Tech's struggles in close games date all the way back to November 2 in the second game of the season. The Hokies led Bowling Green 71-70, and Bowling Green's John Floyd missed a shot off the front of the rim for the win, but Tech's A.D. Vassallo accidentally tipped the ball in the opposing team's basket as the buzzer went off, giving the Falcons a 72-71 win.

ACC officials have since admitted that the call was wrong. Since Vassallo was a defender, the ball had to be in the basket before the buzzer went off rather than just in the air. Vassallo touched the ball, then the buzzer sounded, and then the ball went in the basket. According to NCAA rules, the shot should not have counted, and the Hokies should rightfully have won the game.

Of course the most famous loss was back on December 4 in Cameron Indoor Stadium. The Hokies had #1 Duke on the ropes on the road. The Blue Devils led the Hokies 74-63, but VT ran off 12 consecutive points, including a tip-in by Coleman Collins with 1.6 seconds remaining, to take a 75-74 lead.

Duke threw a hail-mary pass the length of the court, where Sean Dockery caught it and heaved up a prayer from about 40 feet away. The shot went in, and with the way Tech's season has gone, if that play happened ten more times, Dockery would probably make that shot seven or eight times.

More frustrating losses came against Boston College. Both times the Eagles were ranked in the top 15 when they played the Hokies, and both times Zabian Dowdell missed a three-pointer at the buzzer that would have given Virginia Tech a much-needed victory. BC escaped Blacksburg 74-73 when Dowdell's wide open three-pointer clanked off the rim, and again came away with a narrow win in Chestnut Hill by a final score of 59-57.

Virginia Tech knew they had to get North Carolina this year, or it would be quite some time before they would have the chance again. Back on January 10, the Hokies got the chance in Cassell Coliseum. With Tech trailing 64-61 with half-a-second left in the game, VT inbounded to Deron Washington in the corner, but his three-pointer bounced off the front of the rim.

Throwing out the 13 point loss to Duke in Cassell Coliseum, the Hokies lost four games to the top three teams in the league, Duke, UNC and Boston College, by a total of eight points. The Blue Devils knocked off the Hokies by two points, UNC won by three, while BC won by one in Blacksburg and two in Chestnut Hill. The Hokies had six point losses to the #4 and #5 teams in the league, NC State and Florida State. That's six losses to the top five teams in the ACC by a total of 20 points.

But perhaps nothing was as frustrating as Tech's three losses to Virginia this season. Each game was very close, and each could have gone either way. The Hokies dropped all three games by scores of 54-49, 81-77 in overtime and 60-56 in the ACC Tournament. Despite getting numerous open looks in all three games, Virginia Tech made just 11-of-58 shots from three-point range for a mark of 18.9%.

Next season, things could be different for the Hokies. They return all five starters, as well as key reserves such as Wynton Witherspoon, Cheick Diakite, Markus Sailes and Chris Tucker. They will get Robert Krabbendam back from a redshirt season, and his size on the inside could prove to be a big boost for next year, if he rebounds aggressively, plays solid defense, and can contribute at least 10-12 points a game. Terrance Vinson redshirted this season and could help out on the inside as well.

The Hokies also have what appears to be a good recruiting class coming in. All are ranked among the top 100 players in the country by at least one publication. Nigel Munson (6-0, 170) is a pass-first point guard who shot 47% from three-point range and 91% from the free throw line as a junior in high school. Tyrone Appleton-Miller (6-3, 180) is a combo guard in the mold of Jamon Gordon who could see early playing time. Lewis Witcher (6-8, 215) is a homegrown product from Rocky Mount, VA who was recruited by Maryland and Wake Forest, but chose to be a Hokie.

With nearly all of their contributors from this year's team returning, plus getting players back from redshirt seasons, and the incoming recruiting class, next season's team looks to be one of the deepest in Virginia Tech history, if not the deepest. Seth Greenberg will have a number of different lineup options to choose from.

The Hokies will also have one of their most experienced teams ever, and perhaps the most experienced team in the ACC. Jamon Gordon, Zabian Dowdell and Coleman Collins will return for their senior seasons, and they each have been full-time starters since their freshman season. Deron Washington will be a junior, and he has started every game since he arrived in Blacksburg. Markus Sailes, another senior, started every game his sophomore year and part of his junior year. Wynton Witherspoon has two seasons under his belt, while A.D. Vassallo and Cheick Diakite got valuable playing time as freshmen this year.