Virginia Tech had a disappointing night on Friday in Charlotte losing to South Carolina in a nail-bitter 79-77 despite a big second half from Sean Pedulla. Here are my takeaways from the Hokies' loss to the Gamecocks.
1. Virginia Tech Will Have a Hard Time Making the NCAA Tournament
Is it only game two of the season? Yes, but I believe after this loss, Tech will have a hard time making March Madness for the second-straight season after landing in the NIT last year. One loss never sinks the ship, but the indicators of a team with lots of potential just weren’t there Friday night against the Gamecocks.
After the first five minutes, the Hokies struggled mightily to score points. The offense was slow and stagnant with not a lot of rhythm or pace to their play. Following a miraculous tip-in basket from Robbie Beran at the 14 minute mark of the first half, Tech failed to score for another seven and a half minutes of game time and shot just 1-12 from the floor in that span.
Again, one loss won’t sink the ship. However, if this loss is a sign of struggles to come in ACC play, it won’t turn out to be a tournament clinching year for the Hokies.
South Carolina was projected to be the worst team in the SEC. The Gamecocks may very well overachieve and by the looks of how they played against the Hokies, they probably will. However, a November nonconference quad-two or three loss isn’t what Tech needs.
