Tech Sports Blog

[The following post was published at HokieHaven.com on August 25, 2007.]

As of Thursday, August 23rd, it’s been 236 days since Virginia Tech last played a football game. Needless to say, it’s been a long off-season for Hokies everywhere, but the end of that off-season is just around the corner. The anticipation for Virginia Tech’s 2007 football season has been building since the day after the Hokies’ 24-31 loss to Georgia in the Chick-fil-A Bowl. While there were many negative words said and written about our second half performance against the Bulldogs, most folks knew the offense was young, knew we didn’t have many outgoing seniors, and anticipated the team would improve from 2006 to 2007. But the real source of the early anticipation was the schedule. With an out of conference road trip to LSU, as well as Florida State and Miami at home on back-to-back Saturdays, Virginia Tech fans have been scrambling all year for tickets.

If that wasn’t enough, the emotions surrounding the aftermath of the April 16th shootings have been thrown into the mix. I believe that this year’s season opener against East Carolina will be one of the most memorable opening games in Virginia Tech history. The demand for tickets to the game versus East Carolina on September 1st rivals the demand for the games against Florida State and Miami. I believe the anticipation for the ECU game exceeds that of the canceled 2000 BCA Bowl versus Georgia Tech, and it rivals the anticipation of the 2004 BCA Football Classic versus the University of Southern California. In my mind, those are the only notable season openers that have been scheduled in the last decade.

It is remarkable that a game versus East Carolina will likely be one of the most anticipated and remembered football games this season. I mean no disrespect to the Pirate faithful when I say this, but a clash on the gridiron between the Hokies and Pirates was not anticipated to be earth shattering by any stretch of the imagination. Prior to April 16th, the match-up against ECU was viewed mainly as a tune-up for Virginia Tech before the trip LSU. However, the world changed for the Virginia Tech community on April 16th, 2007. In hours and days following the shootings, we experienced an unparalleled outpouring of support from other universities and colleges. East Carolina was one such university, and they pledged to donate $100,000 to the Hokie Spirit Fund just days after the shooting. I welcome them to Virginia Tech on September 1st and look forward to having them join us for what will be a emotional return of football to Blacksburg.

As you can see, I am looking forward to the East Carolina game next weekend. Not only because I expect it to be a meaningful start to the football season, as well as a memorable experience, but because it marks the start of a regular season that I consider to be one of Virginia Tech’s best football schedules in recent memory. I was so excited about this year’s schedule that when it was released, I promised myself that I would attend every regular season game. When the date of the LSU game was announced, I immediately booked airfare and hotel accommodations for Baton Rouge. I have worked on and off all year to get tickets to the away games (home games were already covered by my season tickets), and now I am all set for every game except UVA.

I am ready for the season, and this is how I have ranked the games on the schedule based on a combination of competition on the field, tailgating expectations, and fan anticipation.

Take ‘em or leave ‘em: William & Mary, at Duke
I’m sorry, but these are two games I’m just not very excited about. I can’t get excited about playing a Division I-AA team, and I can’t get excited about driving 3 hours to watch one of the best teams in the ACC pummel one of the worst teams in the league. If I hadn’t made it a goal to attend every regular season game, these are the games I’d skip.

Be there if you can and have fun: (no particular order)
Ohio – Many of you may consider the Ohio game as “take it or leave it”, but its redeeming quality is that it is a home game. They may not be a premier out of conference opponent, but it should still be fun.
North Carolina – I’m looking forward to this game because of three things: it is our ACC opener, it is Butch Davis’ return to Lane Stadium (I always enjoy beating him), and it is a home game.
at Georgia Tech – The Georgia Tech game is definitely a “can’t miss” game for Yellow Jacket fans, and I consider it to be one of our tougher contests this year. Because it’s an away game on a Thursday night, most Hokies will be perfectly content watching this one on ESPN. However, I went to Atlanta in 2004 for our first game against Georgia Tech as a member of the ACC, and I went to Atlanta this past January for the Chick-fil-A Bowl. I enjoyed both of those trips and will be making the trek again. I expect this one to be fun.
at Virginia – As a resident of the Charlottesville area, I will definitely be attending this game. It’s a “can’t miss” game for me, but not for Hokie fans in general. The lack of competition in recent years has taken the edge off of this rivalry, but this year’s game may carry added importance. Why? Because if the Hokies are to fulfill media predictions and go to the ACC Championship game, this could be a must-win game at the end of the year.

