While Virginia Tech’s weak ACC schedule (playing the bottom five teams twice and the top six teams just once) didn’t help and the loss to last place miami in the ACC Tournament hurt, it was their out of conference schedule that did them in.  Tech played 14 out of conference games and their out of conference strength of schedule was rated 339th in the nation out of 347 teams.  Yes, it was that bad.  Tech played 16 games out of 31 against teams rated 101 or higher in the RPI, 9 games against teams ranked 200 or higher, and 3 games against teams in the 300s.  Basically, in hindsight, the Hokies had almost no chance at making the NCAA Tournament with this schedule unless they had an incredible ACC season (I thought they did with 10 wins) and a bit of a run in the ACC Tournament.

While some of that is Tech’s fault (scheduling teams like north carolina central, maryland-baltimore county, and charleston southern), some of it wasn’t.  Historically good teams like iowa were terrible this year, though VT didn’t even schedule them, that was part of the ACC/Big(11)Ten Challenge.  iowa finished with a RPI of 210.  penn state, who won the NIT last year, ended up with a RPI of 194.  georgia actually moved up in the world, finishing just outside the top 100 at 107 after a couple of really bad seasons.

Tech did have two nice games scheduled, neutral site games against temple (who finished with a RPI of 9) and seton hall (61 – but also didn’t make the NCAAs).  The Hokies won the seton hall game, but ultimately they needed a win over the much more highly rated owls, who won the A-10 for the third year in a row.

I won’t sit here and bash VT’s schedule.  I haven’t questioned it all year in terms of making the NCAAs.  I knew it was weak, but I figured by rolling through it at 13-1, Tech just needed to have a good ACC season.  Tech had a great ACC season, finishing 10-6.

While I won’t question VT’s schedule, the one thing that stands out to me is – where are the Virginia teams? The Hokies played just two in-state teams out of conference – longwood and vmi.  Those two teams also happen to be the two lowest rated RPI teams in the state, at 285 and 309 respectively.  Meanwhile, richmond had a RPI of 22 and old dominion at 27.  Both made the Big Dance.  william & mary had a RPI of 58 (and beat two ACC teams on the road this year that made the dance – wake and maryland) and vcu, Tech’s old Metro Conference rival, had a RPI of 66.  george mason had a semi-decent RPI at 157.  But that’s four teams in the state that had RPI’s in the top 70.

Obviously you cannot know that a year or two in advance when you set up these schedules, but you do know odu is always one of the better teams in the state, vcu is usually solid, mason made the Final Four four years ago, and richmond has been solid since joining the A-10.  The Hokies should be playing one or two of these teams every year.  And don’t you think Hokie fans would love having a game in NOVA (mason) or Richmond (richmond or vcu) or Hampton Roads area (w&m and odu) every other year or so?  Tech fans would have a chance to see the team close to home and have a chance at a quality road win, a plus in the selection process.

I’m sure we will see a beefed up schedule for the Hokies next year, with a name team or two and solid second tier teams.  And VT should get a much better draw in the ACC/Big(11)Ten Challenge based on their higher fourth place finish this year and likely high preseason rating in the ACC next year.  Also, Tech will be playing in the 76 Classic in Anaheim, CA in late November (VT didn’t play in a tournament during the season this year).  That tourney features two NCAA Tourney teams in oklahoma state and unlv, as well as stanford, depaul, tulsa, cal state northridge, andpenn state (whom VT is supposed to play in Blacksburg next year anyway).  But I’d also like to see more Virginia teams on the schedule.  It is good for the state and looks like it will be good for the Hokies on Selection Sunday a year from now.

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At least now we know the NCAA Selection Committee is certifiably insane. The third time was not the charm for Virginia Tech, as they did not receive an invitation to the Big Dance for the third consecutive year. Once again they will be relegated to the Junior Prom, the National Invitational Tournament (NIT). The Hokies became the first ACC team to win 10 conference games and not make the tournament, a dubious distinction.

