I don’t know whether or not Virginia Tech will make the NCAA Tournament this year. 13-8 teams generally don’t go on to do that, but there are a number of winnable games remaining on the schedule, so I haven’t given up hope. If the Hokies don’t make it, I don’t think it will be about the computer numbers; it will be more about their overall number of wins.

When it comes to NCAA Tournament selection, at this time of year, there are more unknowns than knowns for quite a lot of programs. One thing I do know is that if they based their selections on free throw shooting alone, Virginia Tech would currently be projected as a No. 1 seed with a legit chance to make a Final Four and win the national championship.

The Hokies are making their free throws this year at a historic rate. Check out the following table:

Year	Percentage	NCAA Rank
2023-24	80.1	2
2022-23	73.5	120
2021-22	75.1	67
2020-21	69.8	221
2019-20	71.1	178
2018-19	76.1	20
2017-18	70.9	195
2016-17	73.7	73
2015-16	69.7	176
2014-15	64.0	329
2013-14	64.8	327
2012-13	70.9	125
2011-12	72.5	62
2010-11	71.0	118
2009-10	71.7	84
2008-09	72.4	61
2007-08	68.1	191
2006-07	66.2	260
2005-06	64.5	298
2004-05	64.2	282
2003-04	59.9	321
2002-03	66.5	258
2001-02	68.5	184
2000-01	64.5	257
1999-00	65.8	236
1998-99	63.3	275

Virginia Tech has made 80.1% of it’s free throws this season, which ranks No. 2 in the entire country out of 362 teams. That’s pretty amazing. At one point — from near the end of the NC State game to late in the second half of the Georgia Tech game — the Hokies made 29 consecutive free throws. According to Tech, that’s the program’s longest stretch on record dating back to 2009, as far as the play-by-play data for games goes. That played a huge role in closing out those victories over NC State (by six points) and Boston College (by four points).

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