March 29th marks the 15th anniversary of Virginia Tech’s victory over marquette in the 1995 NIT Championship Game. Tech won 65-64 in overtime on two Shawn Smith free throws with 0.7 seconds left. Check back Monday night for a TechHoops.com exclusive interview with the star of the 1995 NIT Championship Team, Ace Custis!

In the mean time, here’s a clip of the exciting conclusion (and madness afterwards) of Tech’s quarterfinal win over new mexico state that propelled the Hokies to New York City.

The 1995 team was also snubbed by the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee. They finished 20-10, including 12-1 at home, despite having just seven scholarship players playing and only 2-3 guys in the rotation off the bench. VT played #3 unc with Jerry Stackhouse and Rasheed Wallace very tough in Greensboro, and lost to #13 uva (yes, uva actually used to be good at basketball) by just a point in Richmond. But no invitation arrived for the Hokies to the Big Dance.

Instead, Tech ripped through wins over clemson and providence, then blew a huge first half lead against new mexico state before the dramatic win linked above. The Hokies crushed Cindarella canisius in the semifinals, and then won the title game 65-64 in overtime against marquette when Shawn Smith was fouled with .7 seconds left and Tech down a point. Much like the 1973 VT NIT Championship Game (which also went to overtime), it all came down to the last second. Smith nailed both free throws and VT was NIT champs for the second time, exactly 15 years ago.

Shawn Smith was named the Tournament MVP.  He was a forward for VT despite being maybe 6’4″ at best.  Travis Jackson started in the low post, too, but spent most his time on the perimeter.  Ace Custis also played forward.  Shawn Good (who had as good of hops as Deron Washington) ran the point while Damon Watlington was Zabian Dowdell long before Zabe – could hit any runner and was also a good outside shooter.  Off the bench VT had Myron Guillory at guard and David Jackson (who is now VT’s S&C Coach) as a wing.  FYI: David spent more time on the floor than Nancy Pelosi.  I believe VT had one more low post player who played.  I cannot remember if it was Brandon Price or Keefe Mathews (I think Keefe was redshirting that year but I’m not sure).  But that’s it, VT did not have a deep bench.  Kelly Mann was the “Paul Debnam” of that team, last off the bench in blow-outs and cost us free McDonald’s by missing a late dunk early in the season (yes, I’m still bitter).  But this was a very talented team with four guys (all the starters except Travis Jackson) ranking in the top 50 in career scoring (Ace is 9th, Shawn Smith 17th, Damon Watlington 29th, and Shawn Good 41st).

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Box Score

Blacksburg, VA — For the second time in three nights, the Virginia Tech Hokies played a nail-biter of a game, this time against rhode island in an NIT quarterfinal matchup. Unlike Monday’s game against uconn, the Hokies were not able to hold on for the win, losing 72-79 to the rams, ending their season.

Tech blew a 12-point lead in the second half as rhode island used a 20-7 run to take the lead and the Hokies had lost their momentum and were unable to sustain a run of their own. The rams closed the game on a 31-12 run to win the game.

How bad was it? The Hokies made only TWO field goals in the final 16:07 of the game. Yeah, it was THAT bad.

Malcolm Delaney led the Hokies with 24 points, but it wasn’t enough to overcome 16 turnovers by the Hokies, including five in the first half as a result of the rams’ press. The Hokies kept trying to go over the top of the press, but it only resulted in turnovers.

Dorenzo Hudson had another outstanding performance with 19 points. Jeff Allen threw in a double-double with 15 points and 11 rebounds. However, Allen also committed six turnovers, nearly a third of the team’s total.

The Hokies shot lights out in the first half, hitting 63 percent of their field goal attempts, including 3 of 6 from three-point range. The second half, however, was a completely different story as Tech went ice cold managing just 33 percent on 9 of 17 shooting, and just 1 of 6 from behind the arc.

Tech finishes the season 25-9, tying the 1994-1995 NIT championship team for most wins in school history.

We’ll have more later, right now we need to decompress, throw back a couple of shots and let this roll off our backs.

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Recap | Box Score

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Box Score | Highlights | Game Film

Blacksburg, VA — The Virginia Tech Hokies (25-8) advanced to the third round of the National Invitation Tournament by defeating the uconn huskies 65-63 at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg. The Hokies now have 25 wins, which ties the school record set in 1995-1996, when Virginia Tech last won the NIT. Tech’s junior guard Dorenzo Hudson powered the Hokies’ offense with 27 points. Surprisingly, Hudson also led VT with seven rebounds.

It was a good thing Hudson was on his game tonight because Tech’s leading scorer, Malcolm Delaney, struggled to score for the second game out his last three. The junior from Baltimore had only six points, two of which were free throws. Delaney shot just 2 of 14 and missed all five of his three-point attempts. He did, however, feed Hudson off a curl for the game-winning basket, and he played hard the whole game – just couldn’t get his shot to go.

Jeff Allen, another junior, also struggled, despite not being in foul trouble. Allen also had six points, but only three rebounds, well below his season average. Like Delaney, though, he came up big when it mattered, blocking a uconn shot with five seconds left that would have given the huskies the lead.