For the second time in three years the Hokies were one of the first teams out, a bitter pill to swallow. Bubble teams that made it included florida, minnesota, utep, and utah state. Tech had the fifth highest RPI of teams that didn’t make it but CBS’s Seth Davis guessed that the Hokies were the first team out. He later asked the head of the committee, Dan Guerrero, about bubble teams and mentioned VT specifically and the first thing Dan mentioned was out of conference strength of schedule.

The ACC got six teams in with duke (1 seed), maryland (4), clemson (7), wake (9), fsu(9), and georgia tech (10). Notice something? Two of those teams (clemson and wake) lost in the ACC Tournament First Round, not even the quarterfinals. VT beat both of them and finished ahead of them. maryland and fsu also lost in the quarterfinals in their first tourney game.

We shall see how the Hokies respond in the NIT. Two years ago that young Hokie team was on a mission to show the committee was wrong and played well, blowing out two teams before losing to ole miss in the quarterfinals. Last year Tech seemed less interested and almost lost in the first round to duquesne before winning in two overtimes. In the second round they got absolutely blasted by baylor, a team that moved all the way up to a 3-seed this year in the Big Dance. With the bulk of this Hokie team represented by juniors, I’m not sure how hard they will play in the NIT. This has to be a huge disappointment, and they may have a “been there, done that” attitude. We shall see what the crowds will be like, too. Tech has gotten great turnouts from the students the last few years who have had the Cassell rocking, taking advantage of the general admission seating.

It is hard to believe a team that won 10 ACC regular season conference games, and 23 games overall, did not make the tournament. But VT’s extremely weak out of conference schedule apparently did them in. As did the loss to the last place miami hurricanes in the ACC Tournament quarterfinals. Tech’s weak in conference schedule (they played the bottom five ACC teams twice and the top six just once) also didn’t help. Still, this is tough to take and I’m sure the team is as sick as I am right now.

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By Kartik Krishnaiyer

Our good buddy, Kartik Krishnaiyer from miami’s canesrising.com, was nice enough to write an article about his thoughts on the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee and Virginia Tech’s snub. He also participated in an Opposing View column back in February. TechHoops.com would like to thank him for taking the time to do this and offer his kind thoughts. And to show our gratitude, in an unprecedented move, we have left other schools’ names capitalized.

Hokie fans, I feel your pain. Everyone in ACC Country feels your pain. Talking to many around the country in the last 24 hours, those who understand the culture around ACC Basketball agree with me. Those who don’t understand ACC Basketball have little use for my arguments. But here is how I see what I consider a completely unjustified and unconscionable decision by the committee to take essentially mediocre teams like Villanova, Kansas State and Oregon over a battle tested winning ACC team like Virginia Tech.

• The committee needs to watch more basketball

Had any member of the selection committee watched Virginia Tech’s heartbreaking loss at Littlejohn Coliseum to Clemson last Sunday, they no doubt would have decided that the Hokies are not only a tournament team but probably a top eight seed somewhere. The odd call by an official to call a foul with three seconds remaining and put Clemson on the line for two free throws when the Hokies were up one and had shown the grit to make what appeared to be a game winning shot just seconds earlier was inexcusable. Following this heartbreak, Virginia Tech beat Miami, already considered an NCAA lock and team that secured a #7 seed in the tournament. Finally, the Hokies got unlucky not to at least get to overtime against the committee’s favorite team, #1 overall seed North Carolina. How can a team that beat one tournament team and took two other top seeds to the brink in a one week period and who had a winning record in a league which the RPI rated as the toughest in the nation by a wide margin be left out for a team like, say Kansas State or Oregon?

• Road games in the ACC are not equal to road games in other leagues

Much like the SEC in football, the ACC in basketball features home arenas where the passion is greater night in and night out than in any other league in America. The committee’s failure to understand that Virginia Tech’s road games are more hostile than Villanova’s show they have a fundamental misunderstanding of college basketball. Going 9-7 in the ACC is not like going 8-8 in the SEC or Big 12. It’s a whole lot tougher.

