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   Welcome to TSLMail #271 - Friday, March 23, 2007    
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   Tech Sports News


Opportunity is Knocking – Will you Answer?

You can own a Luxury Hotel-Condominium in Blacksburg. Imagine a fully loaded VIP experience when you're in-house and fully taken care of while you're away1. The Collegiate Inn of Blacksburg's Rooms and Amenities include:

  • Custom made Cherry Wood Furniture
  • Professionally designed interiors
  • 37” LCD TV
  • Granite countertops
  • Owners- only pre-game and post-game parties
  • Owners-only shuttle service to football games
  • Over $3,100,000 in planned room and common area improvements
  • On-site restaurant, lounge, banquet facilities, meeting rooms, and extensive parking
  • Large outdoor pool, indoor pool, and fitness room
  • Wireless Internet
  • Located on Prices Fork Road, directly across from the VT Campus and within walking distance to restaurants, shops, and downtown
  • Prices start at $119,900

For more information, email them at:
[email protected] 
or call (877) 440-4540.

1Ownership may include the opportunity to place your suite in a professional rental management program.


Looking Ahead to VT's 2007-08 ACC Basketball Schedule

by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

There was a lot of talk about the unbalanced scheduling of the ACC during basketball season. Some teams were handed tougher conference slates than others, which is to be expected in a 12-team conference. The Hokies finished third in the ACC and had to play UNC (1st), UVA (2nd) and Boston College (4th) twice each, giving the Hokies one of the conference's toughest schedules.

Next year, Virginia Tech will not be predicted to finish in the top half of the conference. They'll be near the bottom, thanks to the loss of four-year starters Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon and Coleman Collins. In fact, the ACC Area Sports Journal has already tabbed the Hokies as the #11 team in the ACC next year in a very early look before any underclassmen declared for the draft.

They might be right, but as usual, scheduling will play an issue. The Hokies will have enough talent coming back, and enough talent coming in, to have a solid overall record, depending on how the schedule sets up for them. Since we already know who Tech is playing in the ACC next year, as well as where, let's take a look at how their schedule stacks up based on the 2006-07 season results.

Next Year's ACC Schedule
Based on 2006-07 Results
Team Home Away

1. UNC

 

X

2. UVA

X X

4. Boston College

X X

5. Maryland

X X

6. Georgia Tech

X X

7. Duke

X

 

8. Clemson

 

X

9. Florida State

X

 

10. NC State

 

X

11. Wake Forest

X X

12. Miami

X

 


Just based on last year's results, ouch. The Hokies will play 10 of their 16 games against teams that made the NCAA tournament this season. They play UVA, BC, Maryland and Georgia Tech twice. They'll play just six of their 16 games against teams who didn't qualify for the NCAA tournament this year.

That appears to be a tough draw. But how does Tech's schedule look based on those early ACC Area Sports Journal predictions?

Next Year's ACC Schedule
Based on ACC Area Sports
Journal Picks for 2007-08
Team Home Away

1. UNC

 

X

2. Georgia Tech

X X

3. Duke

X

 

4. NC State

 

X

5. UVA

X X

6. Maryland

X X

7. Clemson

 

X

8. Florida State

X

 

9. Wake Forest

X X

10. Boston College

X X

12. Miami

X

 


That's a pretty good draw. The Hokies only play one of the top four teams twice. That's Georgia Tech, whom VT has defeated three out of four times since they joined the ACC. They get Duke once, and that's at home. They also only have to play NC State once.

The Hokies are picked 11th in the conference, but they get to play all four of the other teams picked at the bottom at home. They'll also have to play Boston College and Wake Forest on the road.

Just based on these ACC Area Sports Journal predictions, that's about as good a draw as Virginia Tech could ask for, outside of just one game against the top six teams in the conference, and two games against the bottom five. Nine of their 16 games are still against teams predicted to finish in the top half of the conference

The Hokies were 6-2 in Cassell Coliseum this past season (4-4 on the road), and road wins are very hard to come by in the ACC. With four home games against teams that are projected in the bottom half of the conference, the young Virginia Tech team will have a chance to notch some conference wins and gain some confidence.

