The selection show for the 2026 NCAA men's basketball tournament has come and gone. When the Virginia Tech season began, it appeared that Mike Young and his team were going to hear their name called for the first time since 2022.
The Hokies went 11-2 in the non-conference schedule before suffering some devastating ACC losses that had them finish 12th, where they were predicted before the season started, at 8-10. Somehow, they were still on the tournament bubble when the ACC Tournament began Tuesday night. A win over Wake Forest and a win over Clemson might have been enough to get into the 68-team field.
Instead, Virginia Tech continued its theme of heartbreak in 2025-26. Tied with the Demon Deacons at 75 with the ball for the final shot, Ben Hammond missed a driving layup. Jailen Bedford grabbed the rebound, and his putback rimmed out as time expired. More heartbreak. They would go on to lose in overtime.
When the Hokies got back to Blacksburg, they took a vote on Friday, and the players reportedly voted not to accept an NIT bid after their bubble was popped. It ended what turned into a frustrating season at 19-13. On Sunday night, when the tournament field was announced, it should only have inflicted more pain on fans.
NCAA Tournament bubble should irritate Virginia Tech fans
We knew that the NCAA Tournament bubble was bad this year, but it was very bad. Look at the bubble teams that got into the field. It should sum up the frustrating season for Young and the fans.
How bad was the bubble? Well, the last four in were Texas, North Carolina State, Miami (Ohio), and SMU. Then there were bubble teams, Missouri and Santa Clara, who avoided Dayton and the "First Four." Remember SMU? Yeah, they're likely only in the field because of Boopie Miller's half-court heave against Virginia Tech in January for the one-point win. If the Hokies win that game and beat Wake Forest, 21 wins likely have them playing in Dayton in the First Four this week.
Instead, their season is over, and likely some big changes are coming over the next couple of months.