As a Miami fan, I recall we had a team that went 15-2 over a two season period on the road in the Big East. (December 1998 thru March 2000) In this period, Miami had exceptional talent, but not overwhelming talent by any stretch of the imagination. But it was fairly easy for a talented team to go into a large, half empty arena in a city center and steal a road game than to a loud partisan arena jam packed with students near the floor. The SEC in basketball resembles the ACC in football. Students come to games and cheer for their team but the passion the ACC has for basketball is lacking in SEC arenas while the passion the SEC has for football is generally lacking in ACC stadiums.

• The NCAA should understand traditional in-state rivalries

Early in his tenure as Miami Head Coach, Leonard Hamilton made the decision to discontinue Miami’s series with Florida, Florida State, and South Florida. Why? Coach Hamilton was of the belief that you don’t schedule games against in-state opponents that could lead to defeats that kill your program’s profile both locally and nationally. As Miami improved, Hamilton gradually got aggressive about placing Kentucky, North Carolina, and Indiana on UM’s schedule, but the in-state teams never returned until Perry Clark was the coach. Virginia Tech had three losses held against them by the committee: two were to in-state rivals Richmond and Old Dominion (both on the road): for this the Hokies should have been congratulated for playing these teams, not punished for losing. Miami was for years unwilling to play these games. More and more schools now follow Hamilton’s example. The committee must realize that losing to an in-state rival from a smaller league is not like losing to a team from a smaller league from another region.

• The NCAA needs to realize that some teams without returning stars need time to gel

Jeff Allen, Deron Washington, and A.D. Vassalo are now all household names in ACC country. But they weren’t in November when the Hokies lost to Penn State in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. As the season went on, as was always the case with Seth Greenberg’s teams at South Florida and now at Virginia Tech, the Hokies played better and better. The team game really began to work and as is always the case with Greenberg’s teams the Hokies played great defense. So at season’s end Virginia Tech wasn’t just one of the 65 best teams in the nation, it was probably one of the 30 best. But Arizona’s early season victories with several returning stars were emphasized in picking a team with a losing conference record for the dance, but Virginia Tech’s early struggles with a group of young players was held against them, even though the Hokies finished with a winning record in the nation’s toughest conference. Go figure.

In summary, I feel Virginia Tech’s exclusion from this tournament is one of the gravest at-large oversights by the committee in recent years. For me it is probably the biggest oversight since Vanderbilt was dropped from the bracket in 2000 right before the selection show because Arkansas had surprisingly won the SEC Tournament and the committee needed to make room for them so lazily they dropped a team from the same league. I have no doubt that Seth Greenberg, one of the finest people in the game, will bring Virginia Tech back to the NCAAs next year, but the Hokies ought to be preparing now for a NCAA game, not a NIT one.

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With the news that Tech will not be making a return trip to the Big Dance, we are all disappointed right now. Let’s take a look at who got in over VT and why.

• #12 seed villanova (20-12, 9-9 Big East) – nova is the last at-large in the tournament. In fact, they are the only at-large with a #12 seed or lower. The Hokies and the cats have almost identical resumes. nova had one more win, 9 wins in conference play, a big conference tourney win (syracuse), and neighboring RPIs (low 50s). Also, they got screwed by officials in losses to nc state and georgetown, so they have a similar gripe as VT does in their close losses. The difference is nova went 4-7 against RPI Top 50, and this is what gave them the nod over Tech.
• #11 baylor (20-10, 9-7 Big 12) – The Big 12 was #2 in conference RPI. baylor beat three NCAA teams: notre dame, texas a&m, and kansas state. Their RPI was also about 10 spots higher than the Hokies. The bears did lose to a poor colorado team in the Big 12 Tourney, but their body of work was apparently enough. I think you could flip a coin on them or VT.
• #11 kentucky (18-12, 12-4 SEC) – Left for dead back in December, the cats came rolling back with a 12-4 SEC record. But their loss to georgia in the SEC quarterfinals put them back on the bubble and their RPI was close to VT’s. However, they were 4-6 against RPI Top 50 and 8 of their 12 losses were to tourney teams. They also beat #2 seed tennessee. 12 wins in the SEC has to get you in, plain and simple.