JT Thompson was the only Hokie other than Hudson to score in double figures with 10. Victor Davila, a sophomore, had eight points, four of which were huge free throws in the final two minutes to keep the Hokies within striking distance.

Both coaches received technical fouls for mouthing off the officials. Seth Greenberg, Tech’s seventh-year head coach, got T’d up in the first half after expressing his frustration with several no-calls including several goal-tending calls against uconn that were not called.

Calhoun picked up his technical about five minutes into the second half after the Hokies took a 38-37 lead and uconn’s Stanley Robinson got called for an offensive foul for elbowing Malcolm Delaney in the face. Calhoun disagreed and quietly said something to the official who immediately T’d him up.

The Hokies struggled mightily in the first half and looked out of sync. They committed seven turnovers and trailed by 12 points, 28-16, with 5:28 to play in the half. However, Tech mustered a late run scoring 14 points in the final five minutes, including a halftime buzzer beater three-pointer by JT Thompson, just his third three of the season. JT’s shot pulled the Hokies within five at the break, 30-35.

Tech came out strong in the second half with an 11-2 run to take the lead, 41-37. From that point on, it was a dog fight that featured two ties and nine lead changes.

Tech gave back it’s lead and uconn eventually led by five, 50-45, at the midway point of the second half. However, the Hokies never let the huskies pull away and kept within striking distance. Trailing by three, 61-58, with 1:58 to play, Davila made a pair of free throws to pull Tech within one. A minutes later, Davila did it again to draw tech within one again, 63-62, which would prove key because Hudson came of a screen and hit a pull-up jumper with :14 left to put the Hokies ahead for good, 64-63.

uconn had a chance to take the lead with 11 seconds left, but Jeff Allen blocked Kemba Walker’s attempt with :05 left and Gavin Edwards missed a layup with :01 left before Terrell Bell pulled down the rebound and was fouled. Bell missed the his first free throw and was told by Greenberg to miss the second with :00.7 left, but instead, Bell accidentally made the free throw giving uconn one last shot for a miracle, but the long shot fell short and the Hokies won 65-63.

Tech returns home Wednesday night to host rhode island, which beat nevada tonight 85-83, in third-round NIT action. Game time is set for 7 p.m. on ESPN2. Virginia Tech is 17-1 at home this season – its only loss was a double-overtime defeat to maryland.

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THE SETUP:

The uconn huskies, a NCAA Tournament Final Four team a year ago, come sledding into Blacksburg to face the Hokies on Monday night in the Second Round of the NIT.  Tech did not fare well against the huskies when the two teams were in the Big East, with uconn winning six of seven (Seth was 0-1).  But this is a uconn team that was struggling mightily down the stretch as their coach Jim Calhoun dealt with health issues.  The huskies lost 12 of 18 going into the NIT, including their last four games.

Seth Greenberg has always said he’d love a chance to coach a McDonald’s All-American.  Well, Jim Calhoun and the huskies are on a first name basis with the Hamburglar and Ronald.  uconn has four guys that were 5-star recruits on their roster.  But after going to the Final Four and returning three seniors that were major contributors this year, things just haven’t panned out.  I wouldn’t expect a lot of energy out of the huskies on the road in the NIT.  Tech needs to take advantage of that and go after them early.  Build up an early lead and the huskies may roll over and play dead.

Spread: The Hokies opened as a 4 point favorite.

SIX PACK OF KEYS TO WINNING:

1. Keep the huskies off the offensive glass: uconn grabs 39% of their misses on offense, 20th best in the nation.  Of course, quinnipiac had the 3rd best percentage in this area and held them to 33%.  Tech must hold uconn to a similar number.  Edwards, Oriakhi, and Robinson will challenge the Hokies.  They average close to three offensive rebounds per game each.
2. Pressure uconn: The huskies turn the ball over on 22% of their possessions which buts them in the bottom 20% in the nation.  They will turn it over a lot.  I’d love to see Greenberg use that half court trap and force the huskies to make extra passes – with Bell out top and Allen lurking for the steals.
3. Take #2 and turn it into 2: Once the Hokies get turnovers they must turn them into points.  Tech had a 27-2 edge in fast break points against quinnipiac.  Don’t expect similar numbers in this one but the Hokies need to find ways to score other than in the half court.  uconn does play good defense inside so it is tough to score in the lane.
4. Force uconn to hit jump shots: uconn does not have a great shooter.  Their two guards play 90% of the game and shoot just 40% from the field.  Both of them average just 1.1 made threes per game, tops on the team (so they don’t have any shooters on the bench).  uconn is dead last in the nation in percentage of points that come from 3-pointers.
5. Make the extra pass: uconn isn’t good defending full possessions.  When in the half court, work the clock, move the ball, and find the open man.  uconn turns the ball over a lot and doesn’t force many (just 18% of opponent’s possessions).  There will be open men if you move without the ball and the man with the ball looks around.
6. Win states: VT beat quinnipiac of CT in Bear Fight fashion (20 point victory equals a Jager bomb and car bomb).  Now Tech can take down the huskies and claim the Connecticut state title!

STARTERS AND SCOUTING REPORT:

This uconn team doesn’t have a force inside like a Thabeet or Okafor, thankfully, but can rebound the ball well.  They also have three seniors in their starting lineup.

