Watch Deron Dunk

I can't remember the exact game, but ESPN's Jimmy Dykes predicted Deron Washington to win the college dunk contest during Championship Week. Well, Thurday Deron gets the chance to make Dykes look like a savant.

Deron is one of eight participants in the dunk portion of the 20th annual State Farm College Slam Dunk and 3-Point Championships. Hokie fans have seen what Deron can do in transition and with ally-oops during his four years in Blacksburg. Now he gets to show off his vertical and creativity to the entire nation.

Looking over his competition, I think Deron is the clear favorite. J.R. Giddens of New Mexico (and OKC's John Marshall High School) will probably be his toughest challenge he's another athletic, slasher-type who can leap. James Gist of Maryland is another guy who could excel in the dunk contest. However, a lot of the participants are post players. They're known more for powerful in-game dunks than contest-style dunks.

Also, I'm shocked to see Memphis' Joey Dorsey in the field. Correct me if I'm wrong, but doesn't he play in the Final Four on Saturday? Why on earth would Coach Cal give him the opportunity to hurt himself in a dunking exhibition two days before the school's first Final Four since 1985?

I'll be getting the popcorn ready to watch Deron fly Thursday. Can't wait to see what he's got in store. Hopefully he'll break out this little number...



Game Guide
Who: Deron Washington vs. The Field
What: College Slam Dunk Contest
When: 9 p.m. EDT April 3, ESPN
Where: Greehey Arena, St. Mary's University - San Antonio, Texas
Why Deron Wins: Because no other player has produced more YouTubery in the last four years
Why The Field Wins: One of them does some over-the-top shennanigans to celebrate a lame dunk and therefore gets a bunch of 10s like Wesley Duke from Mercer two years ago or David Noel last year
Dot-Dot-Dots: The other participants are James Gist (Maryland), J.R. Giddens (New Mexico), Patrick Ewing, Jr. (Georgetown), Brian Randle (Illinois), Joey Dorsey (Memphis - WTF?), Will Bullard (TAMU-Corpus Christi) and Sonny Weems (Arkansas).

Update: Dorsey will not be participating tonight. He will be replaced by Augusta State's A.J. Bowen according to a release.

Will Greenberg Stay at Tech?

Virginia Tech basketball coach Seth Greenberg has shown just how good a coach he is in the last two seasons. In 2006-07, he guided the Hokies to arguably the best season in their history.

Tech finished 22-12 and 10-6 in the ACC, earned a No. 5 seed in the NCAA Tournament, and reached the second round. The season also included wins over No. 5 Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and season sweep of North Carolina, including a win over the Tar Heels when they were ranked No. 1 in the country.

This past season, the Hokies were picked to finish 10th in the ACC. The young team struggled early on, but came together late in the season and earned a No. 1 seed in the NIT.

Tech reached the quarterfinals of the NIT and finished with a 21-14 record. The Hokies were also 9-7 in ACC regular season play and earned a bye in the conference tournament, where they made the semifinals. The season was successful and unexpected. Greenberg and the coaching staff got much more out of a young team than anyone could have expected.

The freshman who contributed experienced some growing pains early, but played like veterans late in the year. A.D. Vassallo grew both as a leader and a player. I give the coaching staff all the credit for this. I was down on Vassallo most of his career because I didn't think he played hard enough on defense and didn't work hard enough without the ball on offense to get open. Now, I have high hopes for his senior year when he will be the leader of the team.

Greenberg has built the Hokies into a formidable opponent in the ACC. No longer do teams view a trip to Cassell Coliseum as an easy win. The question now becomes, will Greenberg stay at Virginia Tech and continue to build the program, or will he take another job at a higher profile program if the call were to come.

Providence College recently fired head coach Tim Welsh. While that news probably didn't register on the radar screen of many Hokie fans, it did with me. Greenberg is a tremendous coach who is going to eventually get attention from other programs. While Providence may not give Greenberg a call yet, there's no reason to say that they wouldn't consider him.

There are reasons for Coach Greenberg to both stay and leave. The Hokies are on the rise and he has a chance to build a program and put his signature on it. Tech is also in the ACC, which Greenberg has said helps him recruit players he didn't have a shot at while at previous jobs. And, there isn't as much pressure at Tech. The fan base isn't used to having a good basketball program.

The flip side of that coin is that Tech is now and always will be a football school. No matter how much success Greenberg has, Hokie fans will always care more about how the football team is doing. Basketball is part of the distraction that gets fans to the fall. Look at Florida. The Gators won back-to-back basketball titles. But I doubt you'll find anyone in Gainesville that considers UF to be a basketball school.

