Virginia Tech Basketball: Hokies NET ranking continues to trend in the right direction
By Scott Roche
The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team picked up an impressive non-conference win Saturday, 73-51, over Vermont at Cassell Coliseum. The victory improved the Hokies to 8-3 on the season and come March, this will look very good on their resume as the Catamounts are one of the top mid-major programs there is.
The win was key as Virginia Tech has one more non-conference game remaining this season, this coming Thursday night at home against American, before ACC play begins in full on Dec. 30 at Wake Forest. The win over Vermont helped to improve the Hokies NET rating before conference play starts.
Virginia Tech’s NET rating continues to trend in the right direction
After the win over the Catamounts in their only game last week, Virginia Tech saw their NET ranking go up to No. 50. The NET ranking is the “new RPI” and a determiner in which teams make the NCAA Tournament field at the end of the season.
There is a lot of good news for Mike Young’s team as the three teams that have beaten them this season, South Carolina, Florida Atlantic, and Auburn, are all ranked higher than them inside the Top 50. Florida Atlantic is No. 11, Auburn is No. 19, and South Carolina, who continues to look impressive early in the season and looks like an NCAA Tournament team, is No. 41.
Once ACC play begins in full, there will be more opportunities for Virginia Tech to pick up some wins against teams inside the Top 50 and improve their NCAA Tournament resume. After missing out last season, the Hokies hope to return to the field of 68 this season instead of an NIT bid. Clemson (No. 15), Duke (No. 24), North Carolina (No. 37), and Pittsburgh (No. 40) are the ACC schools that are ahead of the Hokies.