Virginia Tech signee Montrezl Harrell is one of twenty-four players to have accepted invitations to attend the 2012 USA Basketball Men’s U18 National Team Training camp June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo. The USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team committee issued the player invitations.

Harrell, from Tarboro, N.C., signed with the Hokies during the early signing period in November. He played this past season on the post-graduate team at Hargrave Military Academy in Chatham, Va.

The 2012 USA U18 National Team will be led by a trio of college coaches at the FIBA Americas U18 Championship, including Billy Donovan (University of Florida) as head coach, with Mark Few (Gonzaga University) and Shaka Smart (Virginia Commonwealth University) as assistant coaches.

Following the first three or four days of training camp from June 5-12 at the U.S. Olympic Training Center (USOTC) in Colorado Springs, Colo., finalist for the team will be selected by the USA Men’s Junior National Team Committee and will continue to train at the USOTC.  

The official, 12-member 2012 USA Men’s U18 National Team will be selected prior to the team’s departure for the 2012 FIBA Americas U18 Championship, which will be played June 16-20 in Sao Sebastiáo do Paraiso, Brazil. Players eligible for this competition must have been born on or after Jan. 1, 1994.

Eight teams will compete in the 2012 U18 zone qualifier, including the USA, Argentina, Brazil, Canada, Columbia, Mexico, Puerto Rico and U.S. Virgin Islands. The top four finishing teams in the tournament will qualify for next summer’s 2013 FIBA U19 World Championship.

In addition to chair Jim Boeheim (Syracuse University), the USA Basketball Men’s Junior National Team Committee includes NCAA appointees Lorenzo Romar (University of Washington), Bruce Weber (Kansas State University) and Roy Williams (University of North Carolina), as well as athlete representative Jay Williams.

The Virginia Tech Hokes open practice for the 2011-12 season on Oct. 14 and now area coaches, fans, season ticket holders and boosters can get a first-hand view of all the excitement.

The Virginia Tech men’s basketball staff will host a clinic on Oct. 14-15 in Cassell Coliseum. The event is open to all coaches, male and female, including high school, youth and amateur league coaches. The event is also open to boosters, season ticket holders and friends of the program.

The clinic will begin with an evening practice session by the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team on Friday, Oct. 14, followed by a pizza social with the Virginia Tech coaches. On Saturday morning, Oct. 15, the clinic will feature a full day of practice and instruction. Beginning at 8:15 a.m., Director of Strength and Conditioning for Basketball Programs David Jackson, will host a Q & A, followed by a morning practice by the Hokies in Cassell Coliseum. After practice, Head Coach Seth Greenberg will present a lecture on his favorite basketball drills. There will be an open lunch period and at 1:15 p.m., Coach Greenberg will lecture on special situations. The day will conclude with the Hokies’ afternoon practice in Cassell Coliseum.

Coach Greenberg will wear a microphone for the two practice sessions and members of the coaching staff will be available to attendees to answer questions before and after the practice sessions. The aim of this format is to allow the attendees a better understanding of the workings of practice and other aspects of the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program.

Cost of the clinic is $60 per attendee. Participants will receive a clinic t-shirt and a Nike folder. To register for the event, contact the men’s basketball office in Cassell Coliseum at 540-231-6725 or click the link to the application on hokiesports.com/mbasketball.

Virginia Tech head basketball coach Seth Greenberg will appear on Katz Corner College Basketball Coaches Special on ESPNU on Wednesday, August 18 at 5 p.m.

Greenberg filmed the session in Orlando, Florida in late July. ESPN.com senior college basketball writer Andy Katz sat down with 31 NCAA head basketball coaches at the ESPN Wide World of Sports in Orlando to discuss the biggest topics in the game today. On next Wednesday’s program, Greenberg will be joined by Brian Gregory of Georgia Tech, Mark Gottfried of NC State, John Thompson III of Georgetown, Sydney Johnson of Fairfield and Fran Dunphy of Temple. This will be the third in a series of five programs in the series, all being aired the week of August 15 on ESPNU.

The American Cancer Society will host its 12^th annual Coaches vs. Cancer® Golf Invitational, Presented by Under Armour®, Sunday and Monday, June 12-13, at the renowned The Ocean Course at Kiawah Island (S.C.) Golf Resort. NCAA Division I men’s college basketball and football coaches from across the nation will compete in this fundraising tournament to support the American Cancer Society and its fight for every birthday, threatened by cancer in every community.

