Much to the amazement of NCAA officials, NIT Fever is sweeping the nation, and your Va. Tech Hokies take on M-i-crooked-letter-crooked-letter-i-crooked-letter-i-humpback-humpack-i at 7PM Wednesday in Blacksburg.  NIT ratings continue to soar on the worldwide leader in sports leading Disney/ABC officials to announce that ESPN2 would focus solely on the NIT due to it's overwhelming national popularity.  All day NIT coverage will include irrelevant analysis by Bobby Knight, a special Behind the Scenes at the NIT, and Where Are They Now: the Duquesne Dukes, 1955 NIT Champions.

We can't begin to describe how excited we are about the NIT.  With Lost off the air and Rock of Love 2 coming to a tragic end, watching the NIT has become our primary objective (we just watched UMass come back from 22 down to beat Syracuse).  We punished UAB 75-49 in a player/fan love fest in sold out Cassell Coliseum.  We are convinced Cassell would sell out for a rodeo featuring a three-legged mule and a one-eyed cowboy if we made enough student tickets available.  Which raises three important points: (1) our students kick ass....they were loud all game long, except during Tech free throws when they were quiet, almost too quiet; (2) apparently, we've become a basketball school; and (3) someone needs to convince Weaver to provide more and better seats for students.  When Cassell is like it was Monday night, there is no team in the country we can't beat.

We played incredible defense against UAB, essentially shutting down their entire offense.  Going the other way, we couldn't miss early...great execution by the starting five.  Vassallo led with 18, Washington had 16, and Delaney made some really important baskets dropping 17.

Which brings us to the next hurdle between us and NIT infamy....the great state of Mississippi.  Where's Eli Manning when you need him, Rebels???  Ole Miss is 23-10 following an 86-75 overtime win vs. Nebraska.  They are a good SEC team with victories over Clemson, Vanderbilt, Mississippi State, and Arkansas and a two point loss to Tennessee.  They are lead by G Chris Waren (15.5 ppg) and C Dwayn Curtis (15.0 ppg).  If we can beat them, we play in New York on April 1 for the right to go to the championship game.

Speaking of championships, for those of you not following the College Basketball Invitational (a brand new third tier tournament this season), UVA is in the semifinals.  Get this: if they beat Bradley, they meet the winner of the Houston-Tulsa game in a best of three series for the CBI title.  A best of three series....brilliant.  The winner gets a trophy and an automatic berth in next year's NIT.  Go Hoos.

We are so fired up we can barely stand it.  H-O-K-I-E-S HOKIES!!  Enjoy this game.  It's the last home game of the season and the last of Deron Washington's career.  NIT Fever.  Catch it.

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