I don't think about Hokie basketball much until football season is over, and I consider myself a college basketball fan. A lot of that has to do with the fact that the Hokie basketball team isn't on much in Oklahoma. The other part is that I just care more about the football team's injury reports and how we're going to handle the other team's defensively line on Saturday than I do about the hoops team until after the bowl game.

I could see Greenberg getting frustrated by the football focus and moving to a basketball-first school like PC, which doesn't even have a football team. Being in the Big East would allow him to still recruit the better players in college basketball. I don't see Greenberg taking a step down just to be at a basketball school, which is why I don't think he would take the PC job if they came calling. But it would be a basketball conference and a return to the Northeast.

I think if Greenberg did leave, it would be for a school like St. John's, DePaul or even another ACC school. If Tech continues to finish in the top four of the ACC every year, he's bound to get an offer he can't refuse or Tech can't match.

As Coach Greenberg continues to grow the Virginia Tech program, he's bound to start getting calls from other school looking for a new basketball coach. The question is: Will he answer?

Should He Stay?
- ACC school (recruiting, TV)
- Less pressure
- Build a program

Should He Go?
- Basketball school
- More money
- Return to Northeast (if that's important)

Busy Day for Hokie Sports

A trio of Tech sports have big events Wednesday. Frank Beamer's football team opens Spring Practice with several key positions needing to be filled. Seth Greenberg's men's basketball team hosts Ole Miss for the right to advance to the NIT semifinals at Madison Square Garden. And Scot Thomas' softball team faces Team USA in an exhibition at ASA Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium in Oklahoma City.

While most of Hokie Nation will be focused on the events in Blacksburg, I'll be at the softball game here in OKC. The first Gobbler Country Road Trip will be a short one and pictures from the game will be posted Wednesday night.

Football: Spring Has Sprung

The Hokie football team begins life without Branden Ore on the first day of Spring Practice. And the player Hokie fans are probably most eager to see won't be part of the action. Ryan Williams, one of the signature players of the most recent recruiting class, won't be on campus until August. That gives juniors Kenny Lewis and Jahre Cheeseman and sophomores Darren Evans and Josh Oglesby a head start on securing the starting tailback spot.

My guess is the Hokies will be tailback-by-committee next season until two front-runners emerge. I don't see one back taking on the bulk of the carries next season. Lewis is a good change-of-pace back, but running between the tackles isn't his bread and butter. The other three will probably split the bulk of the carries.

On defense, linebacker will be the main cause for concern for the Hokies following the departure of Xavier Adibi and Vince Hall. Cam Martin returns after having a pleasantly surprising sophomore season. Brett Warren filled in admirably while Hall was injured last season and could take over for Hall in the fall.

Last year's star of spring and fall practice, Jason Worilds, is set to see more time at defensive end with the departure of Chris Ellis. Worilds, Nekos Brown and Orion Martin appear on paper to be at the front of the rotation at DE. I see Orion Martin stepping up and having a Darryl Tapp-like season and Worilds setting himself up to do the same in 2009. Putting pressure on the quarterback will be key for this year's defense. Barring injury, this group looks like it will do plenty of if.

Playmaker exraordinair Macho Harris will be Virginia Tech's starting boundary corner this season, but will also see time at receiver in the spring. Tech lost four experienced wide receivers after last season and Harris will be a welcomed site for quarterbacks Sean Glennon and Tyrod Taylor.

It will be Taylor's first Spring Practice after playing as a true freshman last season. The spring drills will be his chance to take more snaps from Glennon, who became better as the year went on last season and was a main reason the Hokies won five games in a row to capture the ACC title last season. I believe Glennon is still needed in the offense. He's a good leader and an excellent passer. However, until the running game is shored up, you will probably see more of Taylor than Glennon early next season.

With two experienced quarterbacks and a healthier offensive line, I believe Spring Practice is more critical for the Hokies defense. A lot of leadership is gone from that side of the ball from last season. Not only is it important for Virginia Tech to find new starters, its important for leaders to emerge from the returning starters. I think Kam Chancellor will be the one to step up. He had an outstanding season in 2007 and I believe he could be the leader of the 2008 defense.

Basketball: Start Spreadin' the News...

...the Hokies are one win away from New York City. Seth Greenberg's bunch plays host to Ole Miss Wednesday at 7 p.m.

The Hokies are riding a wave of momentum coming into their quarterfinal tilt. A raucous crowd sparked Tech in its win over UAB Monday. It appears the atmosphere will be more electric for Wednesday's game.

