Jan. 16, 2007

When Virginia Tech joined the Atlantic Coast Conference three years ago, the Hokies were welcomed as a big football asset.

Basketball didn't matter. The ACC was doing quite nicely on that front.

Well, things sure have changed.

When they were in the Big East and coached by former ACC star Ricky Stokes, the Hokies didn't even qualify for the league tournament until 2004. Now they're knocking off top 5 teams and are ranked No. 23, the first time they've been in the AP poll in more than a decade.

In a span of eight days, Virginia Tech won 69-67 in overtime at then-No. 5 Duke, easily beat North Carolina-Greensboro and then ended North Carolina's stay at No. 1 with a 94-88 stunner at raucous Cassell Coliseum.

"I told the guys, 'Two years ago, we had no chance. Last year, we were competitive, and this year, we found a way to win,"' coach Seth Greenberg said. "That shows that we're making progress, but we've got to build on what we're doing, not settle."

When the Hokies take the floor Wednesday night at Florida State, they will do so as one of the surprise teams this season.

Greenberg is getting excellent play from senior guards Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon, among the nation's most dynamic backcourts and the main reason Virginia Tech basketball matters again.

Duke and North Carolina were victimized by the ballhawking Hokies, who lead the ACC in turnover margin, forcing nearly 8 1/2 more a game than they commit.

"Me and Zabian are probably two of the most underrated players in the nation," Gordon said. "We give it hard every night. If we're not scoring, we're playing defense. Not too many guards will outplay us every night."

Greenberg realized early on his team had to move beyond last season, which he called "the worst of human tragedy that any team has been through."

Forward Allen Calloway was diagnosed with cancer. Center Coleman Collins missed time to be with his father, who died of cancer during the season. Guard Shawn Harris' grandmother died during the season. Forward Wynton Witherspoon's mother was diagnosed with cancer. Forward Deron Washington's family was displaced after Hurricane Katrina ravaged New Orleans.

On the court, there were tough losses. In a game at Duke, the Hokies led the top-ranked Blue Devils 75-74 with 1.6 seconds left until Sean Dockery made a halfcourt heave to win it. By any stretch, it was a season to forget and the Hokies finished 14-16.

After a 59-58 loss at Marshall last month, Greenberg knew the team needed to put last season aside.

"I wasn't happy to continue to allow us to use that as our crutch," he said.

Now the players understand where they stand and what they must do. Against the Tar Heels, whom Greenberg called "the standard of what ACC basketball is all about," they embraced the chance to make a statement.

"We came out with the mind-set of taking it to them," reserve A.D. Vassallo said. "We came out playing hard. We were scrappy. We just put them against the wall."

With Gordon and Dowdell getting their hands in the passing lanes, and Collins making Tyler Hansbrough work for every touch down low, the Hokies dominated even when Washington and reserve big men Lewis Witcher and Cheick Diakite got in foul trouble.

The steadying forces were Gordon and Dowdell. They combined to play all but 15 minutes and had 40 points, nine steals, nine rebounds and nine assists. They also hit three of four free throws in the last 14.8 seconds after the Tar Heels closed to 91-88.

When it was over, they joined Collins atop courtside tables as fans streamed onto the court. For Collins and the other four seniors, it was a moment to savor, and build on.

"We know how that feeling is when you blow a 20-point lead and come in in tears," he said after finding a moment to enjoy the celebration with his mother. "We don't want anything but tears of joy in this locker room for the rest of the season."