Among head basketball coaches scheduled to play in this year’s Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational on Kiawah Island will be Jim Boeheim (Syracuse), Roy Williams (North Carolina), Phil Martelli (Saint Joseph’s), Fran Dunphy (Temple), Tubby Smith (Minnesota), Seth Greenberg (Virginia Tech), Fran McCaffery (Iowa), Bobby Cremins (College of Charleston), Mark Gottfried (NC State), Gary Williams (formerly of Maryland), Norm Stewart (Missouri, retired, and Coaches vs. Cancer founder), Jim Harrick (formerly of Rhode Island, Georgia and UCLA), and Doc Rivers (NBA Boston Celtics), as well as ESPN college basketball analyst Jay Bilas. Head football coaches Frank Beamer (Virginia Tech) and Steve Spurrier (South Carolina) are also slated to be playing.

Coaches vs. Cancer, a collaboration between the American Cancer Society and the National Association of Basketball Coaches (NABC), empowers coaches, their teams and communities to join the fight against cancer. Since its founding in 1993, Coaches vs. Cancer has raised nearly $70 million to help the Society fund groundbreaking cancer research; provide up-to-date cancer information and education; advocate for public health policies that benefit communities; and deliver services that improve the quality of life for patients and their families. Additional information is available at coachesvscancer.org.

“The Coaches vs. Cancer Golf Invitational provides a tremendous opportunity for these outstanding coaches to enjoy the relaxing camaraderie rarely afforded them during the heat of the college basketball season. As well, they bring their individual commitments of time and passion for the American Cancer Society that speak boldly to our mission of helping people stay well and get well, find cures and fight back against the disease,” said Stephen L. Swanson, 2010-11 national volunteer chair, American Cancer Society Board of Directors. “These coaches do so much to promote healthy lifestyles and to elevate cancer awareness at their schools, in their communities and throughout the nation, and their efforts continue to send a message that the battle against cancer is winnable.”

Coaches vs. Cancer supports the American Cancer Society through its involvement with numerous programs and events, also including college and high school basketball fundraisers; basketball galas; the Coaches vs. Cancer Classic – a preseason, 12-school college basketball tournament which culminates in New York City’s Madison Square Garden in November; Suits and Sneakers Awareness Weekend in mid-season; and the Fight Cancer in Style endeavor for coaches’ wives during the 2012 NCAA Men’s Final Four weekend in New Orleans.

“I am honored to be part of the Coaches vs. Cancer program, because it unites us all in our battle against this disease. As coaches, we are always trying to find a way to better ourselves and find a way to win, and any small contribution we can make in this battle against cancer is valued and important,” said Virginia Tech’s Greenberg. “Despite the fact that we compete against each other all year long, there isn’t a coach who doesn’t agree that this is a battle in which we, as a group, can make a difference.”

In 2012, The Ocean Course will host the 94^th PGA Championship, the year’s fourth and final major title event on the world golf stage. Twenty years ago, The Ocean Course hosted the Ryder Cup Matches, the world-renowned biennial golf competition between teams from the United States and Europe, jointly administered by the PGA of America and the European Tour.

The Ocean Course was recently rated 25^th in Golf Digest magazine’s listing of the “100 Greatest U.S. Courses,” and fourth-best among U.S. public golf courses. Following its historic hosting of the 1991 Ryder Cup’s “War by the Shore” – won by the U.S. team on the final round’s final putt, The Ocean Course hosted the 2007 Senior PGA Championship. Located on Kiawah Island’s eastern-most end, the Pete Dye-designed, 7,356-yard, par-72 course boasts more seaside holes (10) than any other golf course in the Northern Hemisphere.

The American Cancer Society combines an unyielding passion with nearly a century of experience to save lives and end suffering from cancer. As a global grassroots force of more than three million volunteers, we fight for every birthday threatened by every cancer in every community. We save lives by helping people stay well by preventing cancer or detecting it early; by helping people get well by being there for them during and after a cancer diagnosis; by finding cures through investment in groundbreaking discovery; and by fighting back by rallying lawmakers to pass laws to defeat cancer and by rallying communities worldwide to join the fight. As the nation’s largest non-governmental investor in cancer research, contributing more than $3.5 billion, we turn what we know about cancer into what we do. As a result, more than 11 million people in America who have had cancer and countless more who have avoided it will be celebrating birthdays this year. To learn more about us or to get help, call us anytime, day or night, at 1-800-227-2345 or visit cancer.org.