I consider the following games as “can’t miss” games for Hokie fans. Again, this isn’t entirely on football merits, as I consider the Georgia Tech game to be much tougher than the Boston College contest. This list is more about the fun Virginia Tech fans will have attending these games.

6) Boston College (Thursday night)
With BC coming into Lane Stadium with a new head coach, I don’t think this will be one of our toughest games this year. However, night games at Lane Stadium are special. I don’t think I’ve missed a Thursday night game at home since my freshmen year (1997). Now, as a working professional, there’s nothing like taking 2 days off of work to head to Blacksburg on Thursday morning, tailgate all afternoon, and subsequently watch Hokie football. Then I get to head home Friday for recovery, and I have the entire weekend ahead of me.

5) at Clemson
Hey, this game is at Clemson. Need I say more? There isn’t a member of the ACC with more football tradition than the Tigers. I look forward to this road trip.

4) Miami
While Miami may have a down year with first year head coach Randy Shannon at the reins, don’t expect this one to be easy. It is the week after Florida State comes to town, and Miami always plays us tough. Lane Stadium is always raucous when the Hurricanes visit, so regardless of Miami’s record on November 17th, this one is a “can’t miss”.

3) East Carolina
There is not much more to write about this game that I haven’t already written. The only reason why this isn’t ranked as the top “can’t miss” football game for a Virginia Tech fan is because of the two games I haven’t yet mentioned.

1-tied) at LSU
A week after we open the season, we will make one of the toughest road trips in recent history. It is expected to be one of the top college football games of the year, and it is – without a doubt – the toughest game of the season for the Hokies. As with many SEC schools, LSU has a football tradition that we just can’t yet touch. Their fans can tailgate with the best of them, and they have one of the loudest stadiums in college football. Who knows if we will ever play LSU during the regular season again in my lifetime, so I consider it a rare opportunity to be able to watch the Hokies play at the home of one of the SEC’s top programs.

1-tied) Florida State
While I am really excited to go to LSU, I am just as excited that Bobby Bowden finally gets to visit Lane Stadium for an ACC game. Virginia Tech fans want revenge – revenge for the 2005 ACC Championship Game, revenge for the 2002 Gator Bowl, and revenge for the 2000 Sugar Bowl. It’s been a long time since we’ve beat Florida State (32 years), and it’s been a long time since they’ve visited Blacksburg (18 years). I think every Hokie circled November 10, 2007, when this year’s schedule was released. Expect this game to be a night game. Expect the tailgating prior to it to have some extras (extra food, extra games & activities, extra people, and extra drinks), and expect Lane Stadium to be as loud as it has ever been. For any Florida State fan expecting a win because you have never seen us beat you – this one won’t be easy for you. We finally get you on our turf.

Due to the cancellation of the 2007 Spring Game following the April 16^th shootings, Virginia Tech is opening today’s scrimmage and next Saturday’s scrimmage to the public. A fan could easily consider today as the start of the Hokies’ fall football campaign, so I choose today to be the day I get back in Hokie sports blogging saddle. After a long mid-year layoff that began with tragedy, I am ready for some Hokie football.

There is a palpable anticipation by Virginia Tech fans to this fall’s football season. I believe the buildup is from a combination of grief from April 16^th and from the fact that Virginia Tech is truly an elite football program. Having won 10 or more games 3 years in a row, with USC being the only other Division 1A team to accomplish that, and having featured the top defense in the nation the last 2 years, there is no doubt that Hokie football has reached the big-time, and it only needs a national championship to round out its resume. Fan expectations have risen, therefore the excitement the precedes the fall has only increased during the last 5-10 years.

Additionally, the sadness and grief caused by the tragedy in April is still fresh, and the football season will provide an opportunity for the Virginia Tech community to heal as a whole. Don’t forget that many students left campus for the summer after the shootings, and not all alumni were able to make it Blacksburg after April 16^th. For many Hokies, their return to Blacksburg in the coming weeks will be their first trip there since the shootings. Because of this, the opening game versus East Carolina will be a special event that no Hokie should miss.

With East Carolina just 3 weeks away, I am beginning to prepare myself for this fall. I’ve already notified my management at work of the days I will be taking off for football games. I am planning on attending every regular season game (home & away) this fall, so I had conserve my vacation time this year. Next week I plan to attend the second and final open scrimmage at Tech, because even us fans need preseason training. And for the next 4 weeks I will attempt to find LSU tickets, because while I have airfare and hotel accommodations booked for Baton Rouge, I have yet to find tickets.

I hope everyone enjoys their last few weeks of summer, because the summer ends and the football season begins Labor Day weekend. With only one bye week the schedule (Oct 20), Hokie football will be going hard & fast all the way through Thanksgiving.