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Time will tell, but Coach Greenberg believes that anyone who “does not think that Virginia Tech is not one of the Top 65 teams is certifiably insane”. I agree with him, but unfortunately that doesn’t mean that the Hokies will get in. Here is a look at Tech’s resume: the Good, the Bad, and the Ugly, along with some other factors that could impact their selection status.

The Good

• 4th place finish in the ACC, with a winning conference record at 9-7. Only twice in the history of the ACC has a team with a winning record not made the Big Dance: uva in 2000, and fsu in 2006. Both those squads were 9-7, but lost their opening round game in the ACC Tournament. 21 of 23 teams that have gone 9-7 or 8-6 have made the tournament. Therefore, there is a 91% chance that the Hokies will make the dance based on this stat alone.
• A win in the ACC Tournament against miami, who was ranked in the top 30 of the RPI.
• maryland’s bubble burst on Thursday. Tech is the only bubble team from the ACC. There is no other competition.
• Tech is 5-2 in their last 7 games, with their only 2 losses coming at the buzzer against the two teams playing for the ACC Championship. The Hokies are playing their best basketball of the season at the right time and could be a tough test for any opponent in the first round of the Big Dance.
• Even though a loss is a loss, the Hokies’ performance against #1 unc in the ACC semis was viewed very positively by the so-called experts. Dickie V changed his tone after the game. He was calling Tech out of the tourney before the game, and in after it.
• The ACC is the highest RPI-rated conference.
• I doubt this really matters, but I bet Coach Greenberg will be on every sports talk radio and TV show imaginable on Selection Sunday, lobbying for the Hokies. As we all know, he is a media darling and not afraid to speak his mind. Either way, the Hokies will get a lot of good press.

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The wonderful careers of Jamon Gordon, Zabian Dowdell, and Coleman Collins ended today with a 63-48 loss to southern illinois. The Hokies could not overcome the country’s third best scoring defense and 12 three-pointers by the salukis.

The difference maker today was the three point shooting. southern illinois was 12 of 21, and the Hokies were just 2 of 12. A.D. Vassallo could never get on track, as he was 0 for 6 from the field (all behind the arc). He had a fair amount of open looks too, but the string music was not playing tonight. Zabian Dowdell was shut down for the second game in a row. He was only 3 of 9 from the field, and finished with 7 points. The output behind the arc was eerily similar to the 69-56 loss to uva on March 1. The hoos made 10 threes to Tech’s two, and A.D. was only 1 of 8 that night. Jamon Gordon and Deron Washington made the only three-balls today for the Hokies.

The swing point of the game was the last 5 minutes of the first half. After Gordon nailed a three to put the Hokies up 18-15, he was taken out for a quick rest before the TV timeout. The Hokies then went on a scoring drought for 3 and a half minutes, and guess who broke it? Jamon. The salukis, specifically Jamaal Tatum, went on a 13-2 run. Tatum had 3 three pointers during that stretch. The Hokies could not claw their way back into it after that.

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I’ll be updating the site during every TV timeout during today’s game between Tech and the salukis.

Second Half
2:52 so ill 58 VT 44 | Well, they just switched to nevada-memphis. Looks like this in game commentary could be over. Go Hokies!

3:28 so ill 56 VT 43 | Ok, now that last saluki possession was a killer. You got to credit the salukis though. Hell of a defensive team and when they hit their threes, it is very tough to compete.

6:18 so ill 50 VT 38 | That last saluki possession was a killer.

