Entering their regular-season final at Virginia on Saturday afternoon, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team knew what was at stake. They needed to find a way to secure a win on the road, a Quad 1 win on the road to complete a season sweep of their heated in-state rivals in the Commonwealth Clash.
Virginia Tech didn't look like a team that was on the verge of having its NCAA Tournament bubble about to pop. They fell behind 17-3, battled back in the second half, but were unable to complete a comeback, and it ended up being a 76-72 loss to the Cavaliers. It was a loss that dropped the Hokies to 19-12 overall and 8-10 in the ACC. They are the 12th seed in this week's ACC Tournament in Charlotte and will play 13th-seeded Wake Forest on Tuesday at 7 p.m. at the Spectrum Center.
At this point, Virginia Tech needs a miracle to find a way into the 68-team NCAA Tournament field later this month. It might take at least three wins or winning the whole tournament. That might be tough if Amani Hansberry is injured and can't go. After the loss to Virginia, head coach Mike Young had a concerning quote after the 31st game of the season.
Virginia Tech coach Mike Young has concerning quote after Virginia loss
After the four-point loss, Young had a quote that we have heard way too many times this year. It is also a concerning quote after a loss in the 31st game of the season with so much on the line.
“I thought our composure was lacking,” Young said.
You can make the case the Hokies are in this position because their composure has been lacking too many times this season. Losses to SMU, Stanford and Wake Forest were because they were lacking composure. It shouldn't be happening at this point in the season. If that continues, it'll be a short stay in the ACC Tournament and the NIT for Virginia Tech.