On offense, uconn is very good in transition, even on the secondary break, and will look to push when they can.  But the huskies turn the ball over a lot, especially considering they have two All-Big East guards.  When they struggled down the stretch their turnovers really got out of hand.  They had double the turnovers their opponent had in two of their last four games, and were -6 in another game.  Tech needs to force them to make the extra pass and force them to work in the half court, then look for steals.  That half court trap VT has used at times could work very well against the huskies.

On defense you have to force uconn to defend the full possession.  The huskies are aggressive on D and will take chances.  If you can move the ball well, you are going to find open players as they get lazy as the shot clock wears on and aren’t great on help defense.

Hey, I’m all about leveraging what our readers know.  Regular poster King provided this insight on the huskies lineup (thanks King!):

PG: Kemba Walker vs Malcolm Delaney (Advantage: Delaney…hands down) [Niemo's Note: Walker made 3rd Team All-Big East.  Walker doesn't shoot a lot of threes but shoots a solid 34% from deep.  Kemba likes to attack the rim and gets to the line a lot.  He is very good in transition, but not a good spot up shooter.  He was just 1/9 against northeastern.]
SG: Jerome Dyson vs Dorenzo Hudson (Advantage: Dyson…but only slightly…if ‘Zo is healthy it might be a Tie) [Niemo's Note: Dyson, like Walker, made 3rd Team All-Big East.  So their starting back court was recognized by the league.  Dyson led the team in scoring at 17.3 ppg but struggling shooting.  Jerome shot under 40% from the floor and under 30% on 3s.  Dyson was especially bad down the stretch, hitting just 6/26 shots (0/7 on 3s) in their final three games, all losses.  He got benched early in the northeastern game for some defensive lapses but had a game high 18 points.]
SF: Stanley Robinson vs Terrell Bell (Advantage: Robinson…athletic freak w/ NBA length & DWash-like jumping ability; Bell will have to respect his jump shot, anticipate him going in for the alley-oop from the weak side, and work hard to keep him off the offensive glass)  [Niemo's Note: Robinson had 14 against northeastern on 7/11 shooting because they couldn't match him inside.  You must force him to beat you farther out, from 12 feet or more.  And he does turn the ball over a lot so be aggressive on him away from the hoop, he'll make bad passes or can get stripped.]
PF: Gavin Edwards vs Jeff Allen (Advantage: Tie…Edwards doesn’t start but plays starter’s minutes…Allen starts but often rides the bench since he’s prone to fouling early and often…Edwards is a smart player who has underrated post moves and soft hands…Allen has a lot more upside and can take Edwards off the dribble…very intriguing matchup)  [Niemo's Note: Edwards, a senior, did start the NIT first round game.  He is a great offensive rebounder and Tech must keep him off the glass by boxing him out. Not a great shot blocker so you can go at him even though he is 6'10".]
C: Alex Oriakhi vs Victor Davila (Advantage: Tie…neither one is very good and both are young…Oriakhi had a solid game against Northeastern while Davila had more rebounds against the Q than in the previous 3 games combined) [Niemo's Note: Alex is just a space-eater inside.  Decent but not great rebounder, not a good shooter unless it is a dunk, and terrible from the free throw line (55%).  Can block shots though.]
Bench: uconn vs VT (Advantage: Tech… uconn has very little depth…big opportunity for players like JT, Atkins, Raines, & Witcher to contribute)  [Niemo's Note: As King mentioned, their starters play a lot.  Four of them average over 30 minutes.  So they don't get a lot off the bench, but can bring in Lurch (Ater Majok - Martinsville, VA) to block shots.  He is listed at 6'11" but I've never seen him stand up straight.  The huskies get just eight points per game off their bench, so don't expect much of any offense.]
Intangibles: VT playing at home in the Cassell with eyes towards the NIT championship, proving the NCAA selection committee wrong (great job today Utah State…not) and setting a tone for next season. uconn is mailing this season in considering that they barely scraped by Northeastern. I also have to give credit to Greenberg for being a great motivator. Calhoun’s a hall-of-fame coach but he intimidates his players which causes them to stiffen up. They play to stay out of his doghouse and this explains why their psyche has been so fragile all season. I’m confident Seth will have the Hokies loose and ready to play.
Let’s Go Hokies!!!  [Thanks again, King]

STATS:

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VirgiNIa Tech’s second round game will be this coming Monday, March 22nd, at 7 PM in Cassell Coliseum against the uconn huskies.  Tech goes for the Connecticut state title, having already knocked off quinnipiac.  VT and uconn were former Big East rivals, with uconn taking 6 of the 7 meetings.  Tech’s lone win came in Blacksburg under ricky stokes.  The huskies were without Head Coach Jim Calhoun due to health reasons in that game.  As many of you may know, he has also battled health issues this year and earlier took a leave of absence.

uconn barely edged northeastern in their first round contest.  uconn won by 2 but northeastern missed a 3-pointer in the final seconds that would have won the game.  I’ll have more on this match-up in my preview this weekend (up by noon on Sunday).