7:50 so ill 47 VT 34 | Collins fouls out. He really got hosed on a couple calls today, which is a shame because he would have been a difference maker. I think this game would be less than 5 points if he were not in foul trouble.

8:02 so ill 47 VT 34 | Can we pull another one out of our a**? 6 of 13 from the line tonight, only 2 threes, but the real stinger is the bank-in free throw and bank-in three pointer by Tatum this half. Reminds me of the second nc state game.

11:29 so ill 41 VT 30 | Ugh … where is our 3 ball? If we lose, what does this say about the ACC this year? Only carolina would be going to the Sweet 16.

15:49 so ill 33 VT 23 | We are in trouble. Collins’ 4th foul killed us. Dowdell, Gordon, and Deron is all we have on the offensive side. Time to throw the laptop into the TV.

Here we go! Go Hokies!

Halftime – so ill 28 VT 20
Well, we are down by 8 again at the half. The salukis closed with a 13-2 run led by the MVC player of the year.

Stats
FG Pct. – so ill 40% (10/25), VT 39% (9/23)
3 pt. FG Pct. – so ill 45% (5/11), VT 25% (2/8)
FT Pct. – so ill 42% (3/7), VT 0% (0/3)
Rebounds – VT 16, so ill 14
Off. Rebounds – so ill 4, VT 2
Turnovers – so ill 4, VT 6
Steals – VT 3, so ill 2
Leading Scorers – so ill Tatum 11, VT Gordon 9
Leading Rebounders – so ill Falker 4, VT Gordon 6
Foul Trouble – so ill Green 2, VT Collins 2

We’ve got to have A.D. make some shots in the second half, or provide more opportunities for Deron, Dowdell, or Coleman. If A.D. can’t get on track, then look for a lineup of Munson, Dowdell, Gordon, Washington, and Collins (with Diakite instead of Witcher off the bench). I don’t think Sailes will see much time in the second half since we are in dire need of some offense. We can pull this one out.

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[Note: TechHoops.com will be having In Game Commentary during today's game. Join us and share your comments.]

Update: Matt Shaw, so ill’s third leading scorer, has a sprained left ankle and may be unable to play on Sunday.  Boyle will start in his place.

The Hokies can capture the Illinois State Championship and a trip to the Sweet 16 on Sunday when they take on the salukis (it’s a dog) of southern illinois (that’s ‘so ill’ for short). After defeating illinois 54-52 on Friday night, the Hokies are primed to make their first trip to the Sweet 16 since 1967 (VT made the Elite Eight that year). These two teams met in Lake Buena Vista, FL (Disney World) back on November 26th in the 5th-place game of the Old Spice Classic. The salukis won that game 69-64. This game will be played in Columbus, OH at the Nationwide Arena.

The salukis have been to the NCAA Tournament six years in a row. They made the Sweet Sixteen in 2002 with former Hokie Rolan Roberts on the team. So this team is very experienced on this stage, but with the Hokies having a NCAA Tournament game under their belts, this shouldn’t be a factor.

The salukis are similar to illinois in that they are a defensive minded team and play at a slow pace. They have a suffocating defense that led the Missouri Valley Conference (MVC) in Scoring Defense by holding teams to just 56.3 points per game. That’s also third best in the nation. Teams shot over 41% against them, which isn’t in the top 50 in the NCAA. That tells you that southern illinois doesn’t give up a lot of shots and possessions are at a premium. Like the illini, the salukis will not hit the offensive boards with their guards and instead drop back on defense, making it difficult to get out and run on them.

Again, as I said about the illinois game, Tech will have to find ways to get easy baskets. They weren’t able to do this until they implemented the full court press. I wouldn’t be shocked to see VT use the three-quarters court trapping press some in this game to try and force the tempo and to get Tech’s transition game going. The Hokies will struggle to find open looks in the half court set against this defense. Points off steals, outlet passes off rebounds, and hitting threes are a must for the Hokies to get points. Also, Tech needs to do a better job of hitting shots from 10 feet in, something they were awful at in the illinois game. Even when VT had open looks, they were missing until the final eight minutes.

