The University of Richmond and Virginia Tech lost their conference tournament openers to lower-seeded teams, ending their NCAA Tournament hopes sooner than expected last week. The Spiders (23-9) and Hokies (18-14) will begin their quest for the consolation prize when they meet Tuesday night in his NIT opener in Blacksburg, Virginia. Third-seeded Virginia Tech came here having bounced back in the game. Florida State won the opening game of the Atlantic Coast Conference Tournament, 86-76. Unlike some powerhouse schools that rejected offers to play in the NIT, Virginia Tech was intent on keeping the season alive. “I definitely want him to sign to play in the postseason,” Hokies coach Mike Young said when asked about the NIT. “Everyone wants to play in a big tournament, but you're right about coaching these guys back and being able to play in that tournament.'' Virginia Tech lost to Cincinnati in last year's season opener. This will be the second consecutive year for the team to participate in the NIT. The Hokies won the NIT in 1973 and 1995. Virginia Tech is led by Sean Pedula (16.4 points, 4.4 assists per game) and Hunter Kattore (13.5 points), with leading rebounder Lynn Kidd (12.9 points, 6.5 rebounds) propelling the frontcourt. Richmond will make the short trip west to Virginia Tech for the first meeting between the two teams since 2009. The Hokies lead the series 69-39, and many of the games took place when both teams were in the Southern Conference from 1936-65. Richmond is looking to re-enter the Atlantic 10 Conference as the No. 1 seed after losing 66-61 to No. 9 seed St. Joseph's in the quarterfinals. They finished 11th out of 15 teams in the A-10 preseason poll, a big loss for a team that was at its best under 19-year coach Chris Mooney. “I think being in the postseason is by far the greatest accomplishment,” Mooney told reporters Monday. “We've already had a great accomplishment winning the regular season championship. This is another chance to play in the postseason and play at an ACC school that we highly respect.” A- Ten-year Player of the Year Jordan King (18.4 ppg) will lead the Spiders on the outside, while 7-footer Neil Quinn (12.7 ppg, 5.4 rpg) will patrol the frontcourt. The winner will face either Cornell University or No. 2 seed Ohio State. –Field level media