The Tech programs recognized were men’s basketball, men’s cross country, golf, men’s tennis, women’s swimming and diving and volleyball.

 The APR is a metric established and used by the NCAA to measure a program’s success in moving student-athletes toward graduation. An APR score of 925 is the minimum level of academic success, and teams scoring below 925 can lose scholarships and face other sanctions over time, including bans on postseason play.

 Full APR scores for all teams, including penalties for low-performing teams, will be released May 24.

Former Virginia Tech basketball players Malcolm Delaney and Jeff Allen will compete in the Portsmouth Invitational Tournament this week in Portsmouth, Virginia.

Delaney will play for Mike Duman and Allen will play for Roger Brown’s in the four-day event. The eight-team tournament will be played at Churchland High School in Portsmouth on April 6-9. Both Allen and Delaney’s teams will open play on Thursday, April 7.

Each year for the past 58 years, the P.I.T has invited 64 of the best college basketball seniors from across the nation to participate in a four-day, twelve game tournament in front of representatives from every NBA team. The tournament drew the attention of NBA scouts and general managers in the mid-70's when players like John Lucas, Walt Szczerbiak and Bobby Cremins came to Portsmouth to play. Soon the word spread and approximately 200 scouts, general managers and representatives of all 30 NBA teams began to come to see players like Dennis Rodman, Tim Hardaway and others. Today, scouts from numerous international leagues have also come to Portsmouth. Over the years the P.I.T. has been a showcase for five of the 50 greatest players in NBA History (Rick Barry, Earl "The Pearl" Monroe, Dave Cowens, John Stockton, Scottie Pippen) and for many others who have gone on to NBA stardom.

For more information on the event, go to: http://www.portsmouthinvitational.com

Virginia Tech head coach Seth Greenberg joins CBS College Sports Network’s coverage of the 2011 NCAA Division I Men’s Basketball Championship, serving as a guest analyst on Saturday, March 26 (6:30 – 11:00 p.m., ET) and Sunday, March 27 (4:30-8:30 p.m., ET).  He joins the studio team of analysts Steve Lappas, Alaa Abdelnaby and Jon Rothstein, along with hosts Adam Zucker and Dave Ryan.

CBS College Sports Network is available locally in Blacksburg on Comcast on Channel 732 and via satellite on DirecTV Channel 613 and Dish Network Channel 152.  For more information, go to www.cbscollegesports.com.

Virginia Tech’s Seth Greenberg and USC’s Kevin O’Neill will be featured on the second “State Farm Coaches Tournament Show” Tuesday on FSN.  Intersport’s three-part series, which is hosted by Ron Thulin and Ernie Kent, highlights round-by-round analysis of the NCAA Men's Basketball Tournament. 

The Greenberg and O’Neill episode will premiere in FSN markets throughout the country on Tuesday and will be reaired multiple times throughout the month.  Check local listings for show times in your market.

Each of the three “State Farm Coaches Tournament Show” one-hour programs features college basketball insiders providing their breakdown of the bracket and key match ups in the tournament.  Previous participants include Tom Izzo, Mike Krzyzewski, Bruce Weber and Roy Williams.  Iowa’s Fran McCaffery and OregonState’s Craig Robinson were featured in the first episode this year, which premiered March 15.

Greenberg’s Hokies were 22-12 overall this season, which included a 12-4 home record.  In 21 seasons, Greenberg is 367-276 overall and 154-106 in eight years at Virginia Tech.  Prior to taking the helm of the Hokies program, Greenberg served as head coach at University of South Florida (1996-2003) and Long Beach State University (1990-96).

As a result of the attendance at Saturday’s ESPN College GameDay, $3,197 will be donated by State Farm to the Virginia Tech's Athletics Department. As a sponsor of College GameDay for the fifth consecutive year, State Farm donated $1 for every person that showed up to the broadcast. The Athletics Department will use the donation to help increase student involvement in campus athletics.

This is a big week for Virginia Tech. ESPN’s College GameDay is coming to Cassell Coliseum this Saturday. This is a great honor, as only eight schools will host this event this season.

