Make no mistake about it, the Virginia Tech men's basketball NCAA Tournament hopes are teetering on the bubble, and close to bursting. They have lost three of their last four games to Louisville, Duke, and North Carolina State. Their one win in between was against Georgia Tech, where they almost collapsed once again in 2025-26.
NC State coach Will Wade still believes that the Hokies will find their way into the 68-team field next month, but that is dicey at best. Next up for Mike Young and his team is a trip to 20th-ranked Clemson on Wednesday night. They will be underdogs again on the road against a Tigers team sitting at 10-1 with a game at Duke looming over the weekend.
As far as Virginia Tech goes, heading to Clemson, they got more frustrating news when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.
ESPN's latest bracketology proves Virginia Tech is in dire need of a win at Clemson
Virginia Tech will play a tough road game at Clemson on Wednesday night. They will enter the game moving further down Joe Lunardi's bracketology at ESPN to the "Next Four Out.'' Another loss to the Tigers this week could push them even further down. Again, the Hokies will be without sophomore Tyler Johnson, who has yet to play in an ACC game this season.
— Joe Lunardi (@ESPNLunardi) February 10, 2026
After Clemson, there are still games on the schedule that could help Virginia Tech climb onto the right side of the bubble, but they will need help, too. They face three must-win games at home against Florida State, Wake Forest, and Boston College. Their road games after Clemson are North Carolina, Miami, and Virginia. It feels like at least one, if not two, road wins are needed to help the résumé as well as sweeping the home games. Given the way that this season has gone, all of that is easier said than done.