No. 3 seed Virginia Tech will play No. 2 Ohio State in the second round of the NIT on Saturday, and each team feels their ability to overcome adversity has helped them get this far. Virginia Tech coach Mike Young said the Hokies (19-14) made one of their first 16 shots and fell to 11-2 in the 74-58 first-round win over Richmond. He pointed out that he got off to a shaky start, settling down after taking the lead. They finished Tuesday's win by going 26-of-54 from the field (48.1 percent). “Once we hit it hard and the ball started moving, we were able to knock down a few shots,” Young said. “It's happened really, really many times with this team. They figured it out and did it again.” The Buckeyes (21-13) defeated Cornell University 88-83 in the first round on Tuesday. I had a similar experience when I won. Ohio State trailed 19-9 against the reeling Big Red, but was unable to pull away from the game until the final moments. This was in contrast to the Buckeyes' repeated failures earlier in the season, including losing twice while trailing by 18 points in the second half, and ultimately costing coach Chris Holtmann his job on February 14. . Live and learn, Ohio State guard Roddy Gayle Jr. Said. “I feel like that game two months ago prepared me for this game,” he said. “Leaning next to someone and trusting them to do their job was the key for us to win.'' Ohio State has been under coach Jake Diebler since Holtmann's firing. They have 7 wins and 2 losses. “He's a leader of men,” Ohio State forward Jamison Battle said of Diebler. “He's all about relationships. No matter what coaches have, that's the 'it' factor and he's got that.” How we've rallied around him in the way we've played. You'll understand just fine. “The Cornell game was Diebler's first game since Ohio State removed the interim tag and named Diebler the head coach last Sunday. I know Blur very well,” Young said. I think his world will be a lot of fun when he gets the opportunity to be a head coach. I'm looking forward to going to the Buckeye State.''The winner advances to the quarterfinals against Georgia or Wake Forest. –Field level media
