We are still a couple of weeks away from Selection Sunday for the NCAA Basketball Tournament, but February may have done more damage than good for the Virginia Tech women. They spent a majority of the month on Charlie Creme’s Last Four In on his bracketology, but some bad losses may end up costing a bid.
Three losses, two at home to Syracuse and Stanford and one on the road at Boston College, were to three teams that were fighting to get into the ACC Tournament next week. Let’s not overlook that they needed a furious fourth-quarter rally to beat Miami and they survived Wake Forest at home as teams who are also below them in the conference standings. As the Hokies limp into March, here are three things we learned from February.
Depth is an issue
First-year coach Megan Duffy has had a short bench all season long, then losing Samyha Suffren to an injury didn’t help. Then Rose Micheaux went down with an injury and missed a couple of games, then was ejected in the third quarter of an overtime loss at BC.
That left Duffy with a shorter rotation and with Micheaux and Matilda Ekh graduating this year, along with the incoming freshman, expect Duffy to add through the transfer portal. If they all stay, Duffy has a very solid nucleus for next year. Against BC, all the mileage that everyone has been asked to play this year seems to be catching up with them.
Mackenzie Nelson impresses more and more
One of the key players off the bench this season has been Mackenzie Nelson. She brings energy to the lineup and her ball-handling allows Duffy to play Carleigh Wenel off the ball sometimes. She has explosive speed to get by her defender and finish around the basket. Defensively, she does a nice job of making things difficult for her opponent.
She had 11 points against BC and even had some nice finishes up and under at the basket. Suffren’s injury has opened the door for Nelson to get more playing time and she is taking advantage of it.
Playing at Boston College is certainly something else
Cassell Coliseum is different. Hokies’ fans show up and support both the men’s and women’s teams no matter how things are going. Over the last two weeks in February, both Virginia Tech teams have traveled to Conte Forum in Chestnut Hill and lost games that they should have won. However, the empty seats and very small gathering of close family and friends has to affect visiting teams.
Virginia Tech draws a crowd when they go on the road, and it felt on TV that there were more Hokies’ fans at both games than BC fans. It is certainly something to see. I know Stanford’s attendance in football was eye-opening, but with students back, the lack of support is something else.