Well, after all, they ARE Kentucky

Ouch.

That's all I could think as I watched Kentucky dismantle my beloved Hokies last Saturday. Although Tech hung tough and kept the score close for a while, everybody on the planet knew what the final result was going to be, and that took the drama out of it. Did you enjoy the game? I didn't. There's nothing fun about watching a team run lob-play after lob-play on their way to 11 dunks, as they demonstrate that they're Kentucky, while you...you're just somebody else.

There were some bright spots, and I'll go over them right now. Number one was the play of Troy Manns, who looked at home in the old run-and-gun style that he played at George Mason for two years. Troy (who as all my friends know is one of my favorite players) had 8 assists and was denied a couple more by missed shots. But what was most impressive about his play was two driving layups and a hanging jumper from the free throw line. That kid can play, folks, he just needs to be cut loose. Are you listening, Coach Foster?

Another bright spot was the fact that Tech only had 15 turnovers, while most of Kentucky's foes pile up that many in the first half alone. With four senior starters, Tech was a team that wasn't pressed very often this season, mainly because it reaped no dividends for the other team. These guys just look at the press, yawn, and get the ball up floor like you're not even there. Rick Pitino himself said that the press didn't rattle the Hokies, but he was also correct when he said, "But I think it wore them down in the half-court offense."

The "turning point" in the game, the point at which the facade ended, was a sequence in the second half when the Hokies, down by 11, got a wide-open look at a three-pointer. The shot didn't fall, and ten seconds later, Kentucky dropped a three of their own. Instead of an 8-point game, it was a 14-point game, and the flood gates opened. Season's over, boys. Don't let the door hit you on your way out.

The Worst Part About Playing Kentucky

Let's face it. Making the NCAA tournament should have been a blast, but instead, thanks to the "wisdom" of the selection committee, it was no fun at all. The victory over Wisconsin-Green Bay, the Hokies first NCAA tourney victory in 16 years, should have been a joyous occasion, but knowing that Kentucky was next on the list ruined it.

And on Saturday, on a day when I should have been wired to the hilt, screaming at the television and rooting the Hokies on to the Sweet 16, I instead sat mute and watched the inevitable unfold. Pathetic. Not fun at all.

At the beginning of the season, I wanted this team to make the Sweet 16. Nobody remembers what happens in the first four days, folks, because there's so much going on, and so many games being played, that it's all just a mess. The only positive thing I can say is that at least we didn't embarrass ourselves by bowing out in the first round (can you say "UCLA"?).

But that wasn't what I wanted. I assure you, I didn't sit around at the beginning of the year and say, "Our team goal should be not to embarrass ourselves in the first round."

Was This a Good Year ... or Not?

What about it? Was this a good year? Let's examine the evidence.

The Good? We won 23 games, made the NCAA's, won the A-10 West, and beat Virginia.

The Bad? All year long, we didn't surprise anybody. Every time we were an underdog, we lost, and in fact, we got absolutely hammered a few times (Georgia, GW, UMass, Temple, Kentucky). And once again, the semifinals and finals of our conference tournament DIDN'T include us.

So how does all this make me feel? Somewhat disappointed. That's weird, because how can you feel disappointed about being ranked all year long, winning 23 games, and going to the Big Dance?

It took me a while to answer that question, but I finally figured it out. As Hokie fans, I think we are only truly happy not when our teams achieve, but when they overachieve.

It's true, don't you think? Think back on all of the great moments in Tech sports - the '73 NIT title, the '86 Peach Bowl, the '93 Independence Bowl, the '95 NIT title, and the '95 Sugar Bowl. Every one of those teams wasn't expected to do that well, not even by Hokie fans, so when they did do well, our joy was intensified by the disbelief that it was wrapped in.

Unfortunately, this year's basketball team didn't have the element of surprise on their side, and when they simply went out and did what was expected (winning the A-10 West and going to the NCAA's), I was, for some odd, reason, not bouyed by that.

But you can't argue with success. From March 1995 to March 1996, this team put Tech basketball back on the map. Coach Foster said on his radio show Monday night, "You can't put a price on what the TV exposure, the NIT championship, and the NCAA bid have done for this program. We've got kids calling us now, wanting to play for Virginia Tech."

And in the end, that's how this team will be judged. Not by what they did on the court this year, or even last year, but what they did for Virginia Tech basketball.

So was this year a good year? Hell, yes, it was.

See Ya, Fellas

Take just a moment to think about this: you will never see Shawn Smith, Travis Jackson, Shawn Good, or Damon Watlington play basketball for Virginia Tech again.

See ya, Shawn Smith. "The poor man's Adrian Dantley." Nobody had low post moves like you. And oh yeah, thanks for making those free throws. You know the ones.

See ya, Travis Jackson. We may never have a big man who can shoot like that from the outside again. And oh yeah, thanks for making that three pointer. You know the one.

See ya, Shawn Good. We'll miss those sky-walking dunks, my man. Knowing that your point guard can fly is fun, and we'll miss that.

See ya, D-Wat. When all is said and done, it's not the 3's we'll miss, but that way you had of totally shutting down the other team's best player. And you never talked trash or sought publicity. You just got it done.

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