Before the season started, Virginia Tech fans were hoping for improvement from Buzz Williams and company which included a .500 overall record and a bid to the CBI or smaller tournament. However, the Hokies exceeded expectations by far with a 19-14 overall record and 10-8 record in the ACC to put themselves not too far away from making the NCAA Tournament.
However, their surprisingly good season was plenty to send the Hokies back to postseason play for the first time since 2011.
Virginia Tech will make its return to the NIT as a 3 seed and will host the sixth-seeded Princeton Tigers on Wednesday night at 8pm on ESPNU with tickets going on sale tomorrow at noon at $5 for students and $15 for all other fans.
Virginia Tech and Princeton are two very similar teams that will return well-over 90% of their scoring next season with both teams likely being on preseason bracketologists brackets to make the 2017 NCAA Tournament. Princeton's top two players both shoot over 50% from the field and over 46% from beyond the arc making perimeter defense critical in this matchup.
The Hokies are in the St. Bonaventure region and if they defeat the Tigers, Virginia Tech will either travel to BYU or host UAB who they beat in overtime at the Emerald Coast Classic. If the Hokies are able to get to the quarterfinals, they will either travel to St. Bonaventure or host Creighton, Alabama, or Wagner.
Receiving a bid to the NIT is a great reward for what was a surprising breakthrough season for the Hokies in which they surpassed expectations by far and have earned themselves a home game. However, Seth Allen had his sights set on higher goals that shows a sign that the Hokies will be playing with a chip on their shoulder entering the NIT.
Virginia Tech basketball is on the rise and this is a great stage for the Hokies to show the nation that in year 2 of the Buzz Williams era, the program is back to national relevance. The Hokies will be ready to make a statement and are definitely a team to watch in the pursuit of making it to Madison Square Garden and winning the NIT.