Pellum Feels at Home at Virginia Tech March 28, 2007 Committing to Virginia Tech was an easy decision for Massanutten Military Academy's Darrion Pellum. The 6-6, 215-pound guard had been to Virginia Tech on many occasions and likens Tech to "another home. I'm really comfortable going there." more
Ed Davis Narrows List, Names Favorites March 28, 2007 5-star junior Ed Davis followed through on his plans of a few weeks ago and has narrowed his list of schools to eight. The 6-8, 210-pound Benedictine (Richmond, VA) forward lists his top eight programs, names two current favorites and discusses when he plans to make his next cut. more
Tech Adds Another to 2007 Class March 27, 2007 Virginia Tech head men's basketball coach Seth Greenberg added another prospect to Tech's 2007 recruiting class today, when the program received a verbal commitment from 6-5, 210-pound Massanutten Military Academy guard Darrion Pellum. more
A Look Ahead to the 2007-08 Hokie Hoops Team March 22, 2007 Virginia Tech just lost five seniors off the 2006-07 basketball team that helped them reach the second round of the NCAA tournament. They have to replace a lot of experience, especially at the guard position. There is still much to be determined in the offseason, but in the wake of Tech's best hoops season in over a decade, here's a very early look at the 2007-08 basketball team. more
Their Work Done, Three Special Players Move On March 21, 2007 Everybody talks about how the NCAA basketball tournament is far superior to the college bowl system, and maybe it is. That's a debate for another time. But there's at least one way in which it is far inferior to the bowl system: Unless you win the championship in basketball, your seniors walk off the floor as losers of their last game. That's no way for Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon and Coleman Collins to exit the game, but Sunday afternoon, that's how the careers of three seniors who changed the face of Virginia Tech basketball ended. more
Tech's Season Ends in Columbus March 19, 2007 Virginia Tech's 2006-07 basketball season came to an end on Sunday when the #5 seed Hokies fell to the #4 seed Southern Illinois Salukis 63-48 in Columbus. The game marked the end of the careers of five Tech seniors. They helped the Hokies to a 22-12 record this season and a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996. Southern Illinois improves to 29-6 and will advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the past six years.
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2006-07 Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Southern Illinois March 17, 2007 As a reward for defeating Illinois on Friday night, Virginia Tech will get to face a team that plays almost exactly the same style in the Southern Illinois Salukis. The winner will earn a trip to the Sweet 16. The Hokies were defeated by the Salukis 69-64 in Orlando back in November, but the game could have gone either way. Sunday's game should be just as good. more
Hokies Notch Dramatic 54-52 Comeback Win Over Illinois March 17, 2007 #5 seed Virginia Tech scored the last 12 points of the game to knock off #12 seed Illinois 54-52 in the first round of the NCAA tournament Friday night in Columbus, Ohio. Down 52-42 with 4:27 to go, the Hokies shut down the Illini from then on, and Deron Washington led the charge by scoring eight points down the stretch, including the game winner with 45.5 seconds left. more
Checking In From Columbus March 17, 2007 Wow, what a night from Nationwide Arena. I admit it. Late in the second half, I thought Virginia Tech was done. They weren't scoring, and they weren't forcing the tempo. It was going to be a long, cold walk back to the hotel. But somewhere in those last seven minutes, the Hokies found a way to win. A total of 32 teams still have a chance to win the National Championship, and the Hokies are one of them. It's fun to still have something to play for in the middle of March. more
Whoa, What Just Happened? March 16, 2007 Okay, I need to get straight to the heart of this column right away: Sorry, Hokies. Sorry for doubting you. I quit on you long before you quit on yourselves, or to be more accurate, long before Deron Washington quit. Long before you scored the last 12 points of the game to win 54-52, I wrote you off and was just waiting for the season to end. more
Best Chance Ever at a Sweet 16 March 15, 2007 The Hokies have been maddening at times this year -- NC State, anyone? -- but the sum total of their season is one of achievement. By winning big games and finishing near the top of the #1 conference in the country, VT has earned themselves a #5 seed and the best chance of making the Sweet 16 of any Hokie team in history. more
2006-07 Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Illinois March 14, 2007 When Virginia Tech takes on Illinois Friday night, it will not only be a battle of the teams' differing styles, but of their respective conferences as well. Virginia Tech will bring two good guards to the table, as most ACC teams do, while Illinois will employ two big guys on the interior and will try to grind it out, as do all Big Ten teams. Who is the better team? It's tough to say, because they play such differing styles of basketball, and their competition has been very different. more
Davis Close to Narrowing List? March 14, 2007 With his junior season almost complete, 6-8, 215-pound forward Ed Davis is starting to concentrate more on his recruiting. In fact, Benedictine's 5-star prospect is aiming to reduce his list of schools within the next few weeks and possibly as early as next week. more
