By Bill Roth

The end of the 2008 season came a week early for Virginia Tech's basketball team. Needing just one more victory to advance to New York and the semifinals of the NIT, the Hokies were upset at home by Ole Miss. It was the first home loss for the Hokies in the NIT, and ended a 22-game home-court winning streak against non-conference foes.

Disappointing? For sure. But the loss takes nothing away from what was a remarkable season for Seth Greenberg's fifth Tech team.

"We played harder and we trusted each other more down the stretch," Greenberg said of his young team, which finished 21-14. "You look at how A.D. [Vassallo] has raised his game down the stretch. He is scoring and taking good shots, but he is doing all the other little things, too. He is defending, rebounding, and giving great leadership."

The same can be said for guard Malcolm Delaney, who has elevated his game dramatically in the past six weeks.

"He has a great basketball IQ," Greenberg said. "Let's face it, he's played (35) games. He's developed outstanding leadership skills. He's a natural leader who has been empowered and he's playing confidently and playing well."

The 2008 Hokies were just the sixth team in school history to win two postseason games. Tech loses Deron Washington from this season's team, but should return every other player.

"Our roles are well-defined and I think we're competing at a pretty high level," Greenberg said. "We've been getting contributions from a lot of different guys."

With most of those 'guys' returning, the Hokies could be an upper division team in the ACC again next year.

"It's pretty remarkable when you think about it," the Tech coach said. "We took a team that was in the bottom of the Big East, got kids to believe, and we've gotten a bye in the first round of the ACC tournament three times in our first four years in the ACC. I bet if you asked around in 2004, would anyone have expected that?"

Tech's ACC success has been surprising to even the most optimistic Tech fan. The Hokies are 31-33 in regular-season games and have played in the semifinals of the ACC tournament in each of the past two years.

Now, a look back at 2007-2008:

Best game: The Hokies rallied from double-digit deficits on two occasions and played near perfect basketball in the final five minutes to record a 69-65 win at Maryland. Jeff Allen scored 14 points and had 14 rebounds and A.D. Vassallo nailed a pair of three-pointers during Tech's late-game rally. Hank Thorns drilled a huge 3-pointer with 2:14 to go to give Tech a 58-54 lead, and he also finished with four assists and no turnovers in 19 minutes off the bench.

Worst game: Setting off bad karma for the Orange Bowl game later that night, the Hokies turned the ball over 24 times and lost at Richmond 52-49. The game marked the season low in just about every offensive category for the Hokies. Dorenzo Hudson led Tech with 14 points, but the turnovers killed any chance of a Tech road victory.

Best moment: Deron Washington's buzzer beater at UVa gave the Hokies a dramatic win at Charlottesville. Tech rallied from a nine-point deficit in regulation and from five points down in overtime to win. The acrobatic shot at John Paul Jones Arena was one of Washington's career highlights.

A new QB: Yes, Tyrod Taylor was the true freshman quarterback who garnered the headlines this past year, but in hoops, Malcolm Delaney had the role. Thrust into the starting point guard role, Delaney became a true leader by the end of the season, and a clutch player. He closed out the season making 26 of his final 43 field-goal attempts and 15-of-23 from 3-point range.

On the rise: Although his statistics might not reflect it, Lewis Witcher made a dramatic improvement during the final six weeks of the season. So often, a player really blossoms at the end of his sophomore season, and that was certainly the case for Witcher.

Keys to next year: If the Hokies are going to improve on their 21-win, fourth place ACC finish in 2008, there are several keys. First, Tech must figure out how to play Delaney and Hank Thorns together. Both have the skills to help this team, and should be better in 2008-09.

Tech must also develop a second post player. Whether that's Witcher, Cheick Diakite, or incoming freshman Victor Davila, the Hokies must get consistent inside play along with Jeff Allen.

Third, the Hokies have to get tougher. Some teams (Miami, Ole Miss) really pushed Tech around. The Hokies have the athletic ability to play with anyone in the country, but have to have the 'want to' on a night-in, night-out basis.

And finally, the Hokies have to replace Deron Washington's energy. He had the ability to ignite his team and the crowd on a nightly basis.

Biggest change in culture: Basketball matters again in Blacksburg. The crowds in the NIT were sensational. Same for most of the regular season. Greenberg and his staff are succeeding in making hoops relevant in this town and the crowds were amazing.

Following the loss to Ole Miss, Rebels coach Andy Kennedy came over to our broadcast location at Cassell to comment on the great energy from the crowd in Blacksburg. Greenberg's goal of bringing a Lane Stadium atmosphere to Cassell is working.

The students - many of whom painted their bodies and faces - have really made a huge impact on Tech program, its recruiting efforts and the way Tech basketball is perceived around the nation. They deserve a ton of credit for the team's success this season.

Cassell is a fun place to play (for the home team) when it's packed. The NIT run may have helped generate more interest in Hokie hoops than the NCAA run in 2007.

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