Bubble Burst? Virginia Tech Deemed A Big Loser Of The Weekend After Loss to Virginia

This was not the kind of weekend that Virginia Tech needed if they wanted to make the NCAA Tournament.

They were able to claw back from a big, early deficit against rival Virginia, but the still lost and missed out on a chance to get another quality win to improve their resume and make their case to be in the field. Not only that, but every other team on the bubble lost this weekend. This was the perfect weekend for Virginia Tech to make a move up, but instead, they lost yet another close game and may have blown their chances of getting in the big dance.

In fact, CBS Sports writer David Cobb called the Hokies one of the biggest losers of the weekend:

"Virginia Tech may still wake up Sunday morning among the "Next Four Out" in CBS Sports Bracketology or somewhere close to it. But make no mistake: the Hokies' at-large hopes took a hit with a 76-72 loss at No. 13 Virginia. Beating the Cavaliers on the road would have brought a regular-season sweep in the rivalry and added some real life to the Hokies' at-large aspirations.

Virginia Tech kept it close the whole second half, but it couldn't get over the hump and will head into the ACC Tournament needing a big run in the mold of the program's journey to the 2022 league tournament title."

Will a Tournament Run Help?

The good news for Virginia Tech is that they can still get some wins this week in the ACC Tournament, but how many do they need? Most bracket experts have the Hokies among the next four schools out, expect for ESPN's Joe Lunardi, who has Virginia Tech among the first teams out and closer to being in the field than anyone

The easy answer is to win the ACC Tournament, but that is very unlikely. Could they go on a 2024 NC State like run and win five games in five days? Sure, but that would likely require beating Duke, which is highly unlikely.

Virginia Tech's first round opponent is going to be Wake Forest and they split the season series with the Demon Deacons this year. The most recent matchup was a blowout win for Virginia Tech.

If they beat Wake Forest, they will face Clemson, a team they also have beaten. The Tigers have not been playing well since they started hot at the beginning of ACC play and are a beatable team. If Virginia Tech manages to win that, they will get another shot at beating North Carolina.

The Hokies nearly got the Tar Heels on the road, but faltered in the second half. UNC will be missing star forward Caleb Wilson for the rest of the season and while they will be tough, that is a game that Virginia Tech can absolutely win.

I think Virginia Tech is going to have to get to the ACC semifinals, hope the other bubble teams falter, and also hope that there are no bid thieves in other conferences, like the MAC. Three wins in the ACC Tournament, with two being against Clemson and UNC, then Virginia Tech might just have a compelling case to be in the NCAA Tournament.