It may come to a surprise that the Virginia Tech basketball team has the fourth most Atlantic Coast Conference wins since joining the conference before the 2004-05 season.
Traditionally known as a football school, Tech head coach Seth Greenberg has taken the basketball program a long way during his seven-year tenure with the school.
This past season showed so much promise. The Hokies performed well all year, finishing the regular season tied for third place in the league.
When postseason play arrived, Tech received a bye in the ACC Tournament. Unfortunately for Hokies fans, Tech found an early exit, losing to Miami 70-65 in the second round.
An early tournament loss, along with an extremely weak out-of-conference schedule, plundered Tech from an NCAA Tournament lock to a bubble-bursted National Invitational Tournament team.
However, Greenberg motivated his team to strongly compete in the NIT. Prior to the tournament, the Hokies were awarded a No. 1 seed and had the opportunity to play up to three home games before heading to Madison Square Garden — if they could keep winning.
Though the NIT wasn’t where the team wanted to be, they refocused.
“It’s going to hurt today but we have a chance to go to New York and cut down the nets. That’s going to be the vision we’re going to sell to our team,” Greenberg said shortly after learning of the team’s exclusion from the NCAA Tournament.
When the NIT began, the Hokies defeated Quinnipiac 81-61 in the opening round at Cassell Coliseum before winning a 65-63 thriller over Jim Calhoun’s University of Connecticut squad.
Tech was one win from the NIT semifinals in New York, having only to defeat Rhode Island. The Hokies looked poised to make a run to New York too, carrying up to a 10-point lead into the second half against
Rhode Island. However, a late collapse led to a 79-72 victory for Rhode Island.
The season certainly ended in disappointment, but the future looked bright when the season ended. The Hokies were expected to return all five starters and the majority of their bench, therefore having great expectations for this coming season.
That was until All-ACC junior guard Malcolm Delaney declared for the NBA Draft on March 31.
Adding to the uncertainty for Hokie Nation was a rumor that Greenberg may leave Tech to coach at St. John’s in New York.
Despite the remarkable job Greenberg has done with the program, he was one of the lowest paid head coaches in the conference at $950,000 last season.
Greenberg and athletics director Jim Weaver restructured his contract for six more years, though, eliminating any fears about his departure.
And after working out for NBA teams, Delaney was projected to be a late second round pick to undrafted and withdrew his name on May 8.
Delaney was eligible to return to school since he did not hire an agent.
“I am ecstatic that Malcolm has decided to return to Virginia Tech and help us as we pursue an ACC Championship, an NCAA berth and an opportunity to compete deep into the tournament,” said Greenberg.
This year, the Hokies aim to make a deep run at the NCAA Tournament for the first time since the 2006-07 season.
“I want to, along with my fellow seniors, help lead Virginia Tech to a Final Four,” Delaney said.
“They all know what it takes — they could lead the winningist senior class in the history of the school,” added Greenberg. “The one thing they haven’t been able to do is make the NCAA Tournament.”
The NCAA Tournament has expanded to 68 teams for this coming season, a change that really could have helped the Hokies on the past three Selection Sundays.
“I’m not sure 68 is the right number, but it’s a start,” said Greenberg, who has been a proponent of tournament expansion noting the large number of good basketball teams.
This coming season should be an exciting one in Blacksburg. Visits from perennial power Purdue in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge and the defending national champion Duke highlight Tech’s schedule this year.
Only time will tell if Tech can reach its goal of the NCAA Tournament in possibly its most promising season in program history.
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