Stock Report For Virginia Tech After Their Loss to North Carolina: Which way are the Hokies Trending?
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Virginia Tech men's basketball has reached the stretch run.
The Hokies (18-11, 7-9 ACC) recently dropped a seven-point contest to No. 18 North Carolina, dropping another resume-enhancing opportunity ahead of the ACC Tournament and the NCAA Tournament. Two games remain in Virginia Tech's 2025-26 campaign: Boston College (March 3) and No. 11 Virginia (March 7). At the time of writing, ESPN currently lists the Hokies as the fifth team outside the 68-team March Madness field, per bracketologist Joe Lunardi.
Hokies 🆚 Eagles
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 2, 2026
🤝 @CarilionClinic pic.twitter.com/9lx1zIoz9b
Virginia Tech has dropped six games in league play by single-digit margins, including four by a single possession. To call it bluntly, the chips are stacked against the Hokies qualifying for the NCAA Tournament, and the likelihood of Virginia Tech making its first NCAA Tournament since the 2021-22 season is exceedingly low.
“Man, we were good in the first half,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young after the loss. “Should have been up something. Gurdak had a miscue. They’re fighting, they’re trying. Dadgummit.”
I think that the stock is down by pure osmosis of viewing through the lens of Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament hopes. The Hokies have been backed into a proverbial corner, now possessing just one more true chance to boost their resume ahead of the ACC Tournament, which starts March 10 at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.
At the time of writing, Virginia Tech is currently projected as the No. 12 seed in the tournament, losing a head-to-head tiebreaker with Stanford. Here's how that tournament bracket would look up through the semifinals — assuming everything goes to chalk, except for the Hokies winning against higher-seeded teams:
- Opening round: (13) Wake Forest
- Second round: (5) Clemson
- Quarterfinals: (4) North Carolina
- Semifinals: (1) Duke
Virginia Tech defeated Wake Forest 82-63 Feb. 21 after losing to the Demon Deacons to kick off its 2026 slate. The Hokies slid by No. 20 Clemson 76-66 on the road, claiming their first ranked road win under Young. As aforementioned, Virginia Tech lost 89-82 to North Carolina two days ago, while it lost 72-58 to the then-No. 4 Blue Devils on Jan. 31.
The Hokies' next two contests are historically bleak, too. Virginia Tech has gone 1-6 against Boston College under Young, and it is 9-9 all-time against the Eagles in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech has won six of its last 10 matchups against Virginia, but it has only won two of the last 13 showdowns in Charlottesville.
Virginia Tech will contest Boston College tomorrow, at 9 p.m. ET; the contest will be available on ESPNU.
Thomas is a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. He currently works with Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student-run newspaper, as a staff writer for its sports section. In addition, he also writes for 3304 Sports as a staff writer and on-air talent, as well as Aspiring Journalists at Virginia Tech as a curator. You can find him on X: @thomashughes_05.
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