Hokies, it’s time for your annual do-or-die game.

The Virginia Tech Hokies (21-6) have the record of a team that belongs in the NCAA tournament.  What VT doesn’t have are the wins of a team that belong in the big dance.

They put themselves closer to that vicious bubble - which has burst on them a couple of times in recent years – by taking an embarrassing loss at Boston College (14-13) on Wednesday night, 80-60.  This letdown of epic proportions was compounded by the fact that the team from Blacksburg has previously suffered a hard fought loss at Cameron Indoor Stadium to the top 5 ranked Duke Blue Devils.

The blown opportunity at Duke was understandable – but to follow that with a lackluster effort made it seem as if the BC game was not addressed with the same importance as the games surrounding it.  Knowing Seth Greenberg, I’m sure that the team prepared for the game just as if it were any other opponent.  But the mental character of the players must be challenged by the coaching staff as the Hokies enter a critical stretch that will determine whether their postseason games will be televised on CBS or ESPN.

In other words, it’s time for the Hokies to step up or step out.

A 21-6 record is unquestionable good enough to get into the Big Dance, right?  Well, it should be…but it’s not when your out of conference strength of schedule is ranked 340th in the nation.  That’s right – - 340th.  And that’s out of 343 teams.  That’s just plain horrible.  They lost to their only respectable non-conference foe – Temple.

So, due to its poor non-conference scheduling, Tech was forced to build its tourney resume in Atlantic Coast Conference play.  But in a college basketball season where there’s only one ACC team that will be comfortable on Selection Sunday (Duke), it’s increasingly difficult for the Hokies to make a lasting impression on the selection committee.

Maryland always gets a lot of emotional play from Greivis Vasquez.

It’s come down to this – the Hokies need to win two of their last three games (vs. Maryland, vs. NC State, at Georgia Tech) and not give a poor performance (definition of poor = losing their first game) in the ACC tournament to be sure that their bubble doesn’t burst. 

Primarily, Virginia Tech needs to focus on coming up with a victory on Saturday afternoon against the Maryland Terrapins.  The Terps are flying high after an impressive come-from-behind win at home over the Clemson Tigers.  Maryland should be scary to VT.  They are precisely the type of team that can run you out of the building offensively.  Unlike VT star and ACC scoring leader Malcolm Delaney, Maryland guard Greivis Vasquez can beat you by doing more than just putting the ball in the basket.  He pushes the ball at every opportunity, looking to beat the opposing teams defense down the floor and distribute the ball to teammates for easy transition scores.  The Terps roster is littered with players who shoot it well – Landon Milbourne, Eric Hayes, Sean Mosley and Cliff Tucker have all contributed at least 10 made 3-point field goals on the season.

Greenberg’s troops will have the big advantage of playing at home in Cassell Coliseum.  The Hokies are 14-0 when playing in Blacksburg this season, including wins against UNC, Clemson and Wake Forest.  To have success on Saturday, they will have to cherish each possession and not let Maryland dictate the pace of the contest.  Unlike the Terps, the Hokies are not dynamic scorers.  In fact, Virginia Tech comes into the game with only three players scoring more than seven points per game (Conversely, MD has 5 players scoring more than 9 points per game).  They’ll need to get forward Jeff Allen involved early to relieve some of the enormous pressure that will be on Delaney’s shoulders.

If Tech is unable to do the job on Saturday, who knows what will happen.  They’ll have a game against the lowly Wolfpack, which may enable them to right the ship before they journey into Atlanta to battle the athletically dangerous Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets.  But, of course, that’s what they would have liked to happen after the Duke loss.

Anyway you slice it, the Hokies have to come up with a “W” against Maryland.  I don’t know if I can take another instance of Greenberg rambling at the media, explaining why his team should have made the big dance.

Especially when – based on the actions of his own athletic department – he’d be lying.

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