Eleven Years Later, Hokies Finally Get a Decent Seed March 12, 2007 Boy, this brings back memories. 11 years ago today, TechSideline.com was launched as "Will Stewart's Hokie Sports Home Page." Clever name that, and for months, the "site" resided on my personal directory on the NRVNet (honk if you remember that ISP) web site. To this day, I remember the address: http://www.nrvnet.com/~wstewart/. Don't bother clicking that, because it doesn't go anywhere anymore. more
More Observations from Tampa March 11, 2007 Well that was disappointing. To watch your favorite team lose a game at the free throw line is as frustrating in person as it is on television. Our seats directly behind the basket gave us a unique view of the horror show -- for every Tech free throw that clanked badly off the rim, there were two NC State free throws that swished cleanly through the net. more
Frustrating Loss Ends Tech's Stay in Tampa March 10, 2007 There for a moment, it looked like the Hokies were going to get it done. After 100 minutes of NC State shooting 70-of-115 against the Hokies, after two and a half games of blistering Virginia Tech's defense, NC State finally cooled down. They made just six of their first 18 shots after half time, and A.D. Vassallo popped a three-pointer to tie it up at 48 with 7:10 to go. There was a little crack in the clouds that hang over the Hokies every time they play the Wolfpack. more
Hokies Fall to Wolfpack 72-64 March 10, 2007 Virginia Tech was knocked off by NC State for the third time this season on Saturday afternoon, this time falling 72-64 to the Wolfpack in the semifinals of the ACC Tournament. Despite the loss, the Hokies are still 21-11 and a lock for the NCAA tournament. They'll learn their postseason fate during the NCAA Selection Show on Sunday at 6 pm. It will be televised by CBS. more
2006-07 Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. NC State March 10, 2007 The Hokies will get their third and final chance to defeat NC State when Virginia Tech battles the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday afternoon in Tampa. If Tech manages to knock off NC State for the first time this season, they'll get a shot at either UNC or Boston College in the ACC Tournament Finals. more
Observations from Tampa March 10, 2007 Internet access is very limited at the hotel I'm in, but I was able to get a few minutes this morning. I did not attend the Thursday sessions, but I did see all four games Friday, and here are some things I have noted so far, including some notes about attendance and fan interaction, two of the most interesting aspects of the tournament so far. more
Hokies Take Care of Business March 10, 2007 I love it when a plan comes together. Friday night, conventional wisdom dictated that Virginia Tech should try to run Wake Forest ragged, make the Deacs move up and down the court just 21 hours after their historic double overtime win over Georgia Tech. The Hokies didn't back down from the challenge, and as a result, Tech knocked a big monkey off their backs and got their first-ever ACC tournament win. more
Hokies Get Defensive in 71-52 Win Over Wake Forest March 10, 2007 Virginia Tech used a stellar second half defensive performance to rout Wake Forest 71-52 in final ACC quarterfinal game on Friday night. The Hokies earned their first ACC Tournament win in school history, and they improve to 21-10 on the season. They'll face NC State in the semifinals on Saturday. more
Hokies Enter a Tournament "Already in Progress" March 9, 2007 Weird factoid of the day: By the time Virginia Tech takes the court tonight against Wake Forest, seven teams -- over half the conference -- will already be eliminated from the ACC tournament. Three teams will have two games under their belt. How the Hokies respond to a tournament well under way is the key storyline for tonight's game. more
2006-07 Basketball Game Preview: Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest March 9, 2007 Virginia Tech will finally take to the court tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum some time after 9 p.m., and their opponent will be the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Hokies had to wait until early Friday morning to know that, because Wake and Georgia Tech played a game for the ages last night. It was finally decided in double overtime, with Wake Forest winning 114-112. more
CC and Bstreet's ACC Tourney Picks March 8, 2007 Our top two basketball minds, Chris Coleman and the esteemed Bourbonstreet (Eustace Frederick III), lay out their picks for the 2007 ACC Tournament, from the opening round games all the way to the championship. Bstreet takes an in-depth analytical approach, while CC goes with his instincts in this informative look at what two guys think is going to happen. more
Around the ACC: 2007 ACC Tournament Preview March 7, 2007 It's tournament time! The crusty, old-line ACC media may hate the first day of competition in the expanded ACC, but not us, we love all four days of the ACC's intense shootout. Who's hot, who's not, and what are the storylines heading into Thursday's action in Tampa? We break down each team, from the #1 seed to the #12 seed (because all ACC teams deserve equal love, even Miami), and tell you what to look for in this week's one-day-early "Around the ACC." more
Committing to Virginia Tech was an easy decision for Massanutten Military Academy's Darrion Pellum. The 6-6, 215-pound guard had been to Virginia Tech on many occasions and likens Tech to "another home. I'm really comfortable going there."
