A service of TechSideline.com

Hokies on the Bubble, As Usual
by Chris Coleman, TechSideline.com, TSLMail #469, January 28, 2011

We're almost halfway through ACC basketball season, and the Hokies are right in the middle of the conference standings and on the bubble for the NCAA Tournament. In other words, it's a typical late January in Blacksburg, VA.

Here's a quick look at the ACC standings, as of last night.

ACC Basketball Standings
Team ACC Overall RPI
Duke 6-1 19-1 9
FSU 5-1 15-5 47
UNC 4-1 14-5 15
Boston College 4-3 14-7 30
Clemson 3-3 14-6 81
Virginia Tech 3-3 13-6 74
Maryland 3-3 13-7 75
Georgia Tech 3-3 10-9 141
NC State 2-4 12-8 97
Virginia 2-4 11-9 137
Miami 1-5 12-8 60
Wake Forest 0-5 7-13 248


The Hokies could be in better shape, but they could be in much worse shape as well, considering they only have eight scholarship players right now. Here's a quick rundown of the ACC teams which are in contention for a berth in the NCAA Tournament.

Duke: Duke is a lock for the NCAA Tournament, they are in competition for a #1 seed, and they have a chance to defend their National Championship. They are easily the best team in the ACC.

Florida State: The Noles are the only team to beat Duke, and their lone ACC loss was on the road at Virginia Tech. FSU's RPI could be higher, considering their record, but the Noles are in good shape right now.

UNC: North Carolina was blown out by Georgia Tech, and won three-point squeakers over Virginia Tech and Miami. Their RPI is high, their record is solid, and the ACC is down. The Tar Heels will be in the NCAA Tournament this year, after missing it last season.

Boston College: The Eagles jumped out to a 4-1 start in conference play, but they've since lost two in a row to Florida State and Duke, both on the road. However, their RPI is still in good shape. But they only have one top 50 win (Texas A&M), and two meetings with UNC are their only remaining chances to pick up top 50 wins unless other ACC teams move up.

Clemson: Clemson has a solid record, and they are looking decent in the ACC standings. However, their RPI is very low, and they have zero top 50 wins at this point. They are on the outside looking in.

Virginia Tech: The Hokies are in the middle of the pack in the ACC standings, and their RPI is lower than most NCAA Tournament at-large teams. However, they have top 50 wins over Oklahoma State and Florida State, though the Cowboys are dropping fast. As usual, Tech is squarely on the bubble.

Maryland: Joining the Hokies on the bubble are the Maryland Terrapins, who have played much better basketball since losing at home to Virginia Tech last week. However, their RPI is a bit low, and they still have no top 50 wins. The Terps are on the outside looking in, as of now.

Those seven teams are all that remains. Miami's RPI is high enough that if they went on a big winning streak, they would be back into consideration. But as of now, the Canes are a non-factor. Sidney Lowe has coached NC State out of the running. Georgia Tech, while much improved recently, lost too many games to start the season. UVA doesn't have the horses, and Wake Forest is probably the worst ACC team in the history of the conference, rivaling Georgia Tech's early ACC teams.  The Yellow Jackets went 1-27 in their first two seasons in the league.

The ACC is down this year from an RPI standpoint, and it's tough to see the conference getting more than four or five teams in the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies are exactly where they usually are: either one of the last four in, or one of the first four out. Hopefully this season plays out differently than the last three.

Special Offer from Our Sponsor BnB Tobacco

Receive a 10% Discount in addition to a free 3-month subscription to TSL Pass with your next BnBTobacco purchase!

BnB Tobacco is an online tobacco shop offering a variety of high quality products at wholesale prices, providing a convenient, streamlined online system that is committed to customer satisfaction; from clerks to management, right down to the shipping department, they know the customer is #1.

Grateful for the opportunity to support the TechSideline.com community and earn your business, BnB Tobacco is offering you an exclusive 10% off and a free 3-month subscription to TSL Pass! Click the promotional link below, shop BnBTobacco's extensive inventory of premium tobacco products and place your order.

You will receive a 10% discount at the completion of your purchase, followed soon after with a notice from us of the activation of your free subscription (or extension to your already existing subscription).

Click Here to Take Advantage of this Promotion

 

 

Virginia Tech Golf Tee Jar

Jar of maroon and orange Hokie golf tees. Tees are 2-3/4" and made of wood.


   TechSideline.com Updates From the Past Week
Revisiting the Staff Changes of 2006
January 28, 2011
At the end of the 2005 season, Virginia Tech went through significant coaching staff changes, the likes of which we don't see very often under Frank Beamer. The changes were considered good ones from a recruiting standpoint, and Beamer obviously made it a point to put together a new staff that would give the program a shot in the arm in recruiting. Five years later, we examine those coaching changes and see if they've actually been a benefit to the program.
more

2010-11 Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Miami
January 28, 2011
After stumbling in a road game against Georgia Tech, the Hokies return home to face the Miami Hurricanes in a Sunday evening game in Cassell Coliseum. Miami is having a tough year, but they will bring in a very talented backcourt and big frontcourt, and they've lost a number of games in the final minute.
more

Notes: New Targets Set To Visit
January 27, 2011
Virginia Tech is bringing in several visitors in this, the final weekend before the February 2 Signing Day. Headlining the group of uncommitted prospects is 6-2, 175-pound wide receiver Robert Lockhart, who has seen his recruitment take off in recent weeks. He won't be the only prospect from the state of Florida scheduled to make the trek, though, as Virginia Tech is hoping to strike at a familiar high school.
more

Football Discussions with Raleigh Hokie, Part Three
January 26, 2011
In our final part of this series, Chris Coleman and Raleigh Hokie sit down and talk about Logan Thomas and the spread offense, and also have a brief discussion about recruiting.
more

Georgia Tech Knocks off Hokies 72-57
January 26, 2011
Georgia Tech turned a close game into a rout in the final two minutes, beating the Hokies 72-57 in Atlanta on Tuesday night. Virginia Tech dropped to 13-6 overall, and 3-3 in the ACC with the loss. The Yellow Jackets improved to 10-9 overall, and 3-3 in conference play.
more

Tuesday's Recruiting Updates
January 25, 2011
Anson (Wadesboro, N.C.) linebacker Stephone Anthony enjoyed his time in Blacksburg last weekend. So what's next? His coach updates the latest. Also, another top remaining target, wide receiver Robert Lockhart, has scored two more offers.
more

2010-11 Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech at Georgia Tech
January 25, 2011
Virginia Tech will be back on the road for the second consecutive time in ACC play tonight, when they take on Georgia Tech in Atlanta. The Hokies picked up a big road win at Maryland last Thursday, and hope to follow that up with a victory over the Yellow Jackets.
more

Tech Talk Live Notes for 1/24/11
January 25, 2011
A trio of guests joined Bill Roth on Monday night's Tech Talk Live. Wrestling coach Kevin Dresser was the first guess, followed by Seth Greenberg. Baseball coach Pete Hughes, whose team has begun preseason practice, was the final guest.
more

Weekend News and Notes
January 24, 2011
In this first round of weekend updates, 4-star cornerback Kyshoen Jarrett and tight end Darius Redman reflect on their first-ever visits to Virginia Tech. Also, tight end recruiting has heated up over the course of the past week or so as the staff hosted four tight end prospects (including Redman) this past weekend.
more
   TSLMail is a trademark of TechSideline.com - Copyright © 2011 - All Rights Reserved
   To unsubscribe from this email, reply with the word "UNSUBSCRIBE" in the subject.