Coming into the season, Virginia Tech (23-9, 13-5 ACC) set an internal goal to clinch a spot in the Sweet 16 in the NCAA Tournament after it was beat down by then-No. 2-seeded Baylor last season in the Round of 32.
The Hokies have set themselves up to make a run at that goal, many thanks in part to their run in the regular season and the ACC Tournament. They claimed a No. 5 seed in 2022’s Big Dance — the second-best seed in program history — and will play No. 12-seeded Florida Gulf Coast (27-2) on Friday at 2:30 p.m. on ESPNU in College Park, Md.
Tech has been considered a lock for the tournament all season long and has now made the dance for the second-straight season — the first time that’s happened since 2006, when the Hokies made four-straight appearances from 2003-06 under Bonnie Hendrickson and Beth Dunkenberger.
This season, Virginia Tech entered the year ranked No. 24 in the AP Poll and finished out the ACC Tournament ranked at No. 17. FGCU, meanwhile, ended the season at No. 23. Tech (No. 10) was also ahead of the Eagles (No. 39) in the NET heading into Sunday’s selection show.
“[They’re] a tremendous basketball team,” Tech head coach Kenny Brooks said after the team’s watch party on Sunday night. “I’m not sure they’re a 12-seed since we’re ranked 17th and they’re ranked 23rd [in the AP Poll], so I don’t know how they put that 5-to-12 matchup together, but needless to say, when you get to this point, you play against very good college basketball teams.”
Virginia Tech played its best regular season since it joined the ACC back in 2004, finishing with 13 conference wins — the most ACC wins in program history.
The Hokies then went to the conference tournament in Greensboro, N.C. last week and won the first game without arguably their best on-ball defender in Cayla King, who left with an ankle sprain. Then they lost their best player, ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley, to a shoulder injury before beating No. 4-seeded North Carolina.
Brooks expects them both to be healthy and available to play on Friday in College Park.
FGCU is a team that matches up well with Virginia Tech. The Eagles play a similar style of basketball of launching up 3-pointers. They led the nation with 367-made 3’s (32.8%) during the season, and for reference, VT was tied for 13th with 275 (36.3%).
And they don’t shoot just to shoot, they score buckets and they can get on you quick, Brooks said.
“They play a style that’s a little bit worrisome,” Brooks said. “We shoot a lot of 3’s and my staff informed me that [FGCU] has taken 300 more 3’s on the year than we have. So, it’s going to be one of those games where we have to understand that we’re going to have to defend the 3 and they probably understand that a really good post player.”
Florida Gulf Coast won the Atlantic-Sun Tournament as the top-seed, beating No. 5-seeded North Florida, No. 3-seeded Stetson and No. 2-seeded Jacksonville State as all three wins came by 11 points or more.
If the Hokies were to win on Friday, they would likely face No. 4-seeded Maryland, who plays against No. 13-seeded Delaware.
A win over the Terps on Sunday would mean the Hokies would travel out to Spokane, Wash. to play either No. 1-seeded Stanford, No. 16-seeded Montana State, No. 8-seeded Kansas or No. 9-seeded Georgia Tech in the Sweet 16.