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Hold opponents to 56.3 points per game		Graveyard of opponents in front window
		ADVANTAGE: SOUVLAKI
In honor of Maxim’s “Found Porn”…
Roster includes Bone and Coopwood		Menu includes Hummus and Gyros
ADVANTAGE: SALUKIS
Name originated in the Middle East		Name originated in Greece
		ADVANTAGE: SOUVLAKI
John Belushi created his “COLLEGE” sweatshirt while he attended southern illinois		Jay “8 Ball” Adams has worn his Belushi knock-off “COLLEGE” t-shirt while stumbling into Souvlaki at 1 AM
ADVANTAGE: SALUKIS
Game tempo will put you to sleep		Best sleeper bar on College Avenue
		ADVANTAGE: SOUVLAKI

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Wow. Wow. Wow.

Was that game more surprising than any other win this season, including the carolina win at the dean dome? You could make a great case for it.

The Hokies won a Big Ten slugfest and stole one from the illini tonight, 54-52. At the 8:18 mark of the second half, illinois was poised to execute the biggest upset of the first round (from a seeding perspective). They led the Hokies 47-34 after Brian Randle converted the second free throw of a 1 and 1. But, the Hokies stepped up the defensive pressure by going to a full court press. From that point on, Virginia Tech outscored the illini 20-5. Add to that, the Hokies scored the final 12 points of the game. The illini’s last point was at the 4:29 mark. We scored 37% of our points in the final 8 minutes of the game. Yes, Deron had the hot hand in the end, but we still missed easy buckets and free throws down the stretch. The difference was that the Hokies had a lot more scoring opportunities due to the defensive pressure. It forced turnovers and changed the pace of the game.

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YEAH BABY!!! HOW BOUT THEM HOKIES!!!

HOKIES 54 illini 52

Second Half
0:17.6 VT 54 ill 52 | Make your friggin free throws, please!?!?!

0:37.7 VT 53 ill 52 | I can barrelly tyyype …

1:28 ill 52 VT 50 | Ok .. going into cardiac arrest now. I don’t know if I can finish the commentary.

2:15 ill 52 VT 50 | YES! YES! YES! I BELIEVE!

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• Dick Vitale picked illinois to beat us thanks to their devastating D.
• We’ll see how VT reacts to being in the Big Dance. That was their goal all season – to make the NCAA Tournament. Now that they’ve done that, will they have the fire and intensity it takes? I think Tech will since they are a veteran team and won’t just rest on making the tourney. The Hokie guards are very competitive any time they step on the floor and need to set the tone for everyone else.
• Nerves: illinois is a very veteran team and everyone that they play has at least been in uniform for a NCAA Tournament game. Most of their players have played in several tourney games. Tech, on the other hand, does not have a single player that has ever played in a tourney game. We’ll see if VT comes out shaky and tight. Hopefully, that won’t lead to an early deficit since Tech has struggled to come from behind this year. I don’t see VT being overly nervous though since they have four upperclassmen starting that have played in ACC Tournaments and even a Big East Tournament (other than Deron). [Heck, I'm nervous and it is 8 hours to game time... I can't concentrate on anything at work]
• nc state: The illini are similar to nc state, but with a much better defense and a slightly worse offense. We will see if Tech has learned from their three battles with the wolfpack. Tech must force the illinois big men to shoot farther from the hoop than nc state had to, and defend the three well. If illinois is able to score with ease and shoot a high percentage, I don’t see Tech winning this game. Fouling their big men over giving up easy buckets isn’t a bad idea since the illini don’t shoot free throws well.
• On offense, the fast break is the key to the Hokies. If they can get buckets in transition, I like our chances. However, getting buckets in the half court set will be tough and illinois rebounds very well on the defensive glass. I really hope Dowdell can hit two or more three-pointers in this game, and hopefully Vassallo has his hot shooting continue.
• Defend the illinois three, limit offensive rebounds, and get out on the break, and I see a Hokie win.
• Pulse of the Fans: I think a lot of VT fans are skeptical about how the Hokies will do tonight. Kind of odd for a 5 seed against a 12, but I guess that is what the nc state losses have done to us. What was it they said in Animal House? I recommend drinking heavily?

