BLACKSBURG – Most would take what transpired for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team in head coach Mike Young's second season.
Another top-five win during the nonconference portion of the schedule, finishing third in the ACC to tie the highest finish in school history and making the NCAA Tournament.
Overall, HokieNation must feel pretty proud of a job well done by Young and Co., especially when you put in perspective it all was happening during the midst of pandemic due to Covid-19.
For the players and staff, it still stings a bit with how the season ended, falling in overtime in the first round of the NCAA Tournament to seventh-seeded Florida (15-10, 9-7 SEC) at legendary Hinkle Fieldhouse. But, looking back, they will hold their heads high.
THE START
Tech (15-7, 9-4 ACC) began the season on Nov. 25, which was about two weeks behind when the season normally begins, due to Covid-19, and took on nearby Radford (15-12, 12-6 Big South) and earned a 77-62 win at Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. Redshirt junior Keve Aluma started off his Hokie career with a bang, scoring a then-career-high 19 points versus the Highlanders.
But the true 'bang' came three days later, when the Hokies got to take on then-No. 3/3 Villanova (18-7, 11-4 BIG EAST) in Uncasville, Connecticut Nov. 28. The game was originally supposed to be Tech and Temple (5-11, 4-10 American), but the Owls had a positive within their Tier-1 testing group and had to cancel the game. But the Naismith Hall of Fame organization, which put on the tournament in Bubbleville, acted quickly and scheduled Tech and 'Nova to play.
Tied at halftime at 29-all, the Wildcats went on a run to go up by 12 points with about nine minutes to go, but Tech stormed back to get it overtime and then would eventually win 81-73. Two Hokies scored 20 points to propel Tech to the win, with Keve Aluma (23 points) and Nahiem (20) combining for 43 points on the night.
Tech would use that momentum the next two games, defeating USF (9-13, 4-10 American) and VMI (13-12, 7-7 SoCon) easily before running into Penn State (11-14, 7-12 B1G) in the ACC/B1G Challenge in Blacksburg and falling 75-55 to end its 35-game home nonconference winning streak, which was the third-longest in the nation at the time.
But the Hokies would have a quick memory and win the next one, defeating then-No. 24/RV Clemson (16-8, 10-6) 66-60 for its second year in a row of starting league play 1-0 after beating the Tigers behind four player scoring in double figures. Then Tech would win its final two nonconference games and beat Miami (Fla.) (19-17, 4-15) to close December and be 8-1 heading into January.
ACC PLAY
Trying to win versus Louisville (13-7, 8-5) for the first time since 1991, Tech came awfully close as sophomore Hunter Cattoor had a 28-foot 3-point attempt as time expired rim out to fall by two points.
Then the Hokies would win three straight in mid-January, defeating Notre Dame (11-15, 7-11), then-No. 19/23 Duke (13-11, 9-9) and Wake Forest (6-16, 3-15), and would get up to No. 16 in the AP Poll.
After defeating Syracuse (18-10, 9-7) in The Dome for the first time in school history last season, Tech couldn't make it two in a row and fell 78-60 on Jan. 23. However, a rejuvenated Hokies would turn in back-to-back double-digit victories over Notre Dame and then-No. 8/8 Virginia (18-7, 13-4), with the 14-point win over UVA being Tech's first double-digit win over the Cavaliers in 14 years.
To begin February, Tech got a heroic effort from Aluma, who put together a career-high 30 points and 10 rebounds for a double-double, but it was not enough in setback at Pitt (10-12, 6-10). Next would be the Hurricanes for the second time and it sure was a doozy, as Cattoor got another chance for a last-second shot in regulation and this time buried it, a 3, to send it to overtime and hit clutch free throws down the stretch to seal it, 80-76.
Then the next four games would be canceled due to Covid-19 protocols and Tech didn't respond well after its first game back in a while, falling to eventual ACC champion Georgia Tech (17-9, 11-6) by 16 at home. But the Hokies came back swinging in the next game, turning in the biggest ACC win in school history by beating the Demon Deacons by 38 points, which turned out to be the final regular season game for Tech.
POSTSEASON
Earning a No. 3 seed in the ACC Tournament, which tied the highest in program history, and a double-bye, a first in school history since the tournament expanded in 2014, Tech took on sixth-seeded North Carolina (18-11, 10-6) in Greensboro, North Carolina in the quarterfinals.
The Hokies held the Tar Heels in check in the first half, holding them to just two offensive rebounds and outscoring them in the paint 18-12 to take a three-point lead at halftime, 35-32. But it was a different story with about 10 minutes to go in the second half, as UNC kicked it into another gear and would go on to win 81-73.
A few days later on Selection Sunday, Tech would hear its name called and would be the No. 10 seed in the NCAA Tournament, marking its fourth straight tourney selection, as there was no NCAA Tournament in 2020. With the selection, it made Young the fastest Tech coach to make it to The Dance, with doing it in just his second season (previous fastest was Year 3).
The 2021 NCAA Tournament took place in Indianapolis and Tech was faced with the Gators, which was the first game of the day in the first round. The Hokies got up big early on, leading by as much as 10 in the first half, and would go into the locker room with a 33-27 advantage. Florida chipped away though in the second half and would actually take the lead by five with one minute remaining, but sophomore Nahiem Alleyne scored five points in a hurry, including the game-tying triple with two ticks left to get it to OT. But UF would go on to win by five in overtime to advance to the round of 32.
AWARDS
Young would be named the ACC Coach of the Year, becoming just the second-ever coach at Tech to earn the prestigious honor. He also would be tabbed USBWA District III Coach of the Year.
Aluma would be named second-team All-ACC and first-team All-District for both the NABC and USBWA. Sophomore Tyrece Radford was named ACC honorable mention.
Then a school-record five Hokies were named to the ACC All-Academic Team, topping the previous high of four set twice. The five were Justyn Mutts, Jalen Cone, Cattoor, Wabissa Bede and Alleyne.