David Teel: Jarring loss to FSU not necessarily a verdict for Virginia Tech
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Three Virginia Tech basketball players have experienced the NCAA Tournament: Jaden Schutt at Duke, Amani Hansberry at Illinois, and Tobi Lawal at VCU. But none of them was relevant to the team’s fortunes. None of them encountered the pressure of striving to qualify for March Madness. Until now. The Hokies (17-9, 6-7 ACC) are chasing the program’s first NCAA bid in four years, and their collective unfamiliarity with the challenge shows. Witness last Wednesday’s victory at then-No. 20 Clemson, Tech is capable of scaling that mountain. Facing the ACC’s second-ranked defense — only Duke’s is more efficient — the Hokies shot better than 50% inside and beyond the 3-point arc. They defended...