Virginia Tech Basketball: Hokies men have massive opportunity in Florida

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team will be busy this Thanksgiving Weekend as they will be in Orlando taking part in the annual ESPN Events Invitational. At 3-1, the Hokies have a big opportunity in front of them over the next four days when they play three games.

The tournament field gives Virginia Tech a chance to collect some pretty big early season victories that can look good come March when it’s time for the NCAA to select the 68-team field for the NCAA Tournament.

Virginia Tech potential opponents in Orlando after Boise State

Seven other teams are in the tournament with Virginia Tech. On their side of the bracket, Iowa State and VCU will play, while Penn State, Texas A&M, Penn State, Florida Atlantic, and Butler are on the other side.

Boise State enters the tournament coming off a loss Sunday at Clemson, while the Hokies are coming off a win over Wofford on Sunday night at home in Mike Young’s first game against his former team before coming to Blacksburg.

Texas A&M is currently ranked 12th in the Associated Press Top 25 Poll and 13th in the USA Today Coaches Poll. The only other team in the field that is ranked is Florida Atlantic, which is No. 19 in the AP Poll and No. 20 in the Coaches Poll. Unless there’s an upset, likely, one of those two teams on that side of the bracket will be in Sunday’s title game.

On the Hokies’ side after the Broncos, they will get either Iowa State or VCU Friday in the semifinals or a consolation game.

Regardless of who Virginia Tech plays, they need to play good defense in all three games and take advantage of the inside play of Lynn Kidd. He is having a very good start to the season and is quickly turning into a double-double machine for Young. He has benefitted early on from point guard Sean Pedulla getting to the basket and finding him in the post for a basket.

Hunter Cattoor is one of the top shooters in the ACC and against Wofford, he made his 3’s early and got into a rhythm. If Kidd is playing well inside, that is going to allow Cattoor and Pedulla to get open shots.

Last season Virginia Tech ended up on the outside looking in when it came to the NCAA Tournament. They settled for an NIT bid and some of that had to do with their 8-12 ACC record, but this season, they have an opportunity to get some early-season resume-building wins. They have an opportunity to get to the championship game if they can take care of business.

An early-season opportunity is something that Young and the Hokies need to take advantage of this Holiday weekend.