While many people would say the season has been somewhat of a disappointment for Virginia Tech, the Hokies get one last chance to prove themselves as they enter the NIT for the second consecutive season. Virginia Tech is 25-12 in the NIT in program history, winning the Championship in both 1973 and 1995. However, they are looking to bounce back from the 81-72 first round loss to Cincinnati that they suffered last season.
This time around, Virginia Tech (18-14) faces the Atlantic 10 regular season co-champion Richmond Spiders (23-9) in an in-state battle. While the Hokies have a program record of 69-39 against the Spiders, these two teams haven’t played since 2009, when the Hokies picked up a 62-48 win.
Once upon a time, Virginia Tech and Richmond were actually rivals in the same conference, competing in the Virginia Intercollegiate Athletic Association from 1895 to 1921.
While this game is far from the rivalry game it once was, it is still fun for two Virginia teams to compete in a postseason game.
Keys to the Game
Hokies’ Home Cooking
The biggest indicator of a Virginia Tech win has nothing to do with the strength of the opponent or even the pressure and importance of the game. All that has seemed to matter this season is whether or not the Hokies are playing at home.
Most teams have a home court advantage, but Virginia Tech has taken this to a completely new level, going 14-2 on the home court in Cassell Coliseum, while dropping 8 of their other 12 games, whether on the road or a neutral site. While Richmond is better on the road than the Hokies, their home court advantage has also been evident, going 15-1 at home and 8-8 in their other 16 games.
Fortunately for the Hokies, they are hosting tonight and therefore have an immediate advantage for the game.
Offense vs Defense
Virginia Tech and Richmond have two entirely different strengths, the Hokies on the offensive side of the ball, and the Spiders on the defensive end.
Virginia Tech is top 100 in terms of offensive rating, and Richmond is top 100 in defensive efficiency, also playing at a significantly slower pace than the Hokies. Whoever is able to control the pace of the game is going to have a great advantage to get the win.
Fortunately for the Hokies, they know what it's like to play a slow-paced defensive minded team, as they’ve played the Virginia Cavaliers twice this season. Just like against Virginia, it will be hard to come back if the Hokies get down early against Richmond, but if Virginia Tech jumps out to an early lead, it will likely be theirs to keep.
Matchup of the Game: Sean Pedulla vs Jordan King
The starting point guards are the top bucket getters for their respective teams and they are going to be asked to do a lot for their teams tonight. Jordan King averages over 18 points per game, which is very impressive when you consider their slow pace of play, and he does it on very efficient shooting splits of 46% from the field, 42% from three point range, and 82% from the free throw line.
Meanwhile, Sean Pedulla has had an up and down year, but he finished with solid stats of over 16 points, four assists, and four rebounds per game on about 43% from the field. On top of that, he is coming off a strong 24-point performance in their ACC Tournament loss to Florida State. Pedulla has also been playing his best basketball over the past month, just in time for the NIT.
In postseason games, teams rely increasingly on their stars, so the top player for both of these teams will play big roles tonight.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 74, Richmond 57
The Hokies will continue their strong play in Cassell Coliseum, picking up a 15+ point lead by the end of the first half, before cruising to a 17-point win in the second half. Sean Pedulla will drop 20+ points, while Hunter Cattoor will get back in double figures for his first time in three games to extend his college basketball career for at least one more game.
