Virginia Tech players celebrate as their name is announced as a Big Dance participant in the upcoming NCAA tournament.
Virginia Tech will face the Wisconsin Badgers in the first round of the 2017 NCAA Men’s Basketball Tournament in the East Region at the KeyBank Center in Buffalo, New York on Thursday, March 16.
The Hokies, 22-10 on the season, are the No. 9 seed in the East Region and earned an at-large bid out of the Atlantic Coast Conference. Wisconsin, 25-9 overall, are the eight seed. The Badgers earned an at-large bid out of the Big Ten Conference.
This is the Hokies’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2007, when Tech lost to Southern Illinois in the second round of the West Region in Columbus, Ohio. The Hokies were the fifth seed that season.
This is the Hokies’ first appearance in the NCAA Tournament since 2007, when Tech lost to Southern Illinois in the second round of the West Region in Columbus, Ohio. The Hokies were the fifth seed that season.
This will be the second all-time meeting with the Badgers. Wisconsin defeated the Hokies, 74-72, in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge in Cassell Coliseum in 2008. The Hokies are 2-0 against the Big Ten Conference this season.
On Saturday, March 18, the winner of the Virginia Tech – Wisconsin game will play the winner of the No. 1 seed Villanova game against the winner of Mount St. Mary’s – University of New Orleans First Four game, which will be played in Dayton, Ohio on Tuesday, March 14. Villanova is the top national seed in the tournament.
The Hokies are one of nine Atlantic Coast Conference teams in the field of 68. Notre Dame, the fifth seed in the West Regional, will also play in Buffalo.
The event will be played at the KeyBank Center and is co-hosted by the Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference (MAAC) and Niagara University.
— Courtesy of VT Athletics