Also in Tech’s bracket, #2 rhode island rammed the #7 northwestern wildcats on Wednesday and #6 nevada shocked #3 wichita state.  The winner of nevada @ uri will face the winner of the Hokies and the huskies for the right to play in the self-proclaimed Most Famous Arena in the World, Madison Square Garden in NYC.  If Tech wins over uconn, they will host that quarterfinal game.

Around the rest of the NIT – #1 arizona state was bedeviled by the #8 seed jacksonville in a stunner.  How bad is the Pac 10 this year?  st. john’s lost to memphis, meaning their coach may soon be fired (Greenberg has been rumored as a candidate for that job).  And seton hall’s coach got fired after a pirate player punched a texas tech player in the doodle, and another former player got arrested this week.

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The Hokies return to the National Invitational Tournament for the third year in a row and for the second time in that span as a #1 seed in an eight team bracket.  The Hokies will face the quinnipiac bobcats (Connecticut) of the Northeast Conference at 7 PM at the Cassell on Wednesday night this week in the first ever meeting between the schools.

Tech was also a #1 in the 2008 NIT and lost in the quarterfinals to mississippi after winning two games over morgan state and uab.  VT was a #2 seed last year and lost in the Second Round to baylor.  All five of Tech’s teams in the NIT in the last two years have been played at the Cassell and they will likely have their first three games at home if they can keep winning.  Tech was 15-1 at home this year.

Here is what Tech’s eight team bracket looks like:

1. VIRGINIA TECH vs #8 quinnipiac (CT)
2. rhode island vs #7 northwestern
3. wichita state vs #6 nevada
4. uconn vs #5 northeastern

Yes, that’s right, when the Hokies maul the bobcats, they should face the uconn huskies in the Second Round at the Cassell.  At least that should motivate the team and the fans.  Tech was 1-6 against uconn while in the Big East, with the one win coming over an 18th ranked uconn team at the Cassell in 2003 in what may have been ricky stokes’s biggest win (that’s a pretty short list).  So the Hokies will have to win the Connecticut state title in all likelihood to make the NIT quarterfinals.

Other #1 seeds include illinois, arizona state, and mississippi state.  cincinnati, ole miss, rhode island, and X are #2 seeds.  unc is a #4 seed and play #5 seed william & mary in the First Round.  nc state is a #6 seed.  And seton hall who many thought were right on the bubble, are just a #5 seed.  gus gilchrist usf is a #3 seed.  st. john’s, Seth Greenberg’s alleged suitor, is a #6 seed.

The ESPNU guy that broke down the NIT brackets picked rhode island to win VT’s bracket.  He picked illinois to win it all.

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This was one of the ugly ones, another agonizing cold start. The Hokies were thoroughly dominated at home, on national television, in the final game in a Hokie jersey for seniors Cheick Diakite and A.D. Vassallo. Twelve minutes into the game, the Hokies were down 22-5 on 1 of 17 shooting. The single made basket was a Jeff Allen dunk. At the 7:36 mark, Cheick Diakite finally broke this ridiculous shooting drought with a turnaround jumper in the lane. Malcolm Delaney followed with a three, and the Hokie offense was finally in the game — down by 15.

The Hokies struggled through the rest of the half, sprinkling a few baskets in with ugly turnovers and shaky defense, and Tech went into halftime losing badly, 41-21. At the break, baylor was shooting 67% (16/24) from the field while the Hokies were at 24% (7/29).  Even more telling, the bears were 12/14 in the first half on two-point shots.  The Hokies could not stop the bears from getting easy buckets.  Senior big man Josh Lomers came in averaging less than three points per game, but scored 12 in the first half on 5/6 shooting.  Most of his points were layups where baylor lobbed the ball over a Hokie big man, who was fronting Lomers, or a feed into the low post where Lomers would catch the ball less than five feet from the hoop and go to his right for a short hook.    A.D. Vassallo, Tech’s fifth all time leading scorer, was scoreless at the half.  Tech had no answer for the baylor zone — unable to shoot over it (2/11 on threes) and taking bad shots inside.

In the second half, the deficit quickly extended to 26, and baylor just wouldn’t stop scoring and defending. With nine minutes left, baylor led 62-34 — Malcolm Delaney was shooting 1 for 11, and Vassallo was 2 of 12.

The end of the game saw the Hokies pull back admirably with a nice 18-3 run spurred by a full court trapping press, and there was a little excitement when a baylor player clobbered Delaney while boxing out on a free throw. But that’s as far as it went — the Hokies recovered a little less embarrassment in the final box score, but in the end, baylor took the easy victory, 84-66.

The shooting stats tell the story of this game: baylor shot 62% overall and 48% from deep. VT went for 33% and 23%. Aside from his arctic-shooting start, Malcolm Delaney posted a nice stat sheet with 14 points, 10 assists, and 6 rebounds, leading the Hokies in all three categories. Dorenzo Hudson had another encouraging game, shooting 3 of 6 for 10 points and two steals that led to dunks. A.D. scored 12, Jeff Allen 9, and J.T. Thompson scored 8.

This concludes the Hokies’ 2008-2009 season with a 19-15 record, and A.D. Vassallo finishes his career in 5th place on the all-time scoring list for Virginia Tech. baylor moves on to play auburn for a trip to the NIT final four at Madison Square Garden.