[The following post was also published at HokieHaven.com on March 20, 2007.]

Late Friday night I emailed my friend Kevin. Kevin went in with me on basketball season tickets, we went to nearly every home game. My email to Kevin read:

Crazy game … I still can’t believe we pulled it off. I’ve read that there are plenty of tickets to be had.

Want to get up at the butt-crack of dawn on Sunday and head up to Columbus?

I was half-joking, and I expected him to replay that he’d love to go but couldn’t make it. Instead, Kevin called and left me a voicemail saying, “How much are tickets, and how far is the drive?” I called him back, and we decided to make to the trip.

Saturday night I drove down to his house in Christiansburg. We got up well before dawn and left his house just after 6am Sunday morning.

We nearly got lost en route to Columbus. We took I-77 to US-33 and missed the on-ramp to stay on US-33 near Pomeroy because I was on the phone, and he was a slacking on his duties riding shotgun. We drove about 20 minutes on Ohio Route 7 along the Ohio River until we realized our mistake.

We arrived in Columbus at about 11:45am, immediately parked, and bought 2 tickets in the nosebleeds in section 205 at $50 per. If we waited 20 minutes, we would have been able to buy tickets for much less. It would have been nice to save a few more bucks, but I really can’t complain. It was essentially $25 per game.

The place was crawling with Ohio State fans, which didn’t bother me at all. Being born in Cleveland, I consider Ohio State my second team. It was nice to talk about the Buckeyes, as well as the Cleveland Browns, with some Ohio natives. There was a Wahoo fan with his 2 little boys behind me. He was pretty cool, although I did get sick of him participating during the UVA chants. (I can’t say too much, as I was yelling & screaming during our game.) He left after the Virginia game was over.

At halftime of our game, we moved down to the lower level and sat with the group of Hokies that were directly across from the Tech bench. It was great being so much closer to the action. Kevin and I were screaming our heads off, and we really got into the game down there.

After the game, we waited around with the family & friends of a few players and saw the team board the bus. We felt out of place, but it was interesting to people watch. It seemed like the younger players looked more heartbroken than the upperclassmen.

We chatted a little bit with Deron Washington’s mother. She is down to earth and pretty funny. She called the season “exhausting”, and I could sense a little bit of relief that it was over although she was still disappointed in the result. She is definitely the “team mom”. Nearly every player went over and gave her a hug. There was a bittersweet moment when Chris Tucker came out and met his parents.

We congratulated a few of them on a great season and finally left the arena around 6:30pm.

Even though the game was disappointing, I am glad that I made the trip. Nationwide Arena was a great venue. It was a very different experience than any of the regular season games. Most of the crowd was there just to watch basketball, and really didn’t favor one team or the other. Even though there wasn’t much energy from the crowd, you could still sense the tension from teams. For one team in each game, the season was going to end.

I do wish more Hokies had made the trip. It felt like we had maybe a couple of hundred. If I had to guess, I would say we had 300 fans there. I think this team deserved more support.

I don’t want to end on a negative note, so I’ll quote the end of my last blog post:

The achievements of this team – particularly the seniors – should not be lost in March Madness. From the final year in the Big East to a surprising 8-8 conference record in their first year in the ACC, and from the year of heartbreaks and heartache to this year’s 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament, those seniors have helped Seth Greenberg elevate the basketball program from the basement to top third of the premiere conference of Division 1 basketball.

Regardless of what this weekend brings, this is the best season of basketball I have witnessed since I’ve been Hokie.

The roller coaster has come to stop, and this season of Hokie basketball is in the books. I still think it was one hell of a ride.

Jamon Gordon, Zabian Dowdell, Coleman Collins, Chris Tucker, and Markus Sailes – Thank you for the last four years and best of luck.

[The following post was originally published at HokieHaven.com on March 12, 2007.]

Ten years ago I graduated from a small private high school that didn’t even have a football team. Basketball was the sport at my high school, and homecoming was always in January because of it. I went to nearly every home basketball game when I was in high school, and I considered myself to be primarily a basketball fan. Three months after graduation, I started my first semester at Virginia Tech as a freshman in the College of Engineering, and I quickly became a college football fan. During my years as a student, I saw the rise of Virginia Tech football, and, quite frankly, I did not see Virginia Tech basketball at all. Those years had something special at Lane with Hokie football, but mediocre (at best) basketball teams in Cassell. I, like virtually every Hokie, was a die-hard football fan who barely recognized that Tech had a basketball squad. I had forgotten how much I enjoyed watching basketball.

