Seth Greenberg is beefing up his non-conference schedule in a big way. He
told the Roanoke Times on Wednesday that the Hokies will be playing at Kansas
State this year in a made for television game on ESPN. A time and date have not
been announced, but it is expected to be very early in the season. There will be a return trip to Blacksburg in 2011-12.
Kansas State advanced to the Elite Eight this past season, where they were
knocked off by eventual national runner-up Butler. They finished the season 29-8
and lost to Kansas in the Big 12 Championship Game. SI.com ranks them #4
nationally in a very early preseason ranking, while Andy Katz has the Wildcats
at #5 and Pat Forde ranks them #6.
Head coach Frank Martin lost starting point guard Denis Clemente, but he does
return All-Big 12 guard Jacob Pullen. Pullen will get a lot of hype heading into
the season, as he is the best player on a highly-ranked team.
The Hokies will also be playing Purdue in Cassell Coliseum as part of the
ACC/Big 10 Challenge. The Boilermakers are ranked as high as #1 in some
preseason polls. On December 23, Virginia Tech will play St. Bonaventure in
Rochester, NY. The Bonnies went 15-16 this past season.
Greenberg isn’t done upgrading Virginia Tech’s schedule. He is still looking
for another made for television game against a major conference opponent. The
rumor right now is that the Hokies will play Mississippi State in the Bahamas on
an ESPN network, though it has not been confirmed.
The Bulldogs nearly beat Kentucky in the SEC Tournament Finals last season,
but like the Hokies, they were one of the last teams left out of the NCAA
Tournament. MSU lost to eventual NIT runner-up North Carolina in the second
round of the tournament.
TSL’s Future
Basketball Schedules page has been updated with the Kansas State,
Purdue, and St. Bonaventure information.
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