STATE AWAITS TOP-10 HISTORY
Hokies, Cavs will provide first such clash in series
Their 1983 game showcased Virginia’s Hall of Famer and Virginia Tech’s iconic shooter. Six years later, the Cavaliers survived 43 points by the Hokies’ career scoring leader. In 2006, these rivals collided in their conference tournament for the only time. Indeed, when two programs have met 147 times dating back to 1915, good luck counting the storylines and subplots. But never have Virginia and Virginia Tech clashed with both ranked among the nation’s top 10 by the Associated Press, or any poll for that matter.
Until now. Until the largest regular-season men’s college basketball contest our state has witnessed.
Tuesday night in Charlottesville, the No. 9 Hokies visit the
No. 4 Cavaliers. The AP will unveil a new poll Monday, but it’s difficult to envision either team exiting the top 10.
Now regardless of poll numbers, January stakes are limited. Barring famine and/or pestilence, Tech (14-1, 3-0 ACC after Wednesday’s 52-49 victory at Georgia Tech) and Virginia (15-0, 3-0 after Saturday’s 63-43 road rout of Clemson) are ticketed for the