Niemo’s Notes:

• Wow, was the crowd loud in the final eight minutes — if only we had a reason to cheer in the first 32 minutes.  Cassell was about 75% full at best.
• Props to the guy in the first row on the opposite side of us that participated in Shirtless Halftime!  We need more like you.
• Lomers’ 12 first half points for baylor almost tied his season high for a whole game of 14.  Tech was AWFUL at low post defense all season.  They need more bigs inside.  This is exposed more than ever when VT plays out of conferences teams that are more physical like georgia, baylor, mississippi, and wisconsin.
• VT’s two NIT opponents were 27/51 on threes (53%).  Tech did not fight over screens and were not doing a good job of running out on open perimeter players.  Throw in wisconsin’s 12/18 three point performance in December and you see a real issue at defending the three in out of conference play.  Tech must improve this in the offseason.
• To finish with a positive — Dorenzo Hudson has really stepped up the last few weeks.  He looks like he could become a legitimate scorer, and a decent shutdown defender for the Hokies.  But judging by Aaron Jackson’s 46 for duquesne and what baylor did today, I guess the jury is still out on that.  But he did have two great steals from behind on help D.  Many people have been waiting for him to show the promise he displayed as a scorer in AAU play, and we are starting to get a glimpse, much like how Delaney stepped up late last season.

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THE SETUP

The Hokies will take on the baylor bears on Saturday morning at 11 AM in the second round of the NIT.  It is Breakfast in Blacksburg!  The early start time should be a good thing for VT since baylor is from the Central Time Zone.  This is a 10 AM tip-off on their body clocks, and after having to travel all the way from Waco.  baylor, the #3 seed in their bracket region, defeated #6 seed georgetown by a 74-72 score at baylor.  The bears overcame a 10 point halftime deficit.  The Hokies won 116-108 (2 OT) in one of the greatest games in Cassell Coliseum history in the first round.

THE SERIES

• All-Time: 1-1 (VT won in 1960, bu in ’68) 
• Both were at neutral sites as part of tournaments

SIX PACK OF FUN FACTS

1. Virginia Tech has won their first game in the last ten tournaments they’ve played in dating back to 2006.  But they are just 3-6 in the second game of tournaments over that span.
2. In addition to Vassallo (see #5), two other Hokies set career highs on Wednesday — J.T. Thompson with 21 and Dorenzo Hudson with 15.
3. With a win in this game, the Hokies will have won 20 games or more in three straight seasons.  VT has not done that since the mid-80s when they won 20+ five years in a row from ’82-’86.
4. Aaron Jackson set a Cassell Coliseum record for points scored by an opponent with 46 in the game Wednesday.  Allan Bristow of VT, whom Vassallo just past on the scoring list (see #5), had 52 against gwu in 1973, the overall record.
5. A.D. Vassallo moved into fifth place on the all time VT scoring list with his career high 33 points on Wednesday.  He also had a career high 12 rebounds.
6. Tech’s 116 points against duquesne marked their highest scoring output since scoring 141 against southern miss in 1988.

THE LINEUPS

baylor

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Boxscore  |  Highlights

The Hokies just plain survived.  They did their best to give this game away, but managed to pull a victory out of the jaws of defeat after 50 minutes.  This is a game that will go down in the history of Cassell Coliseum as one of the great games ever played there, and VT found a way to win it. 

After 20 minutes, you would have thought this would have been an average game.  Tech led 34-26 at the break.  But duquesne outscored the Hokies 52-44 in the second half.  Tech had a 13 point lead with 6:40 left to go in the game, but the dukes promptly went on an 11-0 run to cut the lead to two with 5:10 left in regulation (yes, it only took 90 seconds to cut the lead from 13 to two).  duquesne led 77-74 with 46 seconds left, but two A.D. Vassallo free throws and a second chance runner tied the score.  The Hokies stopped the dukes attempt to win the game at the end of the second half.

In the first overtime, once again, the Hokies built up a lead.  Tech led 92-86 with just 48 seconds left, but two three-pointers from the dukes and two crucial missed free throws by Malcolm Delaney tied the score.  Delaney set Virginia Tech’s record for free throws made in a season this year, but that’s how this game went.  J.T. Thompson scored on a putback of a Vassallo miss with 10 seconds left, reversing the end of regulation, but duquesne’s Aaron Jackson hit a layup with 1.7 seconds left to send the game to double overtime. 

Jackson scored 46 points in this game, and 40 of those points were scored after halftime.  He set a record for most threes made against VT with eight, surpassing the seven made by miami’s Darius Rice in 2001. Jackson’s 46 points were just five short of the all time high against Tech, scored by Elgin Hayes of houston in 1968.

For the Hokies, A.D. Vassallo scored a career high 33 points and moved into fifth on the all time VT scoring list with 1810 points.  He hit several clutch threes in the second half and overtime and nailed all 10 of his free throws.  He also added a career high 12 rebounds, giving him his seventh double-double of his career.

Jeff Allen broke out of his slump and also added a double-double.  He had 10 big first half points and finished the game with 23 points and 10 rebounds.  This marked his ninth double-double of the season and 19th of his young career.