That changed for me in 2003. It was Seth Greenberg’s first year as head coach, and it was our final season in the Big East. Because of the buzz created about the move to the ACC, I became interested in our basketball program. I started going to games, and I saw a few decent wins, as well as some tough losses. It was an up and down season, and the Hokies finished at 15-14. Unsurprisingly, there was no postseason bid. However, after winning 6 of their last 9 regular season games, qualifying for the Big East tournament for the first time, and winning their 1^st round Big East tournament game against Rutgers, I had some hope for Virginia Tech basketball.

Fast forward to 2007, and I am amazed at what the basketball program has accomplished in just 3 years as a member of the ACC: 2 first round byes in the ACC Tournament (2005, 2007), a NIT berth (2005), and a NCAA berth (2007). Not to mention that this year featured some of the best regular season wins in Virginia Tech basketball history.

I know many fans are disappointed in how the regular season and ACC tournament ended. The loss to Clemson hurt prevented us from grabbing a share of the regular season title and the number 1 seed in the ACC tournament, and we all wanted revenge against N.C. State in the ACC semis. Yet we should not lose sight that Virginia Tech men’s basketball has come a long way in a relatively short period of time. I remember the 96-60 shellacking #6 Uconn gave us on January 28, 2004. Cassell was maybe 35% full, and the folks that were there were barely interested in the game. Contrast that to January 13, 2007 – the day the Hokies beat #1 North Carolina.

The achievements of this team – particularly the seniors – should not be lost in March Madness. From the final year in the Big East to a surprising 8-8 conference record in their first year in the ACC, and from the year of heartbreaks and heartache to this year’s 5-seed in the NCAA Tournament, those seniors have helped Seth Greenberg elevate the basketball program from the basement to top third of the premiere conference of Division 1 basketball.

Regardless of what this weekend brings, this is the best season of basketball I have witnessed since I’ve been Hokie.

Random Thoughts

• You know when Seth Greenberg does his I-can’t-bare-to-watch head-in-face thing? I found myself doing that exact same thing a few times during Saturday’s game. The first half looked like tape from N.C. State’s first win over the Hokies on January 31, and I was happy we were down by only 6 at the half.
• Give N.C. State credit. They nearly pulled off the most amazing 4-day run of any conference tournament. I couldn’t help but pull for them on Thursday. They didn’t quit after North Carolina took a double-digit lead in the second half, and they clawed their way back to make it a game.
• The Wolfpack will play their 5^th game in 6 days on Tuesday in the first round of the NIT. They play Drexel, a team who is probably angry they did not receive a NCAA Tournament invite.
• I’ve seen lots of Hokie fans compare Illinois to N.C. State. While I agree that Illinois runs a slower paced offense that relies heavily on their big men, I don’t necessarily means they are just as bad a match-up as State was. N.C. State is a great passing team who make their shots and their free throws. Illinois is averaging only 65 points a game, and they make only 63% of their free throws.
• Much has been made of the proverbial 12-seed-over-5-seed upset. Personally, I think Old Dominion and Arkansas both have better shots of upsetting Butler and USC, respectively, than does Illinois have a shot of upsetting us. That said, Friday’s game in Columbus will be tough.
• In my bracket, I have the Hokies sweeping the teams from Illinois on their way to the Sweet 16. Maybe that’s my orange and maroon glasses blurring my vision.

[The following post was originally published at HokieHaven.com on February 26, 2007.]

Thanks to Maryland’s upset over North Carolina, our Virginia Tech Hokies (10-6) find themselves in a 3-way tie for first place of the ACC. If the men’s basketball team can beat the University of Virginia on Thursday and Clemson on Sunday, they will earn the #1 seed for the 2007 ACC Tournament. Because they swept UNC, Tech will hold the tiebreaker over the Tarheels should they win out as well. Simply put – the Hokies control their own destiny for the first place seed in the ACC Tournament.

That’s the easy scenario, but what will happen if they don’t win out? Things start to get complicated. Let’s take a quick peek at how the ACC breaks ties. (Note: these rules were published prior to the 2001 tournament. I am assuming they haven’t changed since then.)

1. When two teams are tied in the standings, regular season head-to-head results are used as the tie-breaker.
2. If the two teams split their regular season games, the tie is broken by comparing each team’s records against the team occupying the highest position in the standings, and then continuing down until one team gains an advantage.
3. If three or more teams are tied, the combined record of each team against the other teams involved is used to break the tie. After this procedure, if two teams remain tied procedure 2 is followed.
4. If procedures 2 and/or 3 fail to establish an advantage, a coin-flip to break the tie will be conducted by the Commissioner.
5. If there is more than one tie in the standings, and when utilizing the tie breaking procedures you come to a pair of teams tied, a team’s record against combined tied teams is used, rather than performance against the individual tied teams.

