Collegiate Times

The Virginia Tech men's basketball team (16-11, 7-6) takes the court tonight against the Boston College Eagles (13-12, 4-8) in search of its third-straight victory.

That said, getting a third consecutive victory, especially against Boston College and other Atlantic Coast Conference competition, is much easier said than done.

"They're a very, very good basketball team," said Tech head coach Seth Greenberg. "They're really well coached. They're physical. They're a difficult preparation because of their style of play and the offense they run ... Hopefully we can do a key job on their key players down the stretch."

It's not just Greenberg who is faced with a formidable challenge by his upcoming opponent. Boston College head coach Al Skinner isn't in for a walk in the park this evening either.

"They're playing pretty well at home," Skinner said. "They beat us at home, even when they were under-manned. So, hopefully, we'll be a little better prepared this week."

One key player the Hokies will look to keep in check is Richmond native Tyrese Rice. The guard is the Eagles' leading scorer and one of the most dangerous guards in the ACC.

"I'm not sure how many people have stopped Rice -- you try to contain him," Greenberg said. "He's so good. He changes speeds. He has got that teardrop. He shoots it in transition. He shoots it deep. You just try to do the best you can to stay in front of him (and) make it as hard as possible for him to get big numbers."

Guard Rakim Sanders, and forwards Shamari Spears, Corey Raji, and John Oates are all significant contributors in the Boston College lineup.

In addition to Boston College's regular cast, freshman Josh Southern, who did not play in Tech's 81-73 overtime victory Jan. 26, has come along since then and has been averaging nearly seven points per game since.

"He's a very good player," Greenberg said. "He's got a big body (6-10, 255). He can shoot the ball to foul line. He wedges you to rebound the ball. I think he understands their offense ... He's played well all the second half of the season. He's probably their version of J.T. Thompson."

As Greenberg mentioned, it is not just he who will be on the lookout for the opponent's diaper dandies. Skinner and his Eagles are mindful of the Hokie freshmen who continue to progress such as the aforementioned Thompson, Malcolm Delaney and Hank Thorns.

"They've been playing from day one," Skinner said. "They've kind of grown together and that's the advantage. They might have paid for it early on with some of the games that they participated in, but they're reaping the benefits of (the youth) now because of the season they've been having."

Skinner went on to put his above response into greater context.

"They have continued to evolve and that's the most important thing," he said. "They're getting confidence in each other and what they can expect from each other. And that's where your improved play comes in when you start to believe and trust your teammates."

This game, and those on the horizon, takes on increased meaning to those focused on March Madness. But such thoughts don't much concern Greenberg.

"Every two days 'bracketology' changes," Greenberg said. "Who really cares? What does it really mean? So, someone's going to win a game. Someone's going to lose a game. Someone's going to change tomorrow. Someone's trending up, someone's trending down ... it doesn't mean anything -- we've got three weeks."

Tech's stretch run begins this evening with tipoff from Cassell Coliseum slated for 7 p.m. with the game set to be telecast by ESPNU.