Va Tech's 2010-2011 Schedule: It's All About the S.O.S.

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Despite winning 23 games last year, Virginia Tech was again not invited to the NCAA Dance. Why? Simple…when your non-conference schedule is ranked 339^th out of 347 teams, you didn’t exactly earn a spot.

This year, coach Seth Greenberg is trying not to make that same mistake gain.

VIRGINIA TECH’S 2010-2011 SCHEDULE

Tech’s marquee match up comes early on the road against Kansas State. The Wildcats return three of five starters from an Elite-Eight squad. After that, they’ll head to Greensboro to face an always-tough UNC Greensboro, before heading west to play in the 76 Classic.

The Hokies will open up against Cal. State Northridge. If they win (which they should), they’ll take on the winner of the DePaul/Oklahoma State game. If they’re looking for the toughest match up, they’ll want the Cowboys, who’s RPI last year was #32.

Oddly enough, after opening the season at home against Campbell, Virginia Tech will go 18 days without a home game. When they do get back to Blacksburg, they’ll have Purdue waiting for them for the Big 10/ACC challenge.

The Boilermakers are a pre-season national title contender. If all goes according to plan, Purdue could be the second top-10 team (Kansas State being the other) the Hokies will face early in the season.

They do have some cupcakes remaining in non-conference play (USC Upstate, Mt. St. Mary’s, Longwood), but Virginia Tech will head south to the Bahamas a week before Christmas to take on Mississippi State. Overall, that would mean Virginia Tech would take on four top-100 teams before they entered the meat of conference play.

For the second straight year, the scheduling gods have given Virginia Tech a break in the ACC. They will only face North Carolina, North Carolina State and Duke once each. Those are the four teams I’m predicting the Hokies will be battling with for the top prize of the ACC.

Of course the highlight of the season will be their one match up with the defending champs. When Duke heads to Blacksburg, ESPN will follow. This will be the first time ESPN GameDay will be hosted on Virginia Tech’s campus for a basketball game.

Topics: Schedule, Virginia Tech

ACCBballFan

I see your point about VA Tech OOC not being almost dead last like last year.

While Seth may have improved his schedule versus top 100 teams or even top 150 teams, it is still ultra weak with respect to how many times VA Tech plays a top 30 team.

He cannot control in the ACC who he plays twice versus once, or how many are in top 30 but can do more OOC.

In ACC the toughest overall body of work is Maryland and then NC St and Wake since they have to play both Duke and UNC, but Duke and UNC only have to play each other and not both.

With respect to OOC only,

Clemson only potentially plays Xavier and that is it for non ACC top 30 teams.

BTW Syracuse’s lone difficult OOC matchup is Michigan St. Ditto for KU whose only decent OOC opponent is Memphis.

VA Tech (Purdue and K-St very strong but then next best OOC foe is Mississippi St or possibly relatively weak teams like UNLV, Murray St or Oklahoma St);

GA Tech (Syracuse & Richmond) and Miami (Memphis and W VA)

have the next lightest non ACC SOS with two top 30 opponents

NC St (Syracuse, G-town and Wisc)

UVA (Washington possibly UK if not Okl instead, possibly Michigan St or UCONN if not Wichita St or Chaminade in Maui),

BC (A&M, and possibly Wisc, possibly Temple unless it is Calif instead) play at most 3

UNC (UK, TX, Illini and W VA unless it’s Vandy instead) and

FSU (Ohio St, Baylor, Butler and FL) play 4

Duke (Michigan St, K-St or Zaga, Butler and Temple),

Maryland (Pitt, Nova, TX or Illini and Temple) and

Wake (Illini, Xavier, Richmond and possibly Nova and TN)

have 5 different potential OOC opponents but will only end up playing 4 of them.