A challenging home conference slate, plus an appearance in the 2K Classic in Madison Square Garden, trips to both Kentucky and Mississippi and the always tough Atlantic Coast Conference foes highlight the 2017-18 Virginia Tech men’s basketball schedule.
“This year’s schedule should prove to be the most challenging since we have been at Virginia Tech,” head coach Buzz Williams said. “Road trips to two SEC schools, including perennial national contender Kentucky, plus the outstanding field in the 2K Classic, will test our program. The home match-up with Iowa in the ACC/Big Ten Challenge will be a great compliment to our outstanding home ACC schedule, which will be, without a doubt, the strongest ACC home slate since Virginia Tech joined the conference.”
The Hokies will play 18 home games this season. Highlighting the home non-conference schedule is the ACC/Big Ten Challenge game against Iowa on Nov. 28 in Carilion Clinic Court at Cassell Coliseum. The return of New River Valley foe Radford and two home games in the 2K Classic are also among the home dates. The Hokies will open the 2017-18 schedule on Friday, Nov. 10 against Detroit Mercy as part of the 2K Classic. The complete non-conference schedule was announced earlier.
Tech will travel to the Big Apple for the 2K Classic benefiting the Wounded Warrior Project on Nov. 16 and 17 at Madison Square Garden. On the 16th, Tech will play Saint Louis at 7 p.m. In the night’s second game, Washington and Providence will play. The next night, the winners of the two games will meet at 7:30 p.m. in the championship game, preceded at 5 p.m. by the consolation game. All games will be shown on ESPN2. Tech returns to Carilion Court on Nov. 21 to face Houston Baptist for the final game of the 2K Classic.
Tech will serve as the host to the Hawkeyes on Nov. 28 for the ACC/Big Ten Challenge at 9:15 p.m. on ESPN2. A road trip to Ole Miss on Dec. 2 is the first of two trips to SEC schools this season. On Dec. 16, the Hokies will travel to Lexington, Kentucky to face perennial power Kentucky in Rupp Arena. The game will tip at 2 p.m. and will be televised nationally on ESPN2.
The Hokies open the ACC regular season on Sunday, Dec. 31, as they travel to the Carrier Dome to face Syracuse in an ESPNU game. In addition to the Orange, Tech will play road games at Wake Forest, Louisville, Notre Dame, Boston College, Virginia, Duke, Georgia Tech and will close out the regular season on March 3 at Miami at noon on either ESPN or ESPN2.
Tech will open its home ACC slate on Wednesday, Jan. 3, as they play host to in-state rival Virginia. The game will tip at 9 p.m. and be shown on the ACC Network. In addition to the Cavaliers, the Hokies will have home contests with Pittsburgh, Florida State, Miami, NC State, Clemson, Louisville, Duke and a “Big Monday” game against defending national champion North Carolina at 7 p.m. on Jan. 22.
The Hokies will have at least 27 games televised and all 18 of the Hokies’ ACC games will be televised this season. Tech will be featured on an ESPN network at least 16 times this season, plus a national CBS game against Louisville at Carilion Court at 1 p.m. on Feb. 24. Tech will make two ESPN “Big Monday” appearances this season, Jan. 22 against North Carolina and Feb. 26 at home against Duke. All conference games carried on an ESPN network also will be available on the ESPN app. All conference games carried on the ACC Network, ACC Network Extra or a regional sports network also will be available on the ESPN app. The ACC Office will update times and additional television coverage at a later date.
“The ACC will once again be the best conference in college basketball,” Williams said. “Our team will have to work hard every day in all aspects of our culture to compete in this outstanding league.”
–VT Athletics