Virginia Tech Basketball: 4 Reasons the Season Isn't Lost Yet

To say Atlantic Coast Conference play for Virginia Tech Basketball started out disappointingly would be like saying Seth Greenberg has lost just a little bit of hair (now we know why).

However, on Sunday night Dorenzo Hudson and company gave Tech fans a reason to smile as they earned their first ACC victory by defeating the 17th-ranked Virginia Cavaliers for the first time in two years.

Led by their best defensive showing all season, the Hokies stunned a Charlottesville home crowd looking to vault into the top 15 of the national polls.

After blowing a halftime lead to North Carolina in spectacular fashion, Seth Greenberg had his troops ready to play a full 40 minutes Sunday night. As a result, Tech avenged two heartbreaking losses to UVA last year and gained some much-needed confidence heading into a key home game versus BYU.

However, at 1-4 in the ACC the Hokies have an uphill climb if they want a chance at making the NCAA tournament.

There are plenty of reasons to believe this will be yet another year Tech fails to make the big dance but here are four that suggest there is still hope for this year's squad.

1. Tech Is Only Minus-1 in Conference Play

Although Virginia Tech is a dismal 1-4 in conference play, that record is somewhat deceiving because the Hokies have only lost two conference home games and have won one on the road against a tough opponent.

Holding serve in the ACC is of tantamount importance and any wins earned on the road are worth their weight in gold. Assuming Tech wins their last non-conference game against the Cougars of BYU, that would total three non-conference losses.

Under that assumption, the Hokies would likely need to go 9-7 in the ACC, or plus-one, to have a realistic chance at going dancing in March. That means two more road wins than home losses over the final 11 ACC games.

That is no easy task but the Hokies have very winnable road games remaining against Maryland, Miami and Clemson. They have also been notorious for pulling off huge upsets under Greenberg and have proven they are capable of knocking off a team like Duke or FSU.

The bottom line is that Virginia Tech needs to finish 8-3 or better in the ACC down the stretch but that the schedule will be their friend.

2. Tech's Seniors Have Begun to Step Up

After struggling mightily over the middle part of the season, coach Greenberg tried to send senior guard Dorenzo Hudson a message by benching him. The message appears to have worked as Hudson was instrumental in the win against UVA, most notably nailing a three and making a key defensive play shortly thereafter to preserve the victory.

Victor Davila, also a frequent frustration of Hokie fans, has improved his game lately as well. Davila has been grabbing a lot more rebounds than earlier in the year and is coming off a great game defensively against All-ACC candidate UVA forward Mike Scott.

Leadership is something this team is not too heavy on and when the only two seniors don't contribute, that can spell major problems down the road. Luckily, both of these seniors have appeared to respond to the adversity well and look poised to lead a stretch run in hopes of appearing in an NCAA tournament for the first time.

3. Tech Has a Lot of Young Talent

As the old coach's saying goes, "The best thing about freshmen is that they become sophomores."

While the Hokies have a very talented freshman class, the initial four games in ACC play proved how difficult it is to win in conference with so much inexperience.

However, the abundance of minutes for these freshmen has enabled them to grow up that much faster and they are finally starting to hit their stride.

The most highly-touted freshman, Dorian Finney-Smith, has hit a wall in ACC play after wowing Hokie fans earlier in the season with his hustle and rebounding skill. Finney-Smith can play almost any position and will be key to Tech's success down the stretch.

Luckily for the Hokies, the other freshmen have picked up the slack. Robert Brown cracked his way into the starting lineup with his smooth touch from outside and solid defense.

C.J. Barksdale has seen a bump up in minutes as well, providing the starting forwards a much-needed spell.

Finally, Marquis Rankin has proved a serviceable backup to point guard Erick Green. Although his shooting touch has been spotty, he plays excellent defense and allows Green to get work at the 2 spot.

As Tech's young players mature, fans should look for cleaner play on defense and less turnovers. Hopefully for the Hokies, that will translate into wins.

4. Tech's Shooting Has Been Uncommonly Good

Ask any basketball coach what the hardest thing to teach a basketball player is offensively, and the answer will most likely be shooting.

Coach Greenberg has to be pleased that his team is making his life easy in that regard. There are plenty of ways the Hokies can improve all around but the most pleasant surprise of the season thus far has been the solid shooting Tech has displayed.

The Hokies are shooting 43.3 percent from the field while only allowing opponents to shoot 39.7 percent. This includes a 36.4 percent mark from beyond the arc for Tech and an impressive 25.4 percent for its opponents.

While these numbers do not jump off the page as spectacular, for a team like Virginia Tech that normally relies on defense to win games, these stats show the promise the Hokies show.

Perhaps even more impressive is the 75.1 percent Greenberg's squad is shooting from the free-throw line, including 76.1 percent in ACC play. This is a welcome surprise to Hokie fans who are all too accustomed to poor performance from the charity stripe in the past.

If the Hokies can improve their overall game down the stretch while maintaining this stellar shooting pace, they could surprise some people down the stretch and make quite a splash at the end of the season and heading into next year.