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The Hokies return to the big dance for the first time since 1996 on Friday night. They will be the favored team when they take on national power illinois in a First Round match-up. It seems odd to think that Virginia Tech is 7 seeds higher than illinois, but that will be the case when the two teams take the floor on Friday in Columbus, OH. illinois played for the National Title just two years ago, losing to unc by a 75-70 score.

Virginia Tech played in Columbus, OH last season when they played ohio state in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. BUT, that game was played on ohio state’s home court, Value City Arena, while this game is being played at Nationwide Arena where the Columbus Blue Jackets of the NHL play. illinois did not play in Columbus this year against ohio state.

The Hokies are 0-2 all time against the illini with both games at neutral sites in exotic locales. The first meeting was in the Puerto Rico Shootout Championship Game in 1994. illinois beat VT 85-75. Remember, that was the Tech team that won the NIT. The two teams met again two seasons later in 1996, this time in Hawaii. The illini waxed the Hokies that time 92-68.

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Redshirt Freshman		Red skin-tight bathing suit
		ADVANTAGE: PARKER
Teammate busted for DUI		Busting out of D cups
		ADVANTAGE: PARKER
Works the post		Works with David Hasselhoff
ADVANTAGE: JACKSON
Team eliminated in 2nd round of the Big Dance in 2003		Appeared in Baywatch reunion Hawiian Wedding in 2003
ADVANTAGE: JACKSON
Champaign, Illinois		Champaign after appearing nude in Playboy
		ADVANTAGE: PARKER

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2007 was the Hokies 8th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. Tech is 6-8 overall in the tournament.

Broken down by round:
Round of 64/48/40 (4-2)
Round of 32 (1-5)
Sweet 16 (1-0)
Elite Eight (0-1)
Final Four (0-0)
National Championship (0-0)

Notice a trend here?

Virginia Tech’s highest seeding came in 2007 at #5.

Here is a look back at each appearance.

2007 (1-1) – #5 Seed – West Region, Lost in Round of 32
The Hokies played their first and second round games in Columbus, Ohio at Nationwide Areana against two teams from the state of Illinois.

In the first round, Tech came back from 13 down with 8 minutes to play to beat the illini of illinois 54-52. Deron Washington hit the game winning shot from 10 feet. For more detail, check out the TechHoops.com game recap.

In the second round, Virginia Tech played southern illinois for the second time in the 2006-07 season. Just like the first meeting, the Hokies went down to the salukis. This time by a score of 63-48. The salukis would go on to lose in the Sweet 16 to the #1 seed kansas jayhawks. For more detail, check out the TechHoops.com game recap.

1996 (1-1) – #9 Seed – Midwest Region, Lost in Round of 32
The Hokies got hosed with the 9 seed after being ranked for almost the entire year, but they proved the critics wrong by beating 8 seed wisconsin-green bay in the first round, 61-48, in Dallas. The second round loss to eventual champion kentucky was by the score of 84-60.

Troy Manns set the team record for most assists in a NCAA Tournament game with 8 against kentucky.

Manns helped the 1996 Hokies set a team record for the most assists in a NCAA Tournament game with 16.

1986 (0-1) – #7 Seed – Southeast Region, Lost in Round of 64
Tech took on 10 seed villanova in Baton Rouge, Louisiana and lost 71-62. villanova would lose to georgia tech in the next round.

