What Does A Successful ACC Tournament Look Like For Virginia Tech?
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From the start, Virginia Tech was almost bound to struggle this season.
The Hokies were gutted by transfers last spring and found themselves without key players such as Sean Pedulla, Tyler Nickel, MJ Collins and Lynn Kidd ahead of this year.
While Tech was able to bring in starters such as Tobi Lawal from VCU, Ben Burnham from the College of Charleston, Jaden Schutt from Duke and Rodney Brown Jr. from Cal, it was a clear step backward. That was reflected in the ACC preseason poll, where Virginia Tech was picked to finish 14th.
The Hokies maintained an average season, finishing 10th in the ACC and narrowly missing out on a first-round bye in the ACC Tournament.
However, despite a bleak year, there are still positives to take away, and they start Tuesday.
Virginia Tech will take on Cal in the first round of the ACC Tournament at 4:30 p.m. The Hokies already defeated the Golden Bears earlier this season, earning a 71-68 victory, and they have the pieces to do it again.
If Tech can pull away from Cal, what stands next is another strong opponent in Stanford. The Cardinal are in a good position. After being picked to finish 17th in the same preseason poll, the ACC debutants steadily earned a first-round bye through solid play, finishing 11-8 in conference play, including an 11-point win over Tech in January.
Stanford is a team that should accelerate past the Hokies. The Cardinal have three players averaging more than 10 points per game, with star Maxime Raynaud putting up just over 20 points per game. Stanford also has a point to prove as if they move onto the quarterfinals, awaiting them is a Louisville side which beat Stanford 68-48 just this past Saturday.
It is hard to see Tech getting past this stubborn Stanford side, even after a win against a Cal team with versatile scorers.
If Virginia Tech does not beat Cal on Tuesday, it would fit into the narrative that Tech has suffered its worst year in recent memory. Even with a win over the Golden Bears, this season will not go down as a banner year, but rather as one that signals a largely young team is on the path to hopefully better days.
Overall season grade assuming the Hokies beat the Golden Bears and fall to Stanford on round two Wednesday: C-
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Connor is a recent graduate from the esteemed Sports Media and Analytics program at Virginia Tech. He first found himself writing for recruiting database Rivals.com for just about two years before moving to Virginia Tech On SI. Connor has interviewed some of the highest-ranking members of Virginia Tech Athletics and looks to one day be a full-time writer covering Manchester United, his favorite soccer team.