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Virginia Tech Basketball: Women’s hoop schedule slammed by ESPN

By Scott Roche

Mar 31, 2023; Dallas, TX, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Georgia Amoore (5) attempts a three-point basket against the LSU Lady Tigers in the second half in semifinals of the women's Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports
Mar 31, 2023; Dallas, TX, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Georgia Amoore (5) attempts a three-point basket against the LSU Lady Tigers in the second half in semifinals of the women's Final Four of the 2023 NCAA Tournament at American Airlines Center. Mandatory Credit: Kevin Jairaj-USA TODAY Sports /
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The 2023-24 Women’s College Basketball season begins in 25 days and the Virginia Tech women’s will open the season at home. The women will host High Point at 5 p.m. as part of a doubleheader with the men hosting Coppin State at 8 p.m.

The Hokie women have high expectations entering the season coming off of a Final Four trip last March in Dallas. Virginia Tech, who won the Seattle Regional, fell to LSU in the semifinals. The Hokies won’t need to wait long for some revenge as they travel to Baton Rogue, La. in late November to play the Tigers, who beat Iowa in the title game, as part of the SEC/ACC Challenge.

Recently, ESPN’s Charlie Creme broke the best and worst non-conference schedules, and let’s just say, he wasn’t impressed with Kenny Brooks’ schedule.

ESPN ranked the Virginia Tech schedule as one that might hurt in 2023-24

Okay, first and foremost, look around and find a Power 5 school that loads up its non-conference schedule with several Power 5 opponents. Good luck.

Creme has three of Virginia Tech’s non-conference opponents as potential NCAA Tournament teams. LSU and Iowa are two teams that are going to be bound for March Madness and he lists Kansas, who the Hokies will play on the Cayman Islands on Thanksgiving weekend as the third team. After that, the schedule is less than appealing with the likes of Houston Christian, UNC Greensboro, Radford, William & Mary, and Long Island. According to Creme, those teams averaged 288 in the NET in 2022-23.

Will it get the Hokies tested early in the season? No, however, one thing to take into consideration is how stacked the ACC is and what an 18-game grind it’s going to be for Brooks and his crew on a nightly basis.

Another quirk with the schedule this season and with TV is that Virginia Tech does not play a nationally televised game at home after one of the more impressive postseason runs through not only the ACC Tournament but also the NCAA Tournament. The big games on TV this season are going to be road games, but hey, whatever makes you good only makes you stronger. The Hokies will be able to create their exposure this season, even if it has to be done on the road.

Must Read. CBS experts have promising takes on Hokies. light