Collegiate Times

The 2006-07 season was neither a success, nor a failure for the Virginia Tech's men's basketball team; it was a step in the process.

Head coach Seth Greenberg will be the first to tell anyone that building a program is a process, and it is. Greenberg inherited a program that was the Big East's doormat and in four short years has turned it into a legitimate contender in America's premiere college basketball conference, the ACC.

That was no easy task. Greenberg had to recruit ACC-caliber players while developing the talent he already had. Inherited players played a major role in the Hokies' success this past season. Jamon Gordon, Coleman Collins and Markus Sailes were all signed by former head coach Ricky Stokes, while everyone else has been recruited and developed by Greenberg.

Many coaches do not have the kind of success Greenberg has had with another man's talent, especially when that man was terminated largely because of losing. But Greenberg brought basketball successes to southwestern Virginia in the form of relatively big wins.

In his first season, 2003-04, Greenberg's Hokies were lead by Tech's only first team all-Big East selection Bryant 'O P' Matthews, who carried the team to milestone victories over the then No. 23 Providence Friars and a first-round Big East Tournament win over Rutgers.

During the 2004-05 campaign, Tech's first season in the ACC, fifth-year senior Carlos Dixon led the Hokies to big wins over nationally ranked Duke University and Georgia Tech. The Hokies also scored their first victory in a non-conference affiliated postseason tournament in nine seasons when they defeated John Chaney's Temple Owls in the first round of the NIT.

The 2005-06 was an anomaly, with Tech losing many close games and suffering through many off-the-court problems.

This season, the Hokies won 10 ACC games, with notable victories coming against Duke, Georgia Tech, Virginia and twice against the University of North Carolina. However, Tech did drop games to George Washington University, University of Western Michigan, Marshall University and three to North Carolina State University.

The Hokies even made it to the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Many fans would consider that a success, but it isn't. It's evident that it's just another step in Greenberg's process of building a basketball contender and hardcourt culture in Blacksburg.

I know many will disagree with me on this one, but the second round of the NCAA Tournament is not a success. No legitimate ACC contenders define season success as being one of the 32 best teams in the country. Legit contenders want more. They want — scratch that — demand Sweet Sixteens, Elite Eights, Final Fours and National Championships.

I know that's not possible overnight, but I'm not about to define success relatively here. Advancing to the round of 32 is a heck of a step in the process of getting to the point where you're competing for championships, but it in itself is not a success.

Had the Hokies beaten the Clemson University Tigers on senior day or advanced to the West Regional Semifinals, this column would likely be different. Tech would be more than just a conference tournament semifinal and NCAA second round team, it would be a conference championship team and national title contender — and that's what I consider to be a success.