Now that we are armed with knowledge, let’s take a look at the top of the current ACC standings:

For each team, starting at the bottom and working my way up, I’m going to tell you the best seed for the ACC tournament they can earn, no matter how crazy the scenario. (Note: The ACC does not recognize a regular season champion. Their tie breakers are used specifically for seeding in the tournament.)

Duke (8-6) Remaining games: vs Maryland, @ UNC. Best possible finish: 10-6 Best possible seed: #3
Duke can head to the ACC Tournament as the 3-seed if they win their remaining games and BC, UNC, and either VT or UVA lose their remaining games. Virginia Tech or UVA would be in 1st place, and BC and Maryland would finish outside the top 4. Duke can also achieve a first-round bye if BC loses to Georgia Tech, and the Blue Devils win out.

Maryland (8-6) Remaining games: @ Duke, vs NC State. Best possible finish: 10-6 Best possible seed: #4
In order for Maryland to earn a first-round bye in the ACC tourney, they will need to win out, have UNC lose their remaining games, BC beat Georgia Tech, and have VT and UVA finish at 11-5 or better. This would cause 2-way tie for 4th place between the Terps and the Tarheels, and Maryland holds the head-to-head tiebreaker over UNC because of their win on Sunday.

Boston College (10-5) Remaining game: vs Georgia Tech. Best possible finish: 11-5 Best possible seed: #1
It’s pretty simple (albeit virtually impossible) for Boston College to finish at the top of the ACC standings – beat Georgia Tech, North Carolina and Virginia Tech lose their remaining games, and Virginia loses to Wake Forest after beating the Hokies. This would cause BC and UVA to both finish at 11-5, and BC holds the tiebreaker over UVA due to their win over the Hoos back in January. Boston College is more likely headed for the #3 or #4 seed. In order to earn a 1st round bye they need to either beat Georgia Tech or have Duke lose at least one more game.

Virginia (10-4) Remaining games: vs Virginia Tech, @ Wake Forest. Best possible finish: 12-4 Best possible seed: #1
Due to the fact that UNC beat UVA earlier this year, Virginia will need North Carolina to lose at least once if the they beat both Virginia Tech and Wake Forest. The worst the Cavs can do is the 4-seed.

North Carolina (10-4) Remaining games: @ Georgia Tech, vs Duke. Best possible finish: 12-4 Best possible seed: #1
Like Virginia, this is simple for the Tarheels. They need to win out. If they finish 12-4, then they will finish with the 1-seed if Virginia Tech loses at least once, and they will finish with the 2-seed if Virginia Tech wins out. If UNC splits their last two, then they will be the 4-seed if UVA wins out, and BC and VT both win their final games. This will cause those 3 teams to be tied for 2nd at 11-5, and the Tarheels would come out at the bottom of that threesome. It is possible for North Carolina to finish outside of the top 4, but that’s only in the super-crazy Maryland scenario.

Virginia Tech (10-4) Remaining games: @ Georgia Tech, vs Duke. Best possible finish: 12-4 Best possible seed: #1
As has been already noted, the Virginia Tech Hokies now control their own destiny. If they beat Virginia and Clemson, they will be the #1 seed in the ACC Tournament. Things get interesting if that doesn’t happen.

First off, the worst case scenario: VT loses out and finishes at 10-6. If Boston College beats Georgia Tech, then the Hokies would be the 4-seed regardless of what Duke and Maryland do, because they didn’t lose to either. If Tech does finish at 10-6, there are many scenarios that can play out. It would still be possible for VT to finish with the 2-seed if North Carolina lost its remaining games, Boston College lost, and Maryland won its final 2 games. However, it’s not really worth the time and effort to go into the detail of every scenario if the Hokies finish 10-6.

If Virginia Tech loses to Virginia and beats Clemson, they will finish at 11-5 and will need some help. If Virginia and North Carolina win out, then UNC will grab the 1-seed and UVA will grab the 2-seed. VT would take the 3-seed regardless of BC’s game at GT. If UVA wins out, but UNC loses at least once, then Tech will grab the 2-seed behind UVA. However, if UVA loses to Wake Forest and UNC loses a game, then there will be a 3-way or 4-way tie for first place depending on BC. Virginia Tech would come out on top of that group to grab the 1-seed.