The third part of the Big 3 had a big second half.  Malcolm Delaney, who had just two points at the half, finished with 20 points and 12/14 from the line (but the two crucial misses at the end of the first OT).

The Hokies shot nearly 60% from the field (59.4%) thanks to many easy buckets in the paint against the small, thin duquesne lineup, while the dukes shot 51% thanks mainly to red hot three point shooting.  The story of the night was duquesne’s three point shooting.  They hit 17/30 for the game (57%) and that includes missing 4/5 in the second overtime.  Yes, they were 16/25 (64%) after 45 minutes.  They could not miss.  Whereas the Hokies dominated the game in the paint. 

J.T. Thompson (21 points) and Dorenzo Hudson (15 points) also set career highs, meaning Tech saw three players set career highs in this game.  Jackson’s 46 was his career high for duquesne as the senior fouled out late to finish his career.  All five of Tech’s starters (Thompson started over Cheick Diakite) scored at least 15 points, while the Hokies got just four bench points.  Every VT starter played at least 41 minutes.  duquesne saw four guys reach double digits.

The 116 points by the Hokies mark the first time Tech has reached triple digits since 11/23/04 against md-eastern shore (102 points) and the 108 mark the first time VT has given up 100 since 1/30/05 – duke 100.  Both point totals are highs in the Greenberg era.  The 108 points against are the most by an opponent since fsu scored 117 on 3/1/89 and this is the highest Hokie point total since VT beat southern miss 141-133 in double OT on 2/6/88.

Tech won their ninth straight NIT opener and 10th straight tournament opener in this game.  The Hokies will look for their third consecutive 20 win season on Saturday morning at 11 AM in the Cassell against baylor, who overcame a 10 point halftime deficit to defeat georgetown on Wednesday night.  It marked baylor’s first postseason win since 1950 (59 years).

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THE SETUP

Note: Please remember to Support Shirtlessness tonight by taking your shirt off at halftime, whether you are at the game, at home watching, in the bathroom at work (yes, someone really did this last week during the miami day game), or at Bailey’s.  Shirtless Halftime is quickly becoming one of the great VT traditions.  So once that clock hits triple-zero at the end of the first 20 minutes, show the world you are tired of being oppressed by shirts.  We want a 51% Shirtless Halftime participation level for our cause by 2012.

Spread: VT by 8

Good Omen: Speaking of eight – the Hokies have won their NIT opener in the last eight NITs they have played in.  The only time they lost a NIT opener was in 1966, Tech’s first ever postseason appearance.  Add to that the fact VT has won their last nine tournament openers, and you have some good mojo for tonight.

Ah, yes, what every kid fears when shooting on their local black top growing up: to play on ESPNU in March.  That means just one thing: your invite to the Big Dance didn’t come and you are stuck heading to the Junior Prom, the National Invitational Tournament (NIT) with that hefty red head with braces, otherwise known as duquesne.  It could be worse, we could be sitting at home all alone with nothing to do but play Dungeons and Dragons online with other nerds like some other school I know.  And even worse, their dad just skipped town.

That said, motivation could be an issue in this game for players and fans.  Last year the Baby Hokies were fired up after getting snubbed by the NCAA Tournament Committee and ready to show the world they deserved a bid.  They bear-fighted morgan state by 32 and then uab by 26 before succumbing to mississippi and that real partyboy, Andy Kennedy.

This year, the Hokies came into the season with the expectation of being in the Big Dance.  Most college basketball analysts had Tech firmly in the field of 65.  But the game isn’t played on paper, it is played in big gigantic domes and such.  And things didn’t go the Hokies way much of the season. 

Now, the Hokies have to forget about the NCAAs.  Will the team be fired up for this?  Will seniors A.D. Vassallo and Cheick Diakite be disappointed at missing out on one more shot at the NCAAs?  We shall see.  Will the fans come out in droves like they did last year and turn the Cassell into the rowdy atmosphere it was last NIT?  We shall see.  All I know is the students were amazing last year.  Probably close to half the fans at the games were students.  3000 free student tickets have been offered up for this one, but we need the rest of you students to pony up the $5 to get in.  And alumni/fans, please show your support with $15 for the Hokies.  If you are fired up and loud, it will give the team a big lift.

THE SERIES

• All-Time: 7-5
• In Blacksburg: 5-0
• As Members of the A-10: 7-3

SIX PACK OF FUN FACTS

1. Virginia Tech has won their first game in the last nine tournaments they’ve played in dating back to 2006.
2. Tech has won the NIT twice – 1973 and 1995.
3. This marks the first time the Hokies have made a postseason tournament three years in a row since 1982-86 when the Hokies went five years in a row.
4. Malcolm Delaney made 16/26 shots, 9/15 three pointers, and scored 44 points in the three NIT games last season.
5. Cheick Diakite sits in fifth place on the VT all time blocked shot list.
6. With nine points in this game, A.D. Vassallo will move ahead of former teammate Zabian Dowdell into sixth place on the all time VT scoring list.  With 28, he moves into fifth.

