MBB HOKIES 17-18 | MEDIA GUIDE

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team was selected for the 2016 NIT. It marked the first time since 2011 that Tech received a postseason bid. In all, it marked Tech’s 13th appearance in the NIT, where the program now holds a 25-11 record. The Hokies have twice won the NIT (1973 and 1995) and finished third in the 1984 NIT. Tech earned its spot in the NIT by virtue of a six-game winning streak against ACC competition late in the season and by advancing to the quarterfinals of the 2016 ACC Tournament. Tech defeated two top-10 teams, including a home win over rival and then-No. 4 Virginia and a win over then-No. 7 Miami in the regular-season finale at a raucous Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies played host to an NIT first-round game, defeating Princeton 86-81 in overtime. The large crowd created a winning environment. Following the game, head coach Buzz Williams led the players into the stands to thank the fans and celebrate the victory with them. The next day, Tech set out on a cross-country trip to face BYU in the second round in Provo, Utah. In the end, the Hokies fell short, 80-77, but in the NIT process, set the foundation for this thriving program. N A T I O N A L I N V I T A T I O N T O U R N A M E N T @VT_MBBall @vthokiembb VTMBBALL 52 Though an NCAA appearance followed for the Hokies in 2017, this 2016 NIT will be remembered as one of the great stories in Virginia Tech basketball history.