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Hokies More Than Just Competitive in ACC Hoops
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com

If it seems to you that Virginia Tech has been one of the better basketball teams on average since they joined the ACC, you are correct. The Hokies are one of just four ACC teams with 30 conference wins since the league expanded for the 2004-05 season.

That table proves a couple of things. First, of all, North Carolina and Duke are clearly the most dominant teams in the ACC. They've combined for just 30 losses over the last four seasons. Every other individual team has at least 30 losses over that span, with the exception of Boston College, who has only been in the league for three seasons.

However, Virginia Tech is proving to be one of the best teams in the league not named Duke or North Carolina. The Hokies are one game below .500, but that still gives them a better record than Clemson, Wake Forest, Florida State, Georgia Tech, Miami, NC State and Virginia. The final five teams are tied for the worst record in the ACC since expansion.

Depending on Sunday's game at Clemson, the Hokies will either be right at .500 after four years in the league, or just two games below .500. That includes a painful 4-12 season in 2005-06, which saw Tech lose a high number of games in the final minutes. If the Hokies can secure a bye in the ACC tournament this year, it will be the third time in four years they have achieved that feat.

That winning percentage might be going up over the next few years as well. Tech plays six freshmen this year, and with six freshmen they have already guaranteed themselves a winning record in the ACC this season. They have a chance to have even better records in the future, but of course, there are no guarantees in ACC basketball, and the unbalanced schedules mean strength of schedule can change significantly from year to year.

Boston College has a very good winning percentage in their three years, but it's on the way down. They went 11-5 in their first year, and 10-6 last year, but after losing three seniors from last season's team, they are down to 4-11 this year. They'll recover, but they aren't going to get back up to their Jared Dudley level overnight.

Wake Forest is also being propped up by a 13-3 record in 2004-05. Since then, they've won just three games, four games, and this year six games in conference play. They look to be improving, as they are very young and talented, and they have some very talented recruits coming in next year.

Maryland ranks very high on the list, but you'd think a team with a recent national championship would be a little bit better. Maybe not on the level of UNC or Duke, but it's not unreasonable to expect a few more wins. The Terps have natural recruiting advantages such as a recent national championship, an urban setting in a big-time recruiting area, and a modern new arena. It's not inaccurate to call Maryland underachievers since expansion.

Virginia Tech has defeated every other ACC team at least twice, with the exception of NC State. Here is a look at Tech's record against each ACC school.

The Hokies have had winning records against Georgia Tech, Maryland, Miami and Wake Forest since joining the ACC. The Hokies are .500 against Boston College, and they've actually won three in a row against the Eagles. VT has defeated UNC twice, and is very nearly 3-2 against the Tar Heels. They are 2-4 against Duke, though they probably earned a 3-3 record in those six seasons.

As you can see, the one team that is holding Virginia Tech back from having a winning overall ACC record is NC State. The Wolfpack have defeated the Hokies six straight times after Tech knocked them off on January 19, 2005 for their second ACC win in school history.