The Virginia Tech Rotation Adjustment That Could Define March Madness

What kind of rotation decisions could Megan Duffy make that could change March Madness?

Mar 6, 2026; Duluth, GA, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Carys Baker (10) dribbles against the North Carolina Tar Heels during the first half at Gas South Arena. Mandatory Credit: Dale Zanine-Imagn Images | Dale Zanine-Imagn Images

March Madness is almost here.

Virginia Tech is going to play Oregon on Friday afternoon, and the winner is likely to face No. 1-seeded Texas on Sunday. The Hokies are seen as the underdogs heading into this game, but I think they are going to make this a tough game for the Ducks.

While the Hokies rotation has not seen a lot of change, especially in the big games, is there something that head coach Megan Duffy can do to tweak things ahead of the matchup with Oregon?

Potential rotation changes

In the ACC quarterfinal matchup against North Carolina, Virginia Tech had three of its starters play at least 30 minutes. Carleigh Wenzel, Carys Baker, and Mackenzie Nelson all logged 30 minutes of game time, with Kilah Freelon and Leila Wells only getting 22 and 13 minutes.

Virginia Tech went nine deep in this game, bringing Aniya Trent, Kayl Peterson, Samyha Suffren, and Mel Daley off the bench. The bench was not productive in that game against the Tar Heels and the offense could not find any rhythm, especially from the three point line.

Is there a rotation change in the cards for Virginia Tech?

My answer is that I don't think much is going to change for the Hokies. Baker, Wenzel, and Nelson are likely going to see major minutes against the Ducks and I don't think that the rotation was the biggest reason for any loss for the Hokies this season, especially in the loss to the Tar Heels. Virginia Tech just simply needs its best players to play better. Baker only scored three points against North Carolina and shot 1-8 from the field.

Virginia Tech leans heavily on the All-ACC tandem of Baker and Wenzel, and if neither one of them plays well, it will probably be a short visit for Virginia Tech.

Baker and Wenzel are going to have to deal with a tough defense from the Ducks, with two players to watch for.

Mia Jacobs, a 6-foot-2 senior forward from Perth, Australia, has started and appeared in 32 contests this season, logging 12.6 points and 5.3 rebounds per contest. Her 83.3 percent accuracy at the stripe ranks seventh in the Big Ten and is the highest among the Ducks' squad. Additionally, 6-foot sophomore Ehis Etute has been an asset in her second year with the team, providing 12.6 points and a conference-leading 8.9 rebounds per game as a sophomore. Etute is also comfortable on the defensive end, as seen by her team-high 28 blocks on the year.

I think Virginia Tech is going to win this game based on their best players' ability to play well, not on any rotation decision.