BLACKSBURG – Making the NCAA Tournament for the first time since Mike Young's arrival, Virginia Tech men's basketball will be the No. 10 seed in the South Region and will take on seventh-seeded Florida in the first round on Friday at 12:15 p.m. ET on CBS at Butler's Hinkle Fieldhouse.
The TV crew will be CBS's top team, with Jim Nantz (play-by-play), Bill Raftery (analyst), Grant Hill (analyst) and Tracy Wolfson (reporter) on the call.
The Hokies (15-6, 9-4 ACC) will be back in The Dance for the first time since 2019, giving them four straight NCAA Tournament berths to their name, with the 2020 tourney not being played due to Covid-19 implications.
This will be the Hokies' 12th appearance in the NCAA Tournament. They are currently 8-11 (.421) in The Dance.
"To me, it's never been about the reaction to the seed, but rather enjoying the reaction of our kids when they see Virginia Tech pop up on the screen," Tech coach Mike Young said. "This has been one of the most enjoyable groups I've had in my 30-plus years as a coach. These guys have always been about the team and they have improved over the long haul of the season. They have weathered every storm thrown at them and I expect them to continue to do the same as we get to Indianapolis."
"This was my first time being able to participate in the [NCAA] Tournament, so I'm just happy and blessed," forward Cordell Pemsl said. "This is an opportunity for us in March to come out and make some noise. Everyone knows at this point that anything can happen. If we play hard and leave it all on the table, we will be able to go down and get some wins."
Tech will face a Florida (14-9, 9-7 SEC) team that made it to the quarterfinals of the SEC Tournament, falling to Tennessee (18-8, 10-7), which is seeded No. 5 in the NCAA Tournament, 78-66 in Nashville.
Tech leads the all-time series with Florida, 5-4, and the last time the two faced off was in 1991, a 79-57 win for the Hokies in Orlando, Florida.
The winner of the Hokies and Gators will face the winner of the No. 2 Ohio State (21-8, 12-8 B1G) versus No. 15 Oral Roberts (16-10, 10-5 Summit League) matchup.
PEP RALLY
Virginia Tech athletics will host a virtual basketball pep rally presented by the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport on Tuesday, March 16 at 7 p.m. ET on Zoom. While fans are unable to attend the pep rally in person, members of Hokie Nation can RSVP below.
Every fan who registers will also be entered to win a Hokie prize pack, including a $100 flight voucher courtesy of the Roanoke-Blacksburg Regional Airport.
To participate, fans should download the Zoom software application here ahead of Tuesday's virtual pep rally. Once registration is complete, a Zoom link will be shared via a confirmation email that will provide admittance to the virtual event.
Fans attending Tuesday's virtual pep rally are encouraged to be decked out in Hokie gear. Custom Virginia Tech athletics Zoom backgrounds are available here.