Out of conference, the Hokies will play a currently-unnamed Big Ten team in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge. Virginia Tech will also play in a holiday tournament in Madison Square Garden. St. John's will be in that tournament, but the other two teams are unknown. Expect Seth Greenberg to add another neutral-court, made-for-television game, such as Tech's game against Seton Hall in Madison Square Garden this past season.

The schedule won't be finalized for awhile. The 2006-07 schedule was announced on August 17, 2006, so look for the 2007-08 schedule to be released late this summer.


Stick Our Your School-Colored Tongue!

It's March Madness...Rolling Stones Style! The latest Rockware Jockware celebrates school spirit: choose one of the hats or visors from this Bracket Packet and root your team on in the tournament!

The color combos offered represent a large number of the top college basketball programs in the country. Or you can just buy whichever color hats you want to match your mood or your wardrobe. In addition, you can get yourself the new Basketball Tongue Pin. If you buy the pin along with any hat or visor, you can save $3 on the pin.

This is a pre-order. All orders will ship on or around March 23. If you order anything else from the store at the same time, your whole order will wait to ship when this pre-order ships.

Rolling Stones caps in 14 different color combos

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   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week

Dowtin Checks Out Practice, Adds Offer

March 22, 2007
Fork Union Military Academy star Marcus Dowtin made his first ever trip to a college football program's spring practice yesterday. The 6-2, 205-pound prospect visited UVa, a program that recently came in with a scholarship offer.
more

2007 Spring Football Preview: Wide Receivers and Tight Ends
March 22, 2007
Now that we've finished talking about what should be another outstanding defense, it's time to move on to the offensive side of the ball. There are a lot more question marks on offense, although the Hokies do return a lot of talent at certain positions, such as wide receiver. Those receivers, as well as an improved group of tight ends, should be two of Tech's strengths on offense this year.
more

VT Offers Two Butler (N.C.) Stars
March 22, 2007
Butler High School (Matthews, N.C.) boasts some of the top talents for the 2008 class - not just in the state, but possibly in the country. Head coach Mike Newsome believes his defensive backfield stacks up against any high school in the country and the interest from college coaches certainly enhances his argument.
more

A Look Ahead to the 2007-08 Hokie Hoops Team
March 22, 2007
Virginia Tech just lost five seniors off the 2006-07 basketball team that helped them reach the second round of the NCAA tournament. They have to replace a lot of experience, especially at the guard position. There is still much to be determined in the offseason, but in the wake of Tech's best hoops season in over a decade, here's a very early look at the 2007-08 basketball team.
more

Oscar Smith Star Sets Spring Visits
March 22, 2007
6-2, 190-pound Oscar Smith (Chesapeake, VA) WR/DB Todd Harrelson, a standout junior prospect who currently boasts six Division 1A scholarship offers, has taken two unofficial visits this year and has set two more within the next few weeks. Where will the talented junior travel to next?
more

2007 Spring Football Preview: The Defensive Line
March 21, 2007
Virginia Tech's defensive line lost Noland Burchette, but they return every other player that saw significant action last season. There is no superstar among this group, but rather a large number of solid players who are looking to raise their game to the All-Conference level. There are several players who have a good chance to do that.
more

Gregory Discusses Virginia Tech Offer
March 21, 2007
Virginia Tech recently became the first school to extend a scholarship offer to 5-11, 185-pound First Colonial (Virginia Beach, VA) running back Tony Gregory. Virginia Tech was one of two schools the standout recruit grew up following, so he was excited by the offer.
more

