BROOKLYN — Suddenly, it was all over, and the orange-jerseyed visitors that entered the week with nothing to lose were hugging and screaming out of every corner at the Barclays Center — from the bench, to the scorers table, to the 3-point arc — and converging joyously with smiles and laughs to the middle of the basketball court. Once the Hokies had no more mountains to climb this week, they laid in confetti and spread it amongst each other before others hugged and bounced some more.
Against all odds, from the stumble out of the gates and falling flat on its face, to nearly losing to Clemson in the second round on Wednesday, Virginia Tech had defied the odds as the No. 7 seed with an 82-67 victory over No. 1-seeded Duke in the ACC Tournament Final on Saturday night. It delivered the Hokies their first-ever ACC title and their first conference championship in 43 years since winning the Metro Conference over Florida State in 1979.
Having existed for the better part of the past month-and-a-half as a decided underdog — their chances of winning the ACC Tournament on Jan. 29 when they were 2-7 in the conference were written off — the Hokies had to fight for everything they had to this point. They were once at the cellar of the conference only to battle back as the seventh-best team entering Tuesday. And now, in terms of the conference tournament, that fight is over.
“We’re going to play in the NCAA Tournament next week, we did it last year,” Tech head coach Mike Young said after VT’s victory. “We didn’t play poorly. We didn’t play well enough to beat Florida in overtime. We’re going to put a lot of time and effort into our next opponent, and there will come a time we’ll look back on it. This is very significant for our program, for our coaching staff.”
A new fight wages on — we’ll see where it falls on Sunday at 6 p.m. — as Virginia Tech awaits its next step in the NCAA Tournament after claiming the ACC’s automatic bid. After spending most of the latter portion and the entire ACC Tournament on the bubble and in the conversation as a “Last 4 In” team, the Hokies will skip Dayton, Ohio and the Field of 68 and jump straight into the Round of 64.
But for now, they’ll celebrate their tournament victory. They did it on the back of ACC Tournament MVP Hunter Cattoor’s career-high 31 points on 7-of-9 shooting from deep. Keve Aluma’s 19 points and domination down low all week long. And Justyn Mutts’s poster on potential-NBA lottery draft pick Paolo Banchero late in the second half.
“I just felt like I was in my front yard, shooting on the front grill,” Cattoor said. “I dreamed of moments like this, and it happened, so I’m grateful.”
The final buzzer, which sounded at 10:48 p.m. Eastern Time as Hunter Cattoor dribbled out the last 1.1 seconds before chucking the basketball into the air, touched off a mad dash to center court where VT celebrated with each other. A hushed crowd, filled mainly with well-traveled Blue Devil fans, watched the Hokies celebrate as a downtrodden Duke team walked off the court.
And so, maybe what was the strangest conference basketball season in program history ended on Saturday. One that began with a loss to Wake Forest at home after starting 6-2 in non-conference play; losing their next three in conference play to only bottom out on a Miami buzzer-beater with a 2-7 record on Jan. 26; to ripping off a 9-2 run to finish the conference schedule with a 11-9 record. Tech became the first team in NCAA history to turn a 2-7 start into a winning conference record.
“We were talking about it in those moments, it was a dark place,” guard Storm Murphy said about the team’s start to the year. “We didn’t want to be there. We didn’t expect to be there. But the resilience of this team and the belief never wavered. I think we had more belief in those moments even than we did in the summer in the preseason with all the expectations.”
A week that began with hope before watching it diminish before and during the overtime period on Wednesday, to watching it return when Maddox’s buzzer-beating 3-pointer found the bottom of the basket to beat No. 10-seeded Clemson.
The Hokies held off No. 2-seeded Notre Dame’s late-game surge to win in regulation. On the next night, they dominated No. 3-seeded North Carolina, propelling them to another commanding win over No. 1-seeded Duke on Saturday night.
They knocked off the top three seeds. If there were any questions surrounding the team’s tournament status entering the week, they’ve been answered.
Instead of leaving it up to the selection committee, they won the whole damn thing.
Saturday was a night that Young — and Blacksburg for that matter — won’t forget for a long time.
That is, until the Hokies win their next one.
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No doubt who the ACC Coach of the Year is.
I thought WFU’s Forbes won ACC COTY last week? Maybe I’m wrong but isn’t that awarded prior to the ACC tournament and based only on the regular season?
Great article, Chris. I have been trying to read everything I can find about this incredible team run.