If Tech can use that momentum and play defense like it did against UAB, Ole Miss doesn't stand a chance. But the Rebels are a better team than UAB and are led by senior Dwayne Curtis, who average nearly a double-double per game.

Ole Miss' point guard, Chris Warren, is a freshman and getting him to turn the ball over will be key for the Hokies. Warren leads the Rebels in scoring though two NIT games, averaging 17 points per game and has nine assists and three turnovers in those games.

Game Guide
Who: Virginia Tech (21-13) vs. Ole Miss (23-10)
What: NIT Quarterfinal
When: 7 p.m., ESPN2
Where: Cassell Coliseum - Blacksburg, Va.
Why Virginia Tech Wins: Cassell will be rockin', Hokies will force turnovers and score transition buckets, Ole Miss is awful on the road (2-7)
Why Ole Miss Wins: Dwayne Curtis dominates the paint, David Huertas gets hot from behind the arc, Ole Miss hasn't lost against a non-SEC foe this season (16-0)
Dot-Dot-Dots: Through two NIT games, the Hokies are shooting 56 percent while holding their opponents to just under 40 percent from the field...the Rebels have turned the ball over 31 times and Tech 26 in the NIT...Ole Miss is 1-6 all-time on the road in the NIT.
Up Next: Winner faces the Ohio State-Dayton winner in the semifinals of the NIT April 1 in New York City.

Best in the Nation vs. Best in the World

Tech All-America pitcher Angela Tincher get a shot at Team USA at 6:30 p.m. Central Wednesday in Oklahoma City. The game will be broadcast on tape delay by ESPN 2 at 7 p.m. Eastern May 6.

Tincher comes into the contest at 15-4, 0.46 (9 ER/138.1 IP) in 22 appearances, 17 starts for the No. 24 Hokies. She has 282 stikeouts against 34 walks this season. She is 248 strikeouts away from becoming the third pitcher in NCAA history to record 2,000 Ks.

While its just an exhibition, the game is a good way for the Hokies and Tincher to get national attention. Anytime you can get put on ESPN, even through tape delay, is a good recruiting tool in softball. It also gives the Hokies a chance to test their skills against a vastly superior opponent.

Tech has already faced Arizona, UCLA and Northwestern this season, but they now face the best softball team in the world. Tincher is arguably the best pitcher in college softball right now and gets her chance to show what she can do on a large stage.

No pitching rotation was announced by USA Softball for their series in Oklahoma City. They beat Oklahoma State, 7-0 Monday, Oklahoma, 2-0 Tuesday and play both DePaul and Tech Wednesday. However, neither Jennie Finch nor Cat Osterman has started for them so far in the series. Both pitched in relief last night against OU. Finch pitched three inning and Osterman one inning. There's a chance Tech could face one or both on Wednesday.

I have no delusions of grandeur about Tech winning this game. Team USA is 16-0 on its Bound 4 Beijing Tour and only one team has scored on them. Cal State-Fullerton got on the board in a 9-3 loss March 19. It will still be fun to see them in person and see what they can do in the spotlight. I hope they impress.

Game Guide
Who: Virginia Tech (23-9) vs. Team USA (16-0)
What: Bound 4 Beijing Tour
When: 6:30 p.m. Central, ESPN2 tape delay at 7 p.m. Eastern on May 6
Where: ASA Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium - Oklahoma City, Okla.
Why Virginia Tech Wins: Angela Tincher throws the game of her career, Hokies get a gift run
Why Team USA Wins: They're the best softball team in the world
Dot-Dot-Dots: This is the second time in Tech history its faced Team USA, the Hokies were no-hit, 12-0, against Team USA in 2004...Texas' Osterman, Tennessee's Monica Abbott and Alabama's Kelly Kretschman are the only members of Team USA that are not products of California or Arizona schools...the Hokies hope this isn't their first trip to OKC, ASA Don E. Porter Hall of Fame Stadium hosts the Women's College World Series each year.
Up Next: The Hokies travel to Maryland for a three-game series March 29-30. They return home for a three-game series against UVa April 5-6.

Tech in the NIT Quarterfinals

Tech was impressive in its NIT second round game against UAB last night. The Hokies won 75-49 to put them in the quarterfinals. Tech faces Ole Miss at 7 p.m. Wednesday on ESPN2 for the right to go to MSG for the NIT semifinals.

The last time the Hokies made it this far in the postseason, they got a three from Travis Jackson to advance to New York. Thanks to BazHokie for posting this video.