Their Work Done, Three Special Players Move On
March 21, 2007
Everybody talks about how the NCAA basketball tournament is far superior to the college bowl system, and maybe it is. That's a debate for another time. But there's at least one way in which it is far inferior to the bowl system: Unless you win the championship in basketball, your seniors walk off the floor as losers of their last game. That's no way for Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon and Coleman Collins to exit the game, but Sunday afternoon, that's how the careers of three seniors who changed the face of Virginia Tech basketball ended.
more

2007 Spring Football Preview: The Linebackers
March 20, 2007
Two proven starters, one solid backup and a number of question marks is the only way to describe Tech's linebacker corps heading into 2007. The Hokies will likely be fine, but if the dreaded injury bug pops up, they could be in some serious trouble. Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall are locking down the starting jobs on the inside, but who will start at whip? And do the Hokies have any capable backups? Those are questions that will begin to be answered this spring.
more

Blanton a Top DB Recruit
March 20, 2007
Butler (Matthews, N.C.) defensive back Robert Blanton boasts an impressive list of scholarship offers in this early going of the recruiting process. Louisville, Michigan, North Carolina, N.C. State, Notre Dame, Virginia, Virginia Tech and Wake Forest are among the programs that have offered the talented 6-1, 175-pound junior, and the list continues to grow.
more

2007 Spring Football Preview: The Defensive Backs
March 19, 2007
Perhaps the best and most consistent unit Virginia Tech has put on the field the past two years has been the defensive backs. The Hokies ranked #1 in the nation in 2005 and 2006 in pass defense, with a different coach in each year. Lorenzo Ward coached the defensive backs in 2005, and Torrian Gray took over the unit in 2006. Despite losing some major star power over the past few years, this unit never seems to miss a beat.
more

Salem Notes: Whaley Adds an Offer
March 19, 2007
Salem's outstanding junior tandem of LB Lyndell Gibson and RB Kevin Whaley continue to go through the recruiting process, though not much seems to have changed over the past few months. Whaley, the Tidewater Offensive Player of the Year as a junior, has added an offer, though.
more

Tech's Season Ends in Columbus
March 19, 2007
Virginia Tech's 2006-07 basketball season came to an end on Sunday when the #5 seed Hokies fell to the #4 seed Southern Illinois Salukis 63-48 in Columbus. The game marked the end of the careers of five Tech seniors. They helped the Hokies to a 22-12 record this season and a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996. Southern Illinois improves to 29-6 and will advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the past six years.
more

Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Southern Illinois
March 17, 2007
As a reward for defeating Illinois on Friday night, Virginia Tech will get to face a team that plays almost exactly the same style in the Southern Illinois Salukis. The winner will earn a trip to the Sweet 16. The Hokies were defeated by the Salukis 69-64 in Orlando back in November, but the game could have gone either way. Sunday's game should be just as good.
more

Hokies Notch Dramatic 54-52 Comeback Win Over Illinois
March 17, 2007
#5 seed Virginia Tech scored the last 12 points of the game to knock off #12 seed Illinois 54-52 in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday night in Columbus, Ohio. Down 52-42 with 4:27 to go, the Hokies shut down the Illini from then on, and Deron Washington led the charge by scoring eight points down the stretch, including the game winner with 45.5 seconds left.
more

Checking In From Columbus
March 17, 2007
Wow, what a night from Nationwide Arena. I admit it. Late in the second half, I thought Virginia Tech was done. They weren't scoring, and they weren't forcing the tempo. It was going to be a long, cold walk back to the hotel. But somewhere in those last seven minutes, the Hokies found a way to win. A total of 32 teams still have a chance to win the National Championship, and the Hokies are one of them. It's fun to still have something to play for in the middle of March.
more

Whoa, What Just Happened?
March 16, 2007
Okay, I need to get straight to the heart of this column right away: Sorry, Hokies. Sorry for doubting you. I quit on you long before you quit on yourselves, or to be more accurate, long before Deron Washington quit. Long before you scored the last 12 points of the game to win 54-52, I wrote you off and was just waiting for the season to end.
more
 
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