Hokies get desired rematch
Mar 12, 2009
Virginia Tech got the ACC Tournament rematch with North Carolina its players and coaches surely savored. Polite patter aside, the Hokies certainly wanted another shot at the Tar Heels, who handled them barely a week ago at Blacksburg in the teams’ only meeting of the 2009 season. “Any time you see light blue, it makes you want to play a little harder,” conceded J.T. Thompson, a sophomore from Monroe, N.C.
Last year at Charlotte, the Heels kicked the Hokies 68-66 in the semifinals on a follow shot by Tyler Hansbrough with .8 seconds remaining. While Hansbrough raced upcourt, kicking and punching the air in exultation, Seth Greenberg’s team experienced the sudden, collective exhalation of breath that comes with being punched in the stomach.
“With that play, there’s a lot of what-ifs,” Greenberg said this afternoon in a Georgia Dome corridor after handily ousting Miami 65-47 in the opening game of the ’09 tournament. The coach hastened to add, in case anyone chose to believe him, “That play had nothing to do with what we do tomorrow.”
Following last March’s loss to UNC, Greenberg declared NCAA tournament selectors were “crazy” if they excluded his team from the field. “That sound bite will live in infamy,” the Virginia Tech coach conceded. Nor did it help – the Hokies did not get a bid despite a 9-7 ACC record during the regular season.
Both Virginia Tech and Miami came into their meeting with this year’s NCAA prospects very much in doubt. Both had 7-9 records in conference play. Both needed a victory to advance their argument. Observers expected a fierce contest, but only the Hokies showed sustained competitive fire. They jumped on top early and never trailed in a game often rather lacking in artistry and execution.
The Hurricanes are accustomed to playing before sparse crowds, averaging 4,537 fans per game at BankUnited Center, so early on the somnolent atmosphere at the slowly filling Georgia Dome were no extraordinary deterrent to generating enthusiasm. The team's problems were internal, including the physical and mental struggles of All-ACC guard Jack McClinton.
Playing with an injured knee and an injured wrist, the league’s No. 3 scorer managed only nine points on 11 shots and had seven turnovers. Tellingly, that tied for the Miami scoring lead.
Canes coach Frank Haith, who repeatedly yelled to McClinton to pass the ball, yanked his wayward star with 4:22 to go. By then the game was out of reach. Afterward, answers were terse, including Haith’s concession his team is likely headed to the NIT, where it cannot even play next week on its home court, which is otherwise scheduled.
Virginia Tech, meanwhile, could use a big win to make its NCAA case, and UNC provides the perfect foil. “We’re playing right now for a spot in the NCAA tournament, but more than that we’re playing for the ACC championship,” said senior A.D. Vassallo.
