14.3 ppg) also average in double figures. Alexander-Walker is the reigning ACC Player of the Week after scoring 20 or more points in all three contests last week. As a team, the Hokies are 41-102 (40.2%) from three-point range. Defensively, the Buzz Williams led defense forces 18.5 turnovers per game.
 
Strength of Schedule
 
According to the KenPom adjusted strength of schedule metric, Saint Francis has played the eighth most difficult schedule in the country through four games. That ranking will only climb after SFU's Saturday showdown at No. 13 Virginia Tech on Saturday. Four of SFU's first five opponents are currently ranked in the Top 25 in the AP Poll.
 
Keeping it Close
 
In all three of its losses, SFU has been within six points of the lead at some stage in the second half. The Red Flash trailed current No. 22 Buffalo 52-51 with 12 minutes to play, current No. 17 UCLA 38-33 with 18:30 to play, and current No. 7 North Carolina 58-52 with 15:45 to play. If SFU could pull off the upset on Saturday, it would be its first win over a ranked opponent in its last 50 tries.
 
Rebounding Wizard
 
Junior Keith Braxton (Glassboro, N.J./Delsea) is proving last year's elite rebounding numbers weren't a fluke. After leading the NEC and all guards among NCAA Division I in rebounding last season at 9.5 per game, Braxton has increased those numbers through the first four games this season despite playing against taller, more athletic competition. Braxton has pulled down nine or more rebounds in all four games, averaging a conference-best 10.5 rpg. He also leads the team in assists with 10 and steals with 11, and is second on the team in scoring at 14.8 ppg.