THE LINEUPS

duquesne

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The Virginia Tech Hokies are a No. 2 seed in the 2009 NIT tournament and will host a home game Wednesday, March 18, at 7 p.m. Tech will play duquesne in the first round.  duquense and VT do have some fairly recent history — the two were Atlantic 10 rivals from 1996-2000 and played 10 times over that span, with the Hokies winning seven of those 10 games.  Tech leads the all time series 7-5 and are 5-0 against the dukes in the Cassell.

If the Hokies win, they will play the winner of #6 georgetown at #3 baylor on Thursday, Friday, Saturday, or Monday.  It won’t be Thursday, so likely will either be Friday night, very early Saturday, or Monday night.  That game should also be at the Cassell.

The #1 seed in Tech’s quadrant of the bracket is auburn.  florida, creighton (barrel), and san diego state are the other #1 seeds.

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Pictured are the first people in line on the EVEN side entrance to the Cassell for the ole miss game. These students were there since a little after noon on Wednesday, waiting five hours just to get in.

I can’t say enough about how incredible it was the way our student body supported the Hokies in the NIT. That’s what it is all about. That’s what helps build your program. duke is known as much for the cameron crazies (NERDS) as they are for coach k and the players they have had. No recruit wants to go to a school that is half full for most games and half full arenas hardly inspire a team. Well, the fans certainly had the Hokies amped up for each NIT game, that was obvious.

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Zach “Barefight” and crew once again were first in line at the tennis court side entrance to Cassell, arriving around 2 PM Wednesday to give the rebels hell.

The three games drew 29,000 fans exactly, just 541 under the maximum capacity for three games. That’s 98% full over the three games and that is 98% awesome. But it was the students that led the charge. For each of the three games, they accounted for approximately 60-70% of the crowd. Normally they get only 3,000 tickets, and did get 3,000 free tickets to each game. But the students doubled that number for each game, coughing up the $5 to see Tech play. Hats off to you, students. Without you, the Cassell would have been half full, and the team might have played half as hard. Instead, we got maximum effort and two blow out victories before falling to a more veteran and physically superior team.

Thank you, students. We need to figure out how to get more of you into games next year when alumni and fans eat their tickets, leaving the Cassell 25-40% empty.

Notes:

• Thanks, Zach, for hooking DuffHokie and me up with money seats at the ole miss game. Good to see running this site is finally paying off somehow!
• Charlie – nice meeting you. Keep up the support.
• To the guy that designed the Hokies on Fire shirts – congrats to you on designing such a big hit. Just make sure next year’s designer comes up with something original… just teasing you. The shirts were sweet, I just hate those heartbreaking wake forest types (long story).
• Props to the students that spelled out VIRGINIA POLYTECHNIC INSTITUTE & STATE UNIVERSITY on their chests. Very creative, took a lot of coordination, meant they had to give up better seats to get everyone in a line, and was just plain sweet.

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I got a real treat on Wednesday, getting to meet David Jackson. He played at VT while I was there and was a member of the 1995 NIT Champion Hokie team. David later went on to play Slamball on Spike, a game that combined basketball with a car wreck.
I told him the story of how a former professor of mine loved him and used to ask each class how many times he fell on the floor (he was the Big Flopper before Deron Washington patented it). I always knew and ended up getting a 108% in the class with all my extra credit.
DJ now helps out with the team as a trainer.

Now, for uva. They drew just 16,334 fans for their three home games in the CBI. That’s just under 5,500 per and about 4,000 less than VT. Also, the Roanoke Times states that uva only drew 150 students for their first CBI game. 150! Ha! Yes, I realize the CBI is a new tournament with no TV coverage, but still. That’s a big discrepancy. Thank goodness we’re Hokies.

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Box Score

It was a hell of a ride, but tonight, it was time to get off. The ole miss rebels came into the Cassell and pounded the Hokies on the boards, out-rebounding the home team *46-23 en route to a 72-81 win to earn a spot in the NIT Final Four. When you factor in the Hokies’ abysmal free throw shooting, just 13/22, it’s a miracle that Tech didn’t lose by more than nine points.

During the post-game radio interview with Seth Greenberg, it was clear that he was not happy with his team’s performance. He apologized to the fans because he felt like he and the team “let them down.” I think Seth is being a little too hard on his team, but he was still in coaching mode, so I expected nothing less.

It certainly wasn’t the way Deron Washington wanted to end his career at the Cassell, but he did everything he could to get a win by scoring a season-high 23 points and pulling down 7 rebounds. A.D. Vassallo scored 16 and Malcolm Delaney added 14. Jeff Allen was held in check all night and only managed 7 points and 4 rebounds.

The Hokies jumped out to a quick 12-3 lead and the crowd was rocking and rolling. It was the same feeling and atmosphere as the uab game on Monday night. The Hokies picked up right where they left off and were just hitting everything. But the rebels were able to slow the Hokies down and played pretty much a zone defense the entire night which completely took the Hokies out of their game.

Tech also struggled with the size difference in the paint. As Niemo pointed out in the preview, senior Dwayne Curtis (#44) weighs 262 pounds and fellow senior Kenny Williams (#40) comes in at 6-8, 240 pounds. Niemo also correctly pointed out that Tech had to do a much better job boxing out on defense … and they did not. Rebounding and free throws killed the Hokies on this night, which saw their first home loss in the post season NIT.

