After losing to Georgia Tech, 72-57, in the second round of the ACC Women’s Basketball Tournament last Thursday, Virginia Tech was left squarely on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. That’s not a position that the Hokies want to be in.
Entering the tournament as the last team in the field according to Charlie Creme of ESPN, the Hokies are the first team out. For them to get into the field, they need to have several results go their way in the next five days before the brackets are released on Sunday night.
After their loss to the Yellow Jackets, results started going the Hokies' way with Arizona losing to Colorado in the Big 12 Tournament, but Saint Joseph’s upsetting Richmond in the Atlantic-10 semifinals was not good. The Spiders are a lock for the NCAA Tournament with the resume, but whoever won the championship game on Sunday was going to be a bid stealer. That was George Mason who beat the Hawks Sunday, leaving one less bid available. Now, for Virginia Tech and their fans, their attention needs to turn to the Ivy League Tournament this upcoming weekend.
Virginia Tech’s NCAA Tournament hopes hinge on the Ivy League Tournament results
It’s strange to say, but the Hokeis hopes for an at-large bid depends on what happens this weekend in Providence. Harvard, Princeton, Columbia, and Penn will play Friday night in the semifinals with the championship game Saturday night. Here is how Virginia Tech factors into things.
Columbia is the favorite and it would be best for the Hokies if they won the tournament. If not, then that might be one less at-large bid available. Princeton and Harvard will meet Friday night in the semifinals and both of those teams are part of the last four in, with the Crimson holding that spot. You would have to think that the loser of that game is out, but as Creme has said multiple times, the bubble this year is weak and anything could be possible when it comes to the committee’s final decision.
In the end, Virginia Tech could be off the bubble and in the tournament field safely if they had avoided losing to Syracuse, Stanford, or Boston College in February. Winning one of those games according to Creme would have the Hokies safely in the field. We can all agree that the Hokies belong in the field, but they need results to go their way this week to be assured of a spot on Sunday night.