Finally, if Virginia Tech beats Virginia on Thursday, but loses to Clemson, they would grab the 1-seed if North Carolina loses a game and the 2-seed if North Carolina wins out.

After running through these scenarios, I’ve noticed a common thread for teams other than Virginia Tech and North Carolina – they all need the Tarheels to lose. UNC certainly doesn’t have an easy week, but I will be surprised if they don’t win out. Also, even though it’s possible for Duke or Maryland to earn a first-round bye, I just don’t see it happening. VT and UVA have already locked up byes, and BC and UNC don’t need much to happen to finish in the top 4.

[The following post was originally published at HokieHaven.com on February 23, 2007.]

Less than 7 weeks after earning his Masters, Deron Washington presented his dissertation to Boston College & the Hokie Nation and received his Ph.D. in Dunkology. Moments after that dunk, a dunk that I consider to be the best dunk I’ve ever seen in person, my buddy Kevin turned to me and said, “If I were a NBA team, I’d want him on my team just for that, even if he only averages 1 point a game.” In today’s NBA, where the league focuses on one-on-one match-ups and entertaining fans, you have to think that Deron has a chance of taking his game to the next level. He’ll probably have to bulk up a little more, and he definitely needs more consistency from his jump shots, but there isn’t a doubt in my mind that he has the athletic ability needed to make it as a professional basketball player.

What I really like about Deron Washington is the fact that after his dunks he doesn’t show off to crowd or come off as arrogant. Usually he follows his dunks with a smile and then hustles back down the court to play defense. I believe he has matured significantly since last year, and that the team will be in good hands with him as a senior next season.

Speaking of seniors, this season is really shaping up to be very special for Coleman Collins, Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon, Chris Tucker, and Markus Sailes. With wins over UNC and Duke, and blowout wins over Virginia and Boston College at the Cassell, this season has already given them memories they will cherish their entire lives. With 3 regular season games left, 2 of which are at home, I hope the support for this team continues to grow. On Saturday versus Miami and on March 4th versus Clemson, I want to see Cassell Coliseum rocking like it was for North Carolina, UVA, and Boston College. These seniors deserve a standing ovation whenever the step on or off the court.

With a first-round bye in the ACC tournament and a NCAA tournament bid virtually locked up, so much more than a memorable regular season is attainable. When this team plays at its highest level, they can beat anyone. Here’s hoping for a nice little run in the big dance, because I can’t think of a better way to end their college careers than a trip to the Sweet 16. You may think that I am asking for too much, but I know this team has the ability to play at the level necessary for a few wins in the NCAA tournament.

However, regardless of the postseason, this basketball season will go down as my favorite since I’ve been a Hokie (1997). It’s been a helluva ride so far.

Going into the weekend I was hoping the subject of this post would be about the domination of North Carolina teams by our Virginia Tech men’s basketball team. Before Sunday, our Hokies were 4-1 against teams from the state just to our south. Wake Forest came to Cassell back in December and lost to the Hokies, 63-60. Then came that magical week in January where Virginia Tech beat Duke in Cameron and then-#1 UNC a week later in Blacksburg. Two and a half weeks later the reeling Wolfpack of North Carolina State visited the Hokies in Blacksburg and ruined our perfection versus North Carolina teams.

All was not lost, however, because the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team started this week with what I consider their finest road win in the history of the program. By beating North Carolina in Chapel Hill, the Hokies became only the 5th team to beat both Duke and UNC on their home floors since 1980. Yesterday was supposed to be our continued domination over North Carolina teams. We were supposed to be 5-1 against Wake Forest, Duke, North Carolina, and North Carolina State. We were supposed to be tied for the lead in the ACC following the game. We were supposed to be on our way to a 4-seed or higher in the NCAA Tournament.

Well, we were supposed to be according to the hype. I said it to myself after the road loss to Florida State. I said it to myself after the first loss to NC State. And I said it to myself after yesterday’s buttkicking in Raleigh:

Welcome to the ACC.

It’s our third year in the conference, but like it or not, we are still the new kids on the block. We’re still learning how to be consistently successful in this basketball conference. We’re still learning that the parity in this league is similar to the NFL – anyone can win during any given week.

Instead of going into why the ACC is best basketball conference in college basketball, as I’m going to dedicate a large post to that in the next few days, I’m going to leave you with a little reset.

