Hokies eager for shot at Blue Devils

BLACKSBURG -- 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.

The Hokies are 7-6 in the ACC with three regular-season games remaining, and a win today on national television against the nation's seventh-ranked team could very well put them in the tournament.

"We've got to win one more game," senior wing A.D. Vassallo said.

They took a big step toward the NCAA tournament Wednesday when they won 80-77 at Clemson, which is 15th in the Ratings Percentage Index.

The victory is one of the Hokies' two best this season, along with a win at No. 1 Wake Forest. It improved their record against the RPI's top 50 to 3-5. Duke is ranked second. North Carolina, which Tech hosts Wednesday, is third. Florida State, which the Hokies visit March 8, is 19th.

Considering the stakes and the stage today, Greenberg clearly didn't need to use any motivational magic with his players the past two days in practice.

"They know it's a big game," he said. "They don't live in a cave."

Sophomore guard Malcolm Delaney has received plenty of phone calls and text messages recently from people craving tickets to the Duke and Carolina games. But Delaney's four allotted tickets, and two extras he received from a teammate, will go to family members who have attended almost all of Tech's games this season, during good times and bad.

"If you're not coming for any other games, you're not coming to those games," he said.

The Hokies have developed a similarly defiant attitude since their loss at Duke -- especially lately and especially on defense.

"They were embarrassed up there," Greenberg said.

They avoided that feeling at Clemson by holding the Tigers to 36.1 percent shooting in the second half -- Tech's fifth-best defensive half, of 26, against an ACC opponent this season.

Tech doomed itself at Duke by failing to answer after the Blue Devils surged. The Hokies trailed 39-31 at halftime but looked hopeless as the Blue Devils buried them 30-13 in the second half.

"This time, we're a better team," Delaney said.

Duke (9-4 ACC, 23-5) has changed, too. Three games ago, coach Mike Krzyzewski replaced senior point guard Greg Paulus with freshman Elliot Williams, who responded by scoring 11, 11 and 15 points and shooting a combined 16 of 22 in those games.

Williams should play a significant role again today because sophomore reserve point guard Nolan Smith is doubtful after suffering a mild concussion in Duke's last game, Wednesday at Maryland -- the Blue Devils' third consecutive win after losing four of their previous six games.

"He's a better Nelson," said Greenberg, referencing DeMarcus Nelson, Duke's leading scorer last season.

Williams isn't Duke's only difference between now and the first time it played Tech. Greenberg also is wary of the Blue Devils defense. Duke ranks first in the ACC in scoring defense during conference play, allowing 66.9 points per game.

"They were good then," Greenberg said. "Now, they're like freaking swarming defensively."