The Hokies trailed by two at the half, 31-33, and managed to scratch, claw and fight their way to a 46-46 tie with 12 minutes to play in the second half, but ole miss ripped off a 14-3 run that proved too much for the Hokies to overcome. The closest they got within the final two minutes was seven points.

The fans deserve a lot of credit because they stuck with the team until the end. It was as loud as the uab game and it wasn’t until about 45 seconds left that I think the crowd finally came to grips with the fact they were going to lose the game. As the clock ran down, the fans began chanting “LET’S GO HOKIES!”

On a whole, Hokie fans have to be thrilled with a 21-14 season. No one would have expected this in November and even without Deron Washington next season, there is plenty to excited about for 2008-2009.

One final note: Hank Thorns, who was 0-3 with no points in 9 minutes, did score an assist, which gives him Tech’s freshman record for assists in a season with 113, one more than Bimbo Coles.

Niemo may or may not have notes depending on his mental state following this crushing defeat.

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THE SETUP

“There’s a tradition in tournament play, not to talk about the next step until you’ve climbed the one in front of you…” -Coach Norman Dale in Hoosiers.

In case you were wondering what I’m getting at with that quote, the ”next step” for the Hokies is a return trip to Madison Square Garden, the self-proclaimed “Most Famous Arena in the World”, and two games in New York City with a shot at VT’s third NIT Championship.  But there is no next step unless the Hokies TCB against the ole miss rebels first on Wednesday night at the Cassell.   

The rebels enter this game having defeated uc-santa barbara 83-68 and nebraska 85-75 in overtime on Monday night.  Both games were at Oxford and the nebraska game didn’t end until 11:30 PM Eastern, meaning the rebels have to travel to Blacksburg and play less than 44 hours later.

FYI: We know this will be Deron Washington’s and Marcus Travis’s final home game at the Cassell, though because it is supposed to be treated as a “neutral site” game, there is no smoke-screen as the team comes out or Welcome to the Jungle during introductions.

THE PREGAME

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Expect fans, especially students, to be waiting outside the Cassell hours before gametime. Here’s a photo of the first students in line on Monday before the uab game, braving 30 degree temperatures for hours before getting let in. Zach “Bearfight” was rewarded for his dedication with an honorary arm-curl.

THE GAME

The ole miss rebels jumped out to a 13-0 start this season, including a win at clemson.  Then they hit the SEC schedule, and limped home with a 7-9 record in conference play, killing their NCAA Tournament chances.  The rebels were an impressive 5-3 against RPI Top 50 teams, defeating five different teams, but that wasn’t enough to overcome a losing conference record and a loss in the first round of the SEC Tournament. 

Unlike uab, the ole miss rebels are not a one-trick pony.  They have several options on offense, both inside and outside.  They are led by their court general, freshman #12 Chris Warren.  He is a waterbug on the court that can drive and score (leads the team with 15.5 points per game) or dish (4.5 assists per game) or shoot from the outside (hits three threes per game at a 38% clip). 

Warren’s main target inside is senior #44 Dwayne Curtis, averaging 15 ppg and 9.4 rebounds per game.  The dude is a load, weighing in at 262 pounds (too light for me to arm wrestle).  If Witcher is too slim to handle him, Allen or Diakite will have to pick him up, though that risks putting the Big Donut, Allen, in foul trouble.  Fellow senior #40 Kenny Williams is another big’un inside at 6’8″, 240 lbs.  All he averages is 8.4 ppg and 6.4 rpg.  In other words, Tech will have to do a much better job boxing out on defense.  They gave up several 2nd-chance points to morgan state and uab early in those games.  And hope VT is hot again from the floor since offensive rebounds will be tough to come by.

The rebels have two more players averaging in double-digits.  Both are 6’5″ sophomore wings in #14 Eniel Polynice (10.9 ppg) and #33 David Huertas (10.4 ppg).  Polynice is a slasher but a poor outside shooter (look for him to drive), while Huertas is more versatile, shooting 34% on threes accounting for half his buckets.

This ole miss team scores a lot of points (almost 80 per game) and get a lot of rebounds.  The Hokies must crank up the intensity on the defensive end and force the rebels to play in the half court set, limiting transition buckets.  Then, VT needs to clean the glass and limit second chance points.  If VT can keep mississippi under 70, the Hokies win.

THE NUMBERS:

Series: Tied 1-1; but VT won at ole miss, 61-59, in the 1982 NIT

• VT is 10-0 all time at the Cassell in NIT play
• Home teams are 20-6 thus far in the NIT but both home teams (cuse and arizona state) lost in the quarterfinals on Tuesday

STREAKS:

Cold: Hank Thorns is 1/9 in the NIT

Warm: Senior Deron Washington is 9/17 in NIT play (53%) after shooting just 41% on the season.

On Fire: Since the start of the ACC Tournament, Malcolm Delaney has hit 21/31 (68%) from the field and 12/16 (75%) on three-pointers

En Fuego: A.D. Vassallo is 17/23 (74%) in the NIT including 7/12 on threes (58%)

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Recap | Box Score

The Hokies advance to the NIT Quarterfinals with Monday’s win over uab.

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