We are presently all alone in 4th place with a 8-4 record in conference. We’re one game behind Virginia (9-3) and UNC (9-3) and a half game behind Boston College (9-4). We are 2 games ahead of both Duke (7-6) and Maryland (6-6) in the loss column. As has been mentioned before, the key to success in this league is to win your home games and split your road games. The Hokies are still executing that rule with a 4-1 record at home and a 4-3 record on the road. If we split our last 4 games – 3 of which are at home – we will finish the regular season at 10-6 and in no less than 4th place. If we finish in 4th place or better, we’ll earn a 1st round bye in the ACC tournament and will be a lock for the NCAA tournament.

Yesterday’s loss hurt our NCAA seeding, our chances at the 1st place seed in the ACC Tourney, and our ego. That said, I still like our chances for the postseason. It’s been a fun season so far, and I expect the roller coaster ride will continue.

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team, in their 3rd season as a member of the Atlantic Coast Conference, has visited two teams who were undefeated at home (Georgia Tech and North Carolina) and gave them their first losses on their home courts. I can’t count how many times I’ve heard the phrase, “Win your home games and split your road games,” describing how to be successful in the ACC. With a 4-2 road record and a 4-1 record at home against conference opponents, the Hokies are doing better.

After sweeping Duke and UNC, the premier hoops teams of the ACC, can anyone question that the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team isn’t legit?

Has that set in yet? I’ll say that again. The Virginia Tech Hokies have beat the Duke Blue Devils in Cameron, they’ve beat North Carolina in Cassell, and they beat the Tarheels again in Tech’s first trip to the fabled “Dean Dome” where UNC was previously unbeaten this season. Two of those wins mark the first ever win for Virginia Tech over Duke in Durham and the first win over UNC in Chapel Hill since 1966. If I was a true stats junky I’d find out the last team to sweep Duke and North Carolina in the regular season, but I’ll just wait for ESPN to tell me that.

What a turnaround we’ve had since the loss at Boston College. There were many Hokie fans who doubted the team after the beatdown that BC gave us. They thought the Hokies had already peaked. Instead of giving in to the pressures of the ACC, the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team has played with renewed inspiration. First they obliterated the Virginia Cavaliers by 27 points. That win marked the largest margin of victory over a conference opponent since joining the ACC. And tonight they marched down to Chapel Hill and won their toughest road game of the year. Folks, we didn’t peak when we took down North Carolina in Cassell. Tonight’s win was bigger.

Are the Hokies for real?

You better believe it.

Just a quick post before tomorrow’s game, which is one of the biggest games of the year. UVA is presently tied with BC at the top of the ACC, winners of 7 straight, and we’re in desperate need of a win. I am just as excited for tomorrow’s game as I have been for Virginia Tech football. I fully expect an awesome game.

If you still need your fill of previews for the game, be sure to check out HokiesFullCourt.com and TechHoops.com. They both have articles written by Wahoos, as well as their normal game previews. And I’m sure Techsideline.com will have their preview up soon. TechHoop’s why I hate UVA is fairly amusing, as well.

At any rate, I want Cassell to be loud. I want it to be louder than it was for UNC, and louder than it was for Maryland. I know that’s a lot to ask for, especially because Maryland was really a once-in-a-lifetime all-student type crowd and UNC was #1 when they came to Cassell. But this is the weekend that Virginia comes to town, and this game means more than just bragging rights. In addition to that, check out this quote from an AP article I saw on PilotOnline.com:

“I love to hear the silence of the crowd,” [J.R.] Reynolds said. “That’s why I like to play on the road so much.”

Students, alumni, and every Hokie in Cassell: start yelling before tip-off and don’t stop until the final buzzer. No matter if we’re up by 20 or down by 20, don’t ever be quiet. I want Reynolds to have his ears ring for 3 days after tomorrow’s game!

Go Hokies!

In case you don’t know, I do indeed live in Charlottesville. I’m often asked by my fellow Hokies, “How can you live there?” Well, Zima’ville, as I like to refer to it thanks to Colin Cowherd’s rant, is actually a pretty cool city. It’s medium-sized with a small town feel, but it’s got some culture. Yes, there is the wine & cheese aspect of the city that I like to laugh at, but it’s got a good mix of people with a sizable group of 20-something and 30-something professionals. Luckily for me, UVA is mostly restricted to the western half of the city, so I don’t have Wahoos in my face 24/7.

Speaking of Wahoos, thanks to last night’s victory over Maryland their men’s basketball team sits atop of the ACC with an 8-2 conference record. After starting 1-2 in conference, Virginia has won 7 in a row – they are on an absolute roll. Looking at their remaining ACC schedule – @VT, FSU, @Miami, GT, VT, @Wake – it pains me to say that they have a shot of winning the regular season title. That is assuming they continue to play at the level they have been for the last few weeks.

