■ 14 March 2011 | 1:41 AM
VT Hoops: Hokies just joined a dubious club ...
So in stating his conspiracy theory tonight, Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg raised this very valid question:
“What I’d like to know is if there’s ever been a team that’s won nine games in the ACC ... and beat a No. 1 seed and still didn’t get in. I’d love to see the research on that.”
Well, fellow beat writer Darryl Slater and I were wondering the same. So, being the nerdy insomniacs that we are, we divided up the research and did some digging.
Using the collegeRPI.com archive, which goes back to 1993-94, and then the expansive sports-reference.com, we can now tell you this: The Hokies just became the sixth team since the NCAA tournament field expanded to 64 teams in 1985 to finish with a winning record in a major conference AND beat a No. 1 seed and not make the NCAA tournament.
Here’s the dubious list ...
2011:
Virginia Tech (21-11, 9-7 ACC) beat No. 1 seed Duke. The Hokies also beat Penn State (No. 39 in the RPI) and didn’t get make the Big Dance.
2009:
Providence (19-13, 10-8 Big East) beat No. 1 seed Pittsburgh. The Friars also beat Syracuse (No. 12 in the RPI) and didn’t get in the NCAAs.
2007:
DePaul (17-13, 9-7 Big East) beat No. 1 seed Kansas. The Blue Demons also beat Villanova (No. 19 RPI), Marquette (No. 22) and Notre Dame (No. 31) and didn’t get in.
2006:
Florida State (19-9, 9-7 ACC) beat No. 1 seed Duke. The Seminoles also beat Maryland (No. 49 RPI).
1994:
Mississippi State (17-10, 9-7 SEC) beat No. 1 seed Arkansas. The Bulldogs had no other top-50 RPI wins.
1988:
Stanford (21-12, 11-7 Pac-10) beat No. 1 seed Arizona. The Cardinal also beat Baylor (a No. 8 seed in the NCAA tournament) and Oregon State (a No. 12 seed).
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LAUGH
hahah Virginia Tech ...HAHAHAHA
Tech & NIT
Hokies are obviously disappointed from not making the NCAA tourney. but what Tech needs to do is regroup and make a dedication to winning the NIT. Semis and finals are played in Madison Square Garden and will be broadcast nationwide on ESPN2. A win by Tech will raise its national profile, which could help with recruiting, and should give the returning players some confidence in realizing that they were on one of the few teams that won the last game of the season.
Virginia Schools
Love all the bitter comments about Greenberg not scheduling Virginia schools. They're ridiculous and have no bearing on VT missing the cut. Let's try to keep the angry/bitter comments to a minimum people. Show some class here and support VT fans, who just got jobbed for the fourth year in a row by a people who were heartless enough to know exactly what they were doing to VT fans by leaving the team out again. You can make cases for VT being left out the last 3 years... you just can't do it this year. I'm sorry, there are no good excuses for UAB over VT. That pick is mind-blowing, and if the same thing happened to ODU, we would never hear the end of the rage on this site.
conference play
it seems obvious that the committee could care less about conference play. They give much more weight to the preseason games (November and December). The message they've sent the last few years, is that all that matters to get into the tournament is November, December, and then, of course, if you can win your conference tournament. GT got in with a 7-9 conference record last year, but, their preseason resume was good. Everything the committe has done seems to indicate that the January, February games are just not that important. Colorado is a good example. Not much to brag about out of conference, but great in conference resume. The recent committees just really devalue the ~18 Jan-Feb conference games.
Play em Seth!!
Not only will Seth avoid ODU, GMU, etc. CAA, he will not win big in the ACC.. Tech is a football school..The Hokies got lucky against FSU..Send them to class not the NIT..
Play em Seth!!
Not only will Seth avoid ODU, GMU, etc. CAA, he will not win big in the ACC.. Tech is a football school..The Hokies got lucky against FSU..Send them to class not the NIT..
Play em Seth!!
Not only will Seth avoid ODU, GMU, etc. CAA, he will not win big in the ACC.. Tech is a football school..The Hokies got lucky against FSU..Send them to class not the NIT..
Conspiracy
There is definitely a conspiracy at play. It starts and ends in Blacksburg with a coach who refuses to play ODU, George Mason, etc., and who embarrasses himself and his school with his on- and off-the-court antics. Good riddance, Seth, and good luck at Madison Square Garden, if you make it that far.
It's NOT who you beat in your
conference but your total body of work. Many pool ol' crying Seth should play some of the Virginia schools who are going to the NCAA tourney!
He doesn't play anyone but patsies now in his non-conference schedule. He came to ODU a few years ago and got mad when he was beaten soundly.