Three Games That Likely Cost Virginia Tech An NCAA Tournament Bid
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Virginia Tech men's basketball is presumably on the outside looking in in regard to the NCAA Tournament. The Hokies (19-13, 8-10 ACC) were moved down to the sixth team out in ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi's provisional March Madness bracket, the No. 74 seed.
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 11, 2026
The Hokies are out of postseason opportunities to boost their case, meaning that, unless there is a major buble shift, Virginia Tech will be sent to its third National Invitational Tournament (NIT) in four years.
The Hokies have not qualified for the NCAA Tournament since the 2021-22 season, and they have not done so in an at-large capacity since the 2020-21 campaign. Here's a look at the three games that played the biggest role in what will likely be an unsuccessful NCAAT venture for the Hokies:
No. 1: SMU Mustangs (Feb. 14)
Virginia Tech led by four in this contest with eight seconds remaining; however, forward Amani Hansberry's inbound was deflected off the leg of wing Neoklis Avdalas, leading to a turnover. SMU converted on the ensuing possession, leading to a two-point game.
Guard Ben Hammond was fouled, and he missed the subsequent front end of the one-and-one. Forward Tobi Lawal hauled in the offensive board and was fouled; however, he too missed the free-throw attempt. SMU got the board, and with time expiring, Mustangs guard Boopie Miller heaved up a surprisingly successful half-court heave.
No. 2: Miami Hurricanes (Feb. 17)
After the 2:34 mark, Virginia Tech did not log another field goal and only notched one more point the rest of the way.
The Hokies ceded a career-high 32 points to guard Tre Donaldson. Twenty-four of Donaldson's 32 points came in the second half, continuing the trend of Virginia Tech's opponents have one player dominate in the final 20 minutes.
No. 3: Stanford Cardinal (Jan. 10)
One can place Florida State in this spot; however, I think that the Seminoles' loss was either just as costly or slightly less so. Stanford was bounced in the first round of the ACC Tournament, while Florida State is still playing and is about to take on California at the time of writing.
Against Stanford, the Cardinal went on a 13-point run to snatch the game right out of Virginia Tech's fingers. Stanford guard Ebuka Okorie logged 31 points (26 in the second half) and hit the game-winning three-pointer with 3.3 seconds to go over the outstretched arms of guard Neoklis Avdalas. Virginia Tech's subsequent sequence was no good, resulting in a Quadrant 2 home loss to the Cardinal. At the time, it was the second straight one-possession loss for the Hokies, soon to be followed by the aforementioned SMU defeat.
Hughes serves as Virginia Tech On SI's lead editor, a position he has held since July 2025. He is a sophomore at Virginia Tech, majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. Hughes is also the assistant editor-in-chief for 3304 Sports, as well as an on-air talent for 3304's SportsCenter-style studio show. He is also a staff writer for Steering Wheel Nation, having written pieces on several motorsport series, including Formula 1 and the NTT IndyCar Series.
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