Scouts evaluate players Sintim, Martin enjoy being on home turf for Pro Day workouts The last time NFL scouts saw Clint Sintim, Orion Martin and Lawrence Sidbury, they were being shuttled through hallways and meeting rooms in Indianapolis as part of 17-hour days at the NFL combine. Today the players will be the ones with home-field advantage.

NIT thriller: Tech tops Duquesne in 2 OT BLACKSBURG - In the second overtime of a scintillating, heartstopping first-round game in the National Invitation Tournament, Duquesne finally succumbed, allowing Virginia Tech to celebrate a victory for the ages. “All I can say is, ‘Wow!‘“ Hokies coach Seth Greenberg said after his team prevailed 116-108 at Cassell Coliseum. “I’ve been doing this 32 years, and I’ve never played in a game like that.“

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.

BLACKSBURG—Virginia Tech’s players expressed pessimism and indifference about the Hokies’ NCAA tournament chances after they lost Friday in the ACC tournament quarterfinals. Sophomore Malcolm Delaney said he didn’t think the Hokies would make the field of 65.

For two of the state’s men’s college basketball teams, it’s not a matter of whether they will make the NCAA tournament, it’s a matter of where they’ll play and the seeding they’ll receive. Virginia Commonwealth University’s Rams and Radford’s Highlanders—and fans of the two teams—will be watching the NCAA selection program this evening to see what bracket slots they will occupy.

If not for Tyler Hansbrough, Virginia Tech might well be poised to celebrate a second consecutive invitation to the NCAA men’s basketball tournament. Because of Hansbrough, the Hokies appear headed to the NIT for the second year in a row. A year ago tomorrow, the All-American’s baseline jumper with 0.8 seconds left lifted North Carolina to a 68-66 victory over Tech in the ACC tournament semifinals at Charlotte, N.C.

NCAA tournament bid unlikely following emotional loss to UNC Malcolm Delaney knows he can wish. He can hope. He can pray. But he also knows wishes, hopes and prayers often go unfulfilled and unanswered in mid-March, the cruelest days of the college basketball season. So Delaney, Virginia Tech’s sophomore guard and locker-room leader, is not looking forward to watching tomorrow’s NCAA tournament selection show.

BLACKSBURG - Steve Bumbry hit a go-ahead three-run homer in the bottom of the sixth inning, but top-ranked North Carolina fought back with five runs in the next two innings to defeat Virginia Tech 7-3 in an ACC baseball game yesterday. Hokies starter Rhett Ballard struck out five in 61/3 innings. N. Carolina————————————- 100 010 320 - 7 11 1
Va. Tech————————————- 000 003 000 - 3 7 2

With 2:30 left and his team ahead by 19 points, Virginia Tech guard Dorenzo Hudson took a seat on the bench, to scattered applause from fans at Georgia Dome.

When: Noon TV: WTVR-6 Radio: WRNL (910), 11:30 a.m. Projected starting lineups:  Head to head: Tech won 88-83 in overtime at Miami on Jan. 25.
  Notable: Though there might not be a lot of people in the Georgia Dome for this game, it is an important one for both teams, which are fighting for an NCAA tournament spot. The Hokies (17-13) went into their final three games of the regular season likely needing to win just one to make the NCAAs. They lost all three—to No. 7 Duke, No. 2 North Carolina and at No. 24 Florida State. Overall, the Hokies lost six of their final seven regular-season games—and eight of their final 11. The Hurricanes (18-11) hurt themselves by losing 78-68 at Georgia Tech, the ACC’s last-place team, in the second-to-last game of the regular season. Tech and Miami have similar NCAA credentials. The Hokies are 2-8 against teams in the top 50 of the Ratings Percentage Index, having won at No. 10 Wake Forest and No. 10 Clemson. Tech also has two road losses against teams outside of the top 100—No. 187 Georgia and No. 109 Virginia. The Hurricanes are 2-7 against the top 50, with home wins over Wake and No. 16 Florida State. The Georgia Tech loss is their only defeat outside the top 100. The Hokies received a first-round bye last year and beat Miami in the quarterfinals.

BLACKSBURG This was it, the last shot, Hank Thorns’ final fling with basketball, the sport he loved so much. About two weeks had passed since college basketball’s signing day in mid-April 2007, and Thorns, a high school senior, still held just two scholarship offers, from New Hampshire and Old Dominion. He decided to play in a summer-league tournament in his hometown, Las Vegas. Try one more time to impress some people, he figured, and then he’d give up basketball to play football in college. He said he had interest from Oregon State, Nevada-Las Vegas, Utah and Utah State.

Andrew Dimino was 3 for 4 with a run and an RBI to help lead VCU over Fordham 5-2 yesterday. Josh Alford had two hits and scored twice for VCU, and Justin Wright hit his second homer of the season. VIRGINIA 8, WAKE FOREST 6: John Hicks was 3 for 5 with a home run and three RBI to lead the Cavaliers over the Demon Deacons. Jarrett Parker had two hits, three runs and drove in a score for Virginia.

Hokies fall short against No. 7 Duke A.D. Vassallo couldn’t help himself. He swished a 3-pointer with 6 minutes left yesterday, tying Virginia Tech with Duke. Then, he imagined how the Blue Devils would react when the Hokies finally cracked them, wiped out Duke’s 16-point first-half lead and surged to the eighth ACC win they crave.

BLACKSBURG Teams that play hard have a chance to win. Teams that play hard and tough have an even better chance. Teams that play hard, tough and smart almost always win. The Virginia Tech men’s basketball team did two out of three yesterday against Duke. The Hokies made quite an effort, especially in the second half. The Blue Devils did all three, in both halves.

The play seemed to materialize perfectly. Virginia Tech guard Malcolm Delaney took the inbound pass with 6 seconds left last night, drove down the court, cut right and dished the ball to guard Hank Thorns, who cut toward the top of the key and passed to A.D. Vassallo. The Hokies’ best 3-pointer shooter was right where coach Seth Greenberg wanted him when he drew up the play moments earlier—open with the game-winning shot on his fingertips. He flicked it, but it hit the back of the rim at the buzzer.