1985 (0-1) – #9 Seed – East Region, Lost in Round of 64
The Hokies lost to 8 seed temple 60-57 in Hartford, Connecticut. temple would lose to georgetown in the next round.

The field was 64 teams in 1985.

1980 (1-1) – #7 Seed – Mideast Region, Lost in Round of 32
After trailing by 18 points at halftime of their first round game against the 10th seeded hilltoppers of western kentucky, the Hokies rallied to win 89-85 in OT. Even more impressive is that the Hokies won this game on western’s home court in Bowling Green, Kentucky. The 89 points is the most points a Virginia Tech team has scored in the NCAA Tournament. Two days later, Tech lost to Isiah Thomas and 2 seed indiana, 69-58. indiana lost in the Sweet 16 to purdue. The next year, the hoosiers would go on to win the national title.

The field was 48 teams in 1980. Seeds 1 through 4 all received first round byes.

1979 (1-1) – #8 seed – Midwest Region, Lost in Round of 32
After a first round win over 9 seed jacksonville, 70-53, in Lawrence, Kansas, the Hokies took on Larry Bird and 1 seed indiana state two days later, only to lose 86-69. Tech kept the score close until two minutes left in the first half. indiana state ran off an 11-0 run and maintained that lead throughout the second half. At times Tech crept back to a nine or ten point deficit, but they could never get any closer after that 11-0 run. Bird and the sycamores made it to the Championship Game against Magic and the spartans that year.

The field was 40 teams in 1979, as seeds 1 though 6 all received first round byes.

1976 (0-1) – Lost in Round of 32
The Hokies squared off against 10th ranked western michigan in South Bend, Indiana. Tech held a 10 point lead until western michigan switched to a zone defense. The Virginia Tech offense could not contend with it, and also decided not to stall (no shot clock back then). The broncos stormed back to win the game in OT, 77-67. western michigan lost in the Sweet 16 vs. marquette.

By the way, there was no seeding before the 1979 tournament, and the field was 32 teams.

1967 (2-1) – Lost in Elite Eight
Just before the “Summer of Love”, the Hokies advanced farther than no other team has gone before (or after). Granted, the field was smaller (32 teams), but Virginia Tech collected two wins to get to the Elite Eight, which is more than any other Virginia Tech basketball team in history.

The Hokies defeated toledo in Lexington, Kentucky 82-76, and then indiana in Evanston, Illinois, 79-70. And then in the Elite Eight, Virginia Tech lost a heartbreaker to dayton in OT, 71-66. The flyers lost to ucla in the national championship game.

Three Virginia Tech NCAA records were posted in the ’67 Tournament:

Glen Combs holds the team record for the most points in a NCAA Tournament game with 29 against indiana.

Ken Talley set the team record for most rebounds in a NCAA Tournament game with 19 against toledo.

The 1967 team also holds the team record for most rebounds in a NCAA Tournament game with 55 against indiana.

TheACC.com ran a great story on the ’67 team for its 40th anniversary.

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Think a run to the Final Four is a long shot for the Hokies? Maybe not as long as you might think. Let’s take a closer look. The Hokies enter the Big Dance with a record of 21-11 and are seeded fifth in the West Regional. Since 2000, four teams with double digit losses have advanced to the Final Four – those being unc (18-13) and wisconsin (18-13) both in 2000, maryland (21-10) in 2001 and indiana (20-11) in 2002.

How have #5 seeds fared recently you might ask? The aforementioned ’02 hoosier team advanced to the final game, before losing to maryland, as a fifth seed. In 2000 the florida gators also made the national finals as a 5 seed. Two season’s ago michigan state made a Final Four run as a 5, and in 1996, the last year the Hokies were in the tournament, fifth seeded mississippi st. made the Final Four where they lost to eventual champ kentucky (just like Tech) in the national semi-finals.

So as you can see, it could happen. The key is to take it one game at a time. In the words of Jimmy Valvano, “survive and advance”.

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