The long-awaited NCAA Tournament Selection Show took place Sunday night and no, the Virginia Tech men did not have their name called. However, there will still be a handful of former Hokies' taking part in the 68-team field.
There will be some familiar names to watch this week when it comes to the tournament and some of them will be playing after being part of a mass exodus in the transfer portal last March after being eliminated in the second round of the NIT by Ohio State.
Former Virginia Tech players playing in the NCAA Tournament
For players who left Blacksburg in the portal last spring, will be playing in the NCAA Tournament. Sean Pedulla was the first player to enter the portal before landing at Ole Miss and they drew the 11th-seed in the South Regional and will play the winner of San Diego State and North Carolina, which was a surprise entry to the field. Their metrics were good, but they were better than some of the other options.
Two more players who left last season in the portal, Tyler Nickel and MJ Collins, both landed at Vanderbilt, they will be the 10th-seed in the East Regional, drawing Saint Mary's, the 7th-seed. Both players have contributed this season for the Commodores and will play a big role in the tournament.
Rodney Rice, who left the Hokies in October of 2023 before the season began, will be part of the tournament this year with Maryland and they are the 4th-seed in the West Regional, getting a tricky draw with No. 13 Grand Canyon.
Joe Bamisile, who spent the 2020-21 season at Virginia Tech, will be part of the tournament as well with VCU, which won the Atlantic-10 Tournament. The Rams drew the 11th-seed in the East Regional and drew No. 6 BYU.
The greatest time of the college basketball season is here, let the fun begin, even without Virginia Tech.