Plotting Virginia Tech's path to avoid playing on Day 1 of the ACC Tournament

Wait, there is hope after all for the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team. Saturday night, the Hokies scored 50 second-half points on their way to a much-needed 87-76 victory over Wake Forest at Cassell Coliseum. The win improved the Hokies 8-10 in the ACC with two games remaining.

Currently, Virginia Tech will enter the final week in 10th place in the conference and if they finish in that spot, then they will be playing on the opening day of the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. next Tuesday. However, there is a chance that Mike Young’s team can avoid playing on the first day if things go right.

How Virginia Tech get a bye in the first round of the ACC Tournament

Multiple things have to go right for the Hokies, but there’s a chance. First, Virginia Tech needs to win their final two games at Louisville on Tuesday night, then beat Notre Dame at home next Saturday. If that happens, the Hokies need the following to happen.

They would need North Carolina State to lose at least one game against Duke or Pittsburgh. They would also need Florida State to lose a game against either Pittsburgh or Miami. Virginia Tech owns the tiebreakers against both NC State and FSU should they end up tied in the standings.

Why is getting the first day off a big deal for the Hokies? If they have visions of running the table in the conference tournament as their only path to an NCAA Tournament bid, then having to do it in for days is easier than having to try and do it over five days.

Of course whenever they end up in the standings is important because of match-ups too. The Hokies are a team that could use a three-game winning streak going into the ACC Tournament to build some momentum.