There’s a 5% Chance It’s Not Over
Losing six of our last seven games hasn’t put the Hokies out of the tournament …and I am not insinuating that the team will win the ACC tournament and get an automatic bid either. #8 Virginia Tech takes on #9 Miami in the ACC Tournament opener on Thursday. A win over Miami wouldn’t impress anyone but it would set the Hokies up against #1 UNC , winners of the past two tournaments, and give one final long ball to convince the voters that VT belongs.
ESPN and CBS still have VT on the bubble radar, mainly because most of our end-of-the-season loses came against decent RPI ranked teams that are considered locks for the tournament. With a (major) upset the Hokies can steal back in to the tournament with a resume touting UNC along with road wins against Wake and Clemson.
What are the chances? Not good, even for round one. Betting sites give the Hokies a 41.37% chance of surviving against Miami, and a 5.72% chance of following that up with a win over UNC (and if you are curious a 2.03% chance of making it to the final round with 0.57% of winning it all) – of course these odds would change with every game and team elimination as well. If the 94.28% situation does occur I refuse to make any posts regarding the NIT seeding, games, or results.
Those odds would be much lower if they found out I was going to be there in person. I haven’t seen a Hokie road win in my past 6 trips (granted they were all football but I think it carries over).
Consider my track record for away bball games- 2005 saw GT loss in ACC tournament at Verizon Center (then MCI Center), 2007 watched our season’s worst loss at the hands of a then-miserable PSU, in 2008 watched a squeeze win against Navy (weeee), and in 2009 watched our terrible UVA loss. I think I am owed a road win.
Your invitation is in the mail…
Personally, I’d rather not go to the NCAA tournament unless we get to the ACC finals or win the tourney outright. You gotta go into the tourney with momentum or else you’re just another overrated major conf team that gets in and losses first or second round.
Being privileged is no substitute for being good…
No. Going is paramount for media exposure, recruitment, and building confidence in your program.
We absolutely benefit from going, but it’s like getting into Harvard because you’re a legacy. We get in because we’re an average team in a good conference, but we don’t deserve it over other teams who will get left out.
Fuck the money; there’s nothing that upsets me more than undeserved reward and entitlement. I’d rather go to the NIT and forgo the benefits than be the George W. Bush of the tournament…
Ooo you don’t want one of 65 spots because you have a guilty conscience? We’ll take your spot! As will Temple, PSU, or any small conference terrible basketball school who loses out on getting their AUTOMATIC bid. Thanks guys!!!
Congrats to Seth’s brother, the new head coach for the awesome std’ed radford highlands. A greenburg was able to take a team to the tourney, just not seth. [sadface]
YEAH! We like this Jeff guy. We should be able to send at least 3 teams from our conference! Rider was 12-6!!! GO BRONCS!