On the other end of the emotional spectrum, our beloved Hokies have lost 2 straight and dropped to 4th place in the ACC with a 6-3 conference record. On the surface, that doesn’t look so bad. Fourth place in the ACC is a great position to be going into the final 3 weeks of the regular season. The three losses don’t look that bad on paper. First we lost to Florida State on their home floor after the biggest week in Virginia Tech basketball history. Don’t look now, but the Seminoles are one game behind the Hokies tied for 5th place. One week ago we lost to N.C. State in Cassell. We were due to drop a game at home, and the Wolfpack went on to upset North Carolina over the weekend. On Saturday the Hokies traveled north to visit Boston College. The Eagles, now 7-2 (16-6 overall), completely dismantled Tech. However, there is no shame in losing to BC. They are a good team and sit alone in second place in the ACC.

So, why is everyone nervous? Because everyone who watched the last two games saw how the Virginia Tech Hokies played. Gone was the team that beat Duke in Cameron and that upset UNC when they were #1 in the nation. Instead we saw the team that lost to Marshall. To grab a quote from TechSideline.com‘s Hokie Hotline notes: Seth Greenberg … The energy level wasn’t there in the losses to NC State and Boston College. Greenberg is hoping that’s because the team was a little tired. Every game right now is so power-packed that it’s exhausting. That is the nature of the ACC. Week-in and week-out, you have to be ready to play – you must bring your A game. Also noted on the Hokie Hotline was that this is a good time for a full week off. I couldn’t agree more. It was the end of the December when the team last had a week off. Unfortunately, it was the week before the Marshall game, but let’s not dwell on that.

Hopefully this week will give the team a chance to catch their proverbial breath and get ready for UVA. Saturday’s game is one I already had circled on my calendar, but it now takes on added importance. The Virginia Tech Hokies need to upend the 1st place Wahoos. A win on Saturday will be a shot in the arm for their confidence. A win will cut the magic number down to 3 – we’ll need only 3 wins after we beat UVA to virtually lock us into the NCAA tournament. Last, but not least, a win on Saturday is a win over the Virginia Cavaliers. To me, that is motivation enough.

Yet I get the feeling our rivalry with UVA has cooled off some since we joined the ACC. We probably wouldn’t have received the invitation to join the ACC without the help of UVA. We have completely dominated the Wahoos on the football field by beating them 7 of the last 8 meetings. UVA is 7-2 against us in the last 6 seasons of men’s basketball (since we’ve re-started playing them on each other’s home courts), and they beat us 3 times last year. There just hasn’t been much competition in football and men’s basketball, and those are the only sports that really matter for the majority of each school’s fans. We’ve kicked their butts in football, and they said, “Wait ’til basketball season!” They’ve kicked our butts in basketball, and we said, “Wait ’til football season!”

Don’t get me wrong, I consider Virginia our #1 rival. I just think this rivalry has lost some luster. If you asked this year’s freshmen and sophomores at Virginia Tech who our biggest sports rival was, I bet most would say Miami. Based on football, they wouldn’t necessarily be wrong – we’ve split the last 6 meetings with the Hurricanes. Take away football, and Miami is just another ACC school. The University of Miami and Virginia Tech are 900 miles apart and are just as dissimilar as their locations.

Charlottesville is 2 hours away from Blacksburg. There are a ton of Hokies and Hoos in Tidewater and in Northern Virginia, and they often work with each other at their jobs talking trash about the other’s school. Students of each often know high school classmates who go to the other university. The dislike goes way back to the days when farmers’ sons went to the Virginia Agricultural and Mechanical College, and the sons of lawyers and doctors went to the University of Virginia. These days the cultural differences between the two student populations aren’t quite as big, but they are still somewhat evident. You still see more jeans and flannel in downtown Blacksburg than you do around The Corner in Charlottesville.

I guess what I’m trying to say is that while I want to see Virginia Tech beat UVA at everything in which we compete, I do understand that competition is what fuels a good rivalry. I like joking around with the Virginia fans, and I love driving my maroon truck with a Virginia Tech sticker and Virginia Tech plates around their town. I want the students of both universities to fully embrace this rivalry, too. Pranks that don’t involve property damage, assault, and/or kidnapping should be encouraged. (eg: The painting of the T at the midfield V at Scott Stadium in 2004.) Have pride that you are a student or alum of the best damn university in the Commonwealth of Virginia!

Go Hokies! Beat the ‘Hoos!