5-star junior Ed Davis followed through on his plans of a few weeks ago and has narrowed his list of schools to eight. The 6-8, 210-pound Benedictine (Richmond, VA) forward lists his top eight programs, names two current favorites and discusses when he plans to make his next cut.
Virginia Tech just lost five seniors off the 2006-07 basketball team that helped them reach the second round of the NCAA tournament. They have to replace a lot of experience, especially at the guard position. There is still much to be determined in the offseason, but in the wake of Tech's best hoops season in over a decade, here's a very early look at the 2007-08 basketball team.
Everybody talks about how the NCAA basketball tournament is far superior to the college bowl system, and maybe it is. That's a debate for another time. But there's at least one way in which it is far inferior to the bowl system: Unless you win the championship in basketball, your seniors walk off the floor as losers of their last game. That's no way for Zabian Dowdell, Jamon Gordon and Coleman Collins to exit the game, but Sunday afternoon, that's how the careers of three seniors who changed the face of Virginia Tech basketball ended.
Virginia Tech's 2006-07 basketball season came to an end on Sunday when the #5 seed Hokies fell to the #4 seed Southern Illinois Salukis 63-48 in Columbus. The game marked the end of the careers of five Tech seniors. They helped the Hokies to a 22-12 record this season and a berth in the NCAA tournament for the first time since 1996. Southern Illinois improves to 29-6 and will advance to the Sweet 16 for the second time in the past six years.
As a reward for defeating Illinois on Friday night, Virginia Tech will get to face a team that plays almost exactly the same style in the Southern Illinois Salukis. The winner will earn a trip to the Sweet 16. The Hokies were defeated by the Salukis 69-64 in Orlando back in November, but the game could have gone either way. Sunday's game should be just as good.
When Virginia Tech takes on Illinois Friday night, it will not only be a battle of the teams' differing styles, but of their respective conferences as well. Virginia Tech will bring two good guards to the table, as most ACC teams do, while Illinois will employ two big guys on the interior and will try to grind it out, as do all Big Ten teams. Who is the better team? It's tough to say, because they play such differing styles of basketball, and their competition has been very different.
Boy, this brings back memories. 11 years ago today, TechSideline.com was launched as "Will Stewart's Hokie Sports Home Page." Clever name that, and for months, the "site" resided on my personal directory on the NRVNet (honk if you remember that ISP) web site. To this day, I remember the address: http://www.nrvnet.com/~wstewart/. Don't bother clicking that, because it doesn't go anywhere anymore.
Well that was disappointing. To watch your favorite team lose a game at the free throw line is as frustrating in person as it is on television. Our seats directly behind the basket gave us a unique view of the horror show -- for every Tech free throw that clanked badly off the rim, there were two NC State free throws that swished cleanly through the net.
The Hokies will get their third and final chance to defeat NC State when Virginia Tech battles the Wolfpack in the ACC Tournament Semifinals on Saturday afternoon in Tampa. If Tech manages to knock off NC State for the first time this season, they'll get a shot at either UNC or Boston College in the ACC Tournament Finals.
Weird factoid of the day: By the time Virginia Tech takes the court tonight against Wake Forest, seven teams -- over half the conference -- will already be eliminated from the ACC tournament. Three teams will have two games under their belt. How the Hokies respond to a tournament well under way is the key storyline for tonight's game.
Virginia Tech will finally take to the court tonight at the St. Pete Times Forum some time after 9 p.m., and their opponent will be the Wake Forest Demon Deacons. The Hokies had to wait until early Friday morning to know that, because Wake and Georgia Tech played a game for the ages last night. It was finally decided in double overtime, with Wake Forest winning 114-112.