This is a two-hour infomercial for the Hokie Nation. This is our opportunity to show what makes Virginia Tech special and different. Let’s show the nation what Hokie Spirit is all about. Let’s set the standard for the future of College GameDay. Let’s pack the Cassell and create the event of all events.

We will have the whole cast of characters in attendance. Digger “The Highlighter” Phelps, “The General” Robert Montgomery Knight, The Davis’, Hubert and Rece and, of course, our good friend, Jay Bilas.

This is not just about Virginia Tech Basketball, this is about the marketing of Virginia Tech and what we stand for 

Our team has shown great resiliency this season. This team has shown a toughness and a sense of purpose. This team has achieved a great deal this season and this weekend is pivotal as we March towards Madness. This team is proud to represent the University and you, the student body.

We need you “All In” this weekend. We need a full and energized Cassell Coliseum, not just for the game against Duke, but for College GameDay. We need you engaged all weekend, showing your ownership in the Hokies.

This Friday night, please come join me for an ESPN College GameDay poster-making party in the Cassell Coliseum lobby from 5-7 p.m. There will be free pizza for those in attendance. So come out, spend a little time with me and prepare your sign for the live College GameDay broadcast on Saturday morning. The event is free and open to all fans!

Also, I will once again host a Chalk Talk on Friday at noon in D2. Come on out, grab a great meal and learn more about the top-ranked Blue Devils and what we need to do to earn a win over the nation’s No. 1 team.

It’s a great day to be a Hokie!

 During the broadcast, an audience member will receive the opportunity to attempt at halfcourt shot. For making the shot, the winner receives $18,000 from State Farm, and even if he/she misses the shot, he/she will still win $1,000.

The doors to Cassell Coliseum open at 8:30 a.m. The broadcast airs at 10 a.m. on ESPNU and continues on ESPN at 11 a.m.

The Hokies take on No. 1 Duke at 9 p.m.

Former Virginia Tech guard Zabian Dowdell has signed a second 10-day contract with the Phoenix Suns of the NBA.

Dowdell appeared in two games for the Suns during his first contract. He averaged 2.0 points and 1.5 assists per game. According to NBA rules, if a player is signed to a third contract, the player receives a prorated NBA minimum contract for the remainder of the season.

Dowdell, a 2007 graduate of Virginia Tech, was one of the final cuts of the Suns in the preseason and was playing for the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League prior to his call-up earlier this month. Dowdell started all of Tulsa’s first 18 games this season, leading the team to a Western Conference-best 12-6 record. Dowdell averaged team highs in points (14.5), assists (4.6) and steals (2.4) in 29.3 minutes per game.

Dowdell averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 122 games in his four seasons with the Hokies. As a senior, Dowdell led the Hokies in scoring with 17.4 points per game, earning All-ACC First Team and Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention honors. The Hokies advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament in his senior season.

Sports Illustrated published a story about Dowdell and his first NBA 10-day contract in its Jan. 31 issue. Here is a link to the article:

http://sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1181204/index.htm

The Phoenix Suns has signed former Virginia Tech guard Zabian Dowdell of the Tulsa 66ers for the first GATORADE Call-Up of the 2010-11 NBA Development League season.

Dowdell, a 2007 graduate of Virginia Tech, was one of the final cuts of the Suns in the preseason and has been playing for the Tulsa 66ers of the NBA Development League. Dowdell started all of Tulsa’s first 18 games this season, leading the team to a Western Conference-best 12-6 record. Dowdell averaged team highs in points (14.5), assists (4.6) and steals (2.4) in 29.3 minutes per game. His steals average currently ranks second in the league, and he's one of only two players all season to have six steals in two separate games.

Dowdell averaged 14.6 points, 3.6 rebounds, 3.1 assists and 2.0 steals in 122 games in his four seasons with the Hokies. As a senior, Dowdell led the Hokies in scoring with 17.4 points per game, earning All-ACC First Team and Associated Press All-America Honorable Mention honors. The Hokies advanced to the second round of the 2007 NCAA Tournament in his senior season.

Dowdell has joined the Suns and will be available when the team hosts the Cleveland Cavaliers at 8 p.m. ET tonight at the U.S. Airways Center in Phoenix. The game will be televised nationally on NBA TV. NBA TV is available on cable systems and satellite television providers throughout the country. It is available on Channel 749 on Comcast cable in Blacksburg. Check your local systems for channel information.

Dowdell’s call-up increases the number of current NBA players with NBA D-League experience to 70.