During the Duke game, he actually had us up in the “last 4 in” if we didn’t win the automatic. I’m glad we don’t have to sweat it out on the bracket reveal. Of course, we’ll probably be in the last bracket revealed, but we know we have to be in there somewhere. Lol.
My high school girls team won the state title(expected) and the Hokies won the ACC(shocker) its been an epic few days.hope we win a couple more in the tourney.
Any truth to the rumor that Tom Lunardi is trying to get the ACCs automatic bid revoked?
This must be driving him insane.
This is so reminiscent of the 73 NIT. The Hokies were clearly the least likely team in the tournament, yet we won anyway. Big teams in both tournaments, there were two teams ranked in top five in the NIT. The tournament was won by the skin of our teeth, four games in that tournament, total margin from all four games was five points, buzzer beater against Notre Dame by Bobby Stevens, sealed it. This one we had a little more to work with, although without Maddox buzzer beater, the last three games would not have happened. Both victories were truly team efforts, the underdog Hokies were hitting on all cylinders.
Really proud to be a Hokie.
The Hokies were clearly the least likely team in the tournament,>>>>
I was living in New Jersey -working in NYC. The Virginia Tech team was described by the NYC papers – too small, too slow, too white – and implied that VT was a nobody school. Sunday Night Dan Rather said the sports highlight of the day – Virginia Tech – too small, etc – a nobody school – won the NIT today at MSG and is a somebody school. Had 4th row seats behind the VT bench all four games. Great experience.
And too native. I believe all starters were from Virginia.
and I remember Sports Illustrated reporting that the VT cheerleaders were front runners….. clearly the best of NIT teams.
Of course, that is not direct quote but you get my drift.
Bobby Stevens: Shot heard around the world.
Great article. My words are “Nothing could be finer than beating Carolina and Duke……………………”. Go Hokies!!!!!! Thank you for the thrills this week. Best bb week ever!!!!!
Oh, I can think of one thing that would have made it even better: Had we beaten UVA along with ND, UNCheat, and Duke! We would have vanquished the true Axis of Evil 😁
Great article, Chris. Really enjoyed reading it.
Haute Cattoor along with March Maddox
Oh yeah !!!
What would Bill Brill have said about this?
Actually who cares about him ..he has been dead for many years…and he is in basketball he’ll right now!!
Winning Men’s ACC Basketball Tournament. NCAA indoor track women’s 800 meter national champion. NCAA indoor women’s track pole vault national champion. What a weekend for Hokie Sports!
This even tops the Rugby national championship.
Could be wrong but I believe Cattoor is MVP of
Championship Game not MVP of tournament. I think Holly Rowe
Said that before the presentation
I believe he was both
Chico – After doing a little digging, all articles I’ve read says he was MVP of tournament; however, outside of last night’s spectacular game his stats over the four games pale in comparison to Alumna’s stats which were consistent and significantly much higher. My take is his phenomenal scoring performance against Duke (because they are Duke) made him the “emotional” pick. I see it no differently than Maddox who won game one vs. Clemson. However, along with Murphy, all four are deserving of tournament all-star status that was bestowed upon them.
PS: Alumna had two double doubles in the four games.
I don’t think they pick an MVP of the whole tournament. They pick a 1st team and 2nd team of which Cattoor & Aluma were 1st team and Murphy & Maddox were 2nd team.
I remember watching the 1967 Dayton ncaa game and the 1973 Notre Dame games on television. Memories of those games reappeared last night watching our Hokies win the ACC Championship. I feel blessed to have witnessed last night’s game.
Game Summary:
VT DUK
82 67 Final Score
—————————————————
30 12 From Three Point Shots
44 40 From Two Point Shots
08 15 From Free Throws
Biggest VT Lead: 18 (82-64)
Biggest DUK Lead: 4 (20-16)
Last Tie (of 5): 29-29
Last Lead Change: VT 31, DUK 29
It Was Over: VT 70, DUK 60
Atlantic!
Coast!
Conference!
Champions!
Take THAT, Lunitardi!
WOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!!!
Great reporting, Chris. Must have been fun writing about what was probably Virginia Tech’s biggest team victory – so far. 🙂
Thanks Chris well done. Your words brought tears to this Old Hokies eyes. Who just happened to be a student that still has a T shirt saying “Metro Champs 1979 “ from the last time my boys won a conference championship!! Ut Prosim !!
I still have that T shirt in a box somewhere. I recall it was an odd beige color, not orange and maroon. Go Hokies!
Very well-written. Beyond the fact that the Hokies won, this was a joy to read.
Thanks for reading!