We don't mess around

... when it comes to the NCAA Tournament. This is how you're supposed to enjoy March Madness:

Uninvited

I feel your pain.

Pop.

Tech had its bubble burst by the NCAA Selection Committee Sunday, relegating the Hokies to the NIT (which might as well stand for Not Invited Tournament). Tech is the No. 1 seed in their region of the NIT and will face Morgan State at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Blacksburg. The winner of that game will face the winner of VCU and UAB. That game also takes place at 7 p.m. Wednesday in Richmond. Tech will not have to leave Cassell Coliseum on its road to New York.

Before the venting, let's take an opportunity to step back and consider the season and the job Coach Greenberg and the rest of the staff did this season. The Hokies were picked to finish 10th in the ACC in the preseason. And early on, that appeared to be spot-on. My first Virginia Tech basketball game was the season opener against Elon and the Hokies looked awful. Their half-court offense was pathetic. AD Vassallo was lazy without the ball and was therefore useless.

The one bright spot was Jeff Allen. Against Elon, he showed that he was capable into turning into a stud. He did that over the course of the season. Another freshman, Malcolm Delaney, slowly developed into a solid point guard. Early on, it appeared Hank Thorns was the man tabbed to be the point of the future, but I felt he struggled. Delaney became the point and Thorns became a good sixth man.

A team that looked like it was on its way to an abysmal season that may have led to no postseason was probably the last team out of the NCAA Tournament. Coach Greenberg was playing with house money this year. Nothing was expected of this team and he turned them into a team that went blow for blow with the best team in the country in the ACC Tournament.

It doesn't make it less disappointing that we didn't get in, though. First, the buzzer-beater loss to UNC, then Georgia's miracle run through the SEC Tournament likely moved the Hokies out of the field and into the NIT.

[rant]

It shouldn't have come to that, though. The Hokies should have closed the deal against Clemson and UNC and taken it out of the hands of the committee. But two come-from-ahead losses put them out of the Big Dance. Tech didn't have a signature win and didn't play anyone good in the non-conference schedule. The Hokies lost to Butler and Gonzaga in Alaska, but other than that didn't face anyone sexy. Villanova and Arizona did, putting them in The Tournament. But there are several reasons the Hokies should have made it. They played in the best league in the country, a league that got only three at-large teams in The Tournament.

The Big 12 was horrible beyond horrible this year and got five at-large teams in. Baylor and Texas A&M? Please. The SEC was weak and yet they got four at-large bids. Don't get me started on Kentucky. What a horrible, horrible team. All of their quality wins came in conference. They sported the same resume Tech did. Bad non-conference losses, young team that gelled late, got blown out by 41 points on the road. It's a travesty they're in the field.

Then there's the Big East. Yeah, its good, but its not that good. Half the damn teams got in, including boringly average Villanova. Like Tech, they lost to NC State, who might have been the worst team I saw all season. They also lost at Rutgers, Cincinnati and DePaul. That's terrible. Their big non-conference win was over George Mason. Their wins over UConn and Pitt got them in.

And the Pac 10? What a joke. Other than Luc-Richard Mbah a Moute and the Lopez brothers, its not a great league. Kevin Love doesn't impress me. Mayo is a good player, but USC is mediocre. Then there's Oregon, Arizona and Arizona State. Lame, lamer, lamest. Oregon won on the road against K-State (yawn) and that probably got them in. Arizona beat Texas A&M at home (yawn), which probably got them in. But they went 8-10 in the regular season against the Pac 10 and lost in the quarterfinals of the conference tournament.

Oh, and the A10 got three teams in.

The Hokies won 10 games against ACC foes, including one in the ACC Tournament against an NCAA Tournament team. Put them in the field.

[/rant]

The good news is two-fold. First, Tech has another game to play. I didn't expect them to make the postseason this year, so bring on the NIT. Also, the future looks bright for a team that has had a top four finish in the best league in America three of the last four seasons.

Allen and Delaney will be great players. Vassallo turned into a leader late in the season and showed a fire I wasn't used to seeing from him. He has completely changed my perception of him in the last month.

The key will be finding players that can fill the role of stopper on defense and slashing, athletic playmaker on offense that will be left vacant by the loss of Deron. Hopefully that will be Terrell Bell, who has been touted for his defense and has the lanky Deron body type.

I've been a basketball fan for years now and it's fun to actually have my team playing well. I haven't had a college basketball team to root for, so the Hokies' hoop success is a welcome surprise.

Hopefully Coach Greenberg will stick around and keep improving the program like he has been doing.