Back on January 8th, as the Hokies prepared to start their ACC schedule (we are ignoring Duke), I said I would revisit the team’s progress after our first five conference games and here’s how things went:

Win  - Jan. 10, 2009 Virginia
Win - Jan. 17, 2009 Boston College (then ranked #17, currently unranked)
Win - Jan. 21, 2009 at Wake Forest (then and currently ranked #4)
Win - Jan. 25, 2009 at Miami-FL
Loss - Jan. 29, 2009 Clemson (then ranked #12, currently ranked #11)

Well I hate to be unhappy with a 4-1 result especially since we upset the last undefeated and number one ranked Wake Forest team on their home court but I really feel deflated from tonight’s collapse against Clemson. Up as many as 15 in the second half the Hokies couldn’t adjust from a fast paced full-press gameplay in to a slower more aggressive protection by Clemson. From the high euphoria of Malcom Delaney’s 50-foot buzzer beater to a freezing cold middle of the second half in which the Hokies just couldn’t score it was the definition of high and low for one game. To have a certain top 25 ranking and inside track to the NCAA tournament cut in to by the Tigers by a slowly twisted knife in the Hokies’ gut was as much pain as any Hokie fan can take.

But there is a lot to be proud of, after all if you told me back at the start of the ACC schedule we could be 5-2 at the end of January - I would be exstatic. If you told me we would beat a number 1 team in that span, I would punch you in the face and then punch myself in the face. The win over Wake Forrest ranks as one of the biggest victories in Virginia Tech history and helps to ease the pain of the couple of almost-top-team-upsets the Hokies saw disappaear in the final second of the game. And other than Delaney’s rediculous performance in the first half of the Clemson game there are plenty of plays to look back upon and smile, including Allen’s great pick… I mean two great picks… against UVA, our great runs against Wake, Thorns really stepping up off the bench, and a great overtime victory on the road at Miami.

In all being 4-2 in the ACC is nothing to take lightly and if we can continue playing strong basketball against our next five ACC opponents, all of which are ranked below Virginia Tech, the Hokies can look to the last two home games against Duke and UNC to be a final push for a NCAA tournament berth before the ACC tournament at the end of the season. I am definately pleased that the basketball team is keeping me this interested in the football offseason and actually starting to make a basketball school out of Virginia Tech.