A new no—contact zone is left to officials to precisely outline. The invisible rectangle is 18 by 24 inches, from the front of the rim to the front of the backboard.

Virginia Tech’s basketball team last made the NCAA tournament in 2007, when just one of the Hokies’ current players was on the roster. They settled for National Invitation Tournament appearances the past two seasons, leaving this season’s team longing to play in the NCAAs. How they answer several questions will determine if they get there. There are broad issues, like replacing last season’s leading scorer and eliminating defensive lapses that frustrated coach Seth Greenberg. And there are narrower storylines, like the development of a young point guard and the search for another scoring option in the post.

BLACKSBURG - Virginia Tech has landed its second, and perhaps final, men’s basketball commitment for the Class of 2010. It came from Tyrone Garland, a 6-1, 170-pound point guard from John Bartram High in Philadelphia. Tech coach Seth Greenberg was in the market for a point guard because his starter, Malcolm Delaney, would be a senior in 2010 if he doesn’t jump to the NBA after this season, though he has not yet publicly indicated that he intends to do so.

BLACKSBURG—Bill Courtney, Virginia Tech’s newest men’s basketball assistant coach, spent yesterday morning working one of the Hokies’ youth camps. By mid-afternoon, he was back in his office at the Merryman Center, sorting through the papers on his desk—all manner of notes and to-do lists—and making a telephone call to inquire about setting up direct deposit of his paycheck.

Virginia Commonwealth University men’s basketball assistant coach Bill Courtney is leaving after fewer than two months on the job to become an assistant at Virginia Tech. VCU AD Norwood Teague confirmed the move, saying that Courtney felt he could not pass up the opportunity to return to the ACC. Courtney did not return a message seeking comment. Tech coach Seth Greenberg said he could not comment.

Virginia Tech assistant basketball coach Stacey Palmore is leaving Blacksburg to become an assistant at Georgia. Palmore, who spent five seasons at Tech under Seth Greenberg, said yesterday that he accepted the job Wednesday when new Georgia coach Mark Fox offered it. “I wasn’t looking to go, but it was an opportunity that presented itself and it was a thing that was very, very beneficial to my family,“ Palmore said.

BLACKSBURG Seth Greenberg spent Monday meeting with his Virginia Tech basketball players individually in his office. By yesterday, he was on the road recruiting, beginning the transition between his 31st and 32nd seasons as a coach. This cycle—players going and coming—is a regular part of his life, and how he manages it now is as important as ever for Tech’s program.

BLACKSBURG – Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Seth Greenberg said he was “shocked and disappointed” when he learned that University of Virginia coach Dave Leitao agreed to resign.

Before the most important game of their season, a game that could have sustained or deflated their NCAA tournament dreams, Virginia Tech’s players somehow buried those weighty implications in the recesses of their brains.

Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg remained defiant after yesterday’s 63-53 loss at No. 24 Florida State—a result all but assured by the Hokies’ worst shooting performance in 40 games. But even as Greenberg tried to keep his players upbeat in the locker room afteward, he had to know time is running out on their push for an NCAA tournament at-large bid.

On a balmy evening in early January, Virginia Tech’s players walked out of Cameron Indoor Stadium, knowing they would need to get tougher if they wanted to earn a spot in the NCAA tournament. They also knew they had time to fix their issues. Duke hammered Tech 69-44 that night in the ACC opener for both teams. Since then, the Blue Devils and Hokies weathered the blows that this league and its vicious schedule deliver. Still standing, they will reunite today in Cassell Coliseum for one of the most important home games in coach Seth Greenberg’s six seasons at Tech.

BLACKSBURG—A few weeks before the season began, Jeff Allen was talking about all the promise the coming months could hold for him and his Virginia Tech teammates. He knew most observers had the Hokies—with all but one starter returning from a team that went 9-7 in the ACC—pegged as an NCAA tournament team. And he acknowledged that if they didn’t make the tournament, the season would qualify as nothing short of a disappointment.

If Jeff Allen has to sit out tonight’s game against the University of Virginia, he should not be alone. He should be joined by the fans who disregard civility when they enter an arena. Allen should have the company of coaches who express their displeasure with players and referees by spewing profanity-laced diatribes. Allen, a forward for Virginia Tech’s basketball team, fouled out Saturday at the University of Maryland. He flashed an obscene gesture at the Maryland fans as he headed to the bench.

BLACKSBURG - Since he became Virginia Tech’s coach in 2003, Seth Greenberg has built the Hokies’ identity on defense and toughness. So the frequent and plentiful deficiencies in those areas this season are constantly troubling him, like a bad toothache. What specific defensive issues would he like to see the Hokies resolve? “Do you have an hour?“ he asked.

Analyzing the Hokies BLACKSBURG At the halfway mark of its ACC schedule, Virginia Tech is 5-3 in the conference. If the Hokies duplicate that record in their final eight league games, they will probably lock up an at-large bid to the NCAA tournament. Eleven ACC teams have finished 10-6 in the league.