Coach or didn’t do as much as Buzz or whatever. I remember all of my friends and I very much enjoying the NIT season, going to the games down at VT and then caravanning to NYC for the semis and finals. It was an amazing experience!! It made the season!!! We rushed the floor at MSG after the game it was that big a win. It was the pinnacle of our b-ball experience at VT. And Foster and those JYD players were the key to making that happen.

Then in 1996, there was no way that we could get to Dallas for the games, and it wasn’t even close against UK and it definitely wasn’t as much fun as we had going to the NIT the year before. For us, the accessibility of the NIT games made a big difference in terms of enjoyment. Bigger fish in a smaller pond.

Let’s see how well the ACC teams play in the NIT. It might provide an indicator of where VT would have ended up. I’d guess about as equal as ND.

And a final comment, I think JYD mentality has always seemed to work for VT and it seemed like it bled over from football to b-ball. I’d like to see that toughness return.