(via MisterCartmenez)

 

In all seriousness though, I suppose it's only the nature of the beast: the inherent vice of rooting for a program that's trying to build a basketball reputation at a football school in (arguably) the toughest conference in America.*  However, I really think Virginia Tech should have caught a break this time.

There are a lot of directions in which to point fingers.  The most obvious is at the committee: VT has wins over two top-50 RPI teams (Penn State and Duke) and beat one other ACC tourney team.  Clemson and UAB combine for 0 top-50 wins.  VCU came in 4th in the CAA, and their best win was against #25 GMU.  Not to downplay that, but VT beat the number one team (at the time) in the nation.

However, looking elsewhere, there are things within the program that need to change in order to go dancing.  It's been interesting to observe the team mindset in basketball as compared to football.  The football team plays much better with a chip on its shoulder, but the basketball team struggles with similar adversity.  I had hoped the team's rally when down against Duke (during the first game) would be a sign of things to come, that they won't fold under pressure.  In the same vein, I hope Seth Greenberg can turn this around and get the kids to play in the NIT and say, "see why we should have been in?" but unlike against Duke, I don't see it happening. 

I wish Greenberg would sit down and have a talk with Frank Beamer about motivation.  He hasn't really mastered persuasion like Beamer has; I think that's part of the problem.  The team really takes on the attitude of the coach: when Greenberg gets upset, the team starts playing shakier (not to mention the team leaders also intermittently fall apart, act immaturely, or just plain stupidly).  I love what Greenberg has done for the program, but there are some things that definitely need improvement with his coaching.  Tech clearly has the talent, but lacks the proper attitude.




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*I dont understand why the ACC gets so much flak. The tourney has a number one and number two seed from the conference.  And those teams are not BYU and San Diego State; they don't just run through the conference. It's not akin to SEC football homerism: ACC basketball teams don't automatically catch a break because of their conference like SEC football does. Case in point, VT.