40 minutes at a time

Story by Chris Graham
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Listen to “The SportsDominion Show” ACC Basketball Monday interview with Virginia Tech coach Seth Greenberg.

Virginia Tech is back on the good side of .500 in ACC play, which means that the Hokies have to be considered part of the equation when it comes to the NCAA Tournament.
Seth Greenberg has a simpler equation in mind.
“It’s real simple. It’s just – the next 40 minutes are the most important,” Greenberg told reporters today during his weekly teleconference.

The Hokies would appear to have things working in their favor – with home games against Boston College and Wake Forest and only one more road contest, at Clemson on March 9.

If Tech could just hold serve, we’re talking about 9-7 in the ACC and 18-12 overall. That would seem to give them a leg up toward getting an invite to the Big Dance, though ESPN.com’s Bracketology columnist Joe Lunardi has the Hokies on the outside looking in, with Maryland, another team with a 7-6 ACC mark right now that was swept by Virginia Tech in the regular season, as a #11 seed.

“Every two days, Bracketology changes. Who really cares? What does it really mean? So someone’s going to win a game, someone’s going to lose a game, so it’s going to change tomorrow? Someone’s trending up, someone’s trending down. All it does is it feeds the animal that is the NCAA Tournament. And obviously it’s great because there’s so much attention put to making the tournament, who’s in, who’s out, who’s on the bubble. But it doesn’t mean anything,” Greenberg said.

Forty minutes. That’s all that matters right now.
“I know that that’s the world’s sickest cliche. And probably you guys are rolling your eyes and thinking that it’s coachspeak, but let’s face it. It’s true. I wish I could come up with something really creative so you could say, Man, that’s brilliant. But there’s no brilliance in it,” Greenberg said. “The next 40 minutes is important, and if you’re fortunate enough to play well the next 40 minutes, and you have a chance to win, and you’re good enough to win, then you know what, the next 40 minutes become a little more significant. And that’s really all we can control.
“A pretty boring answer, I know. I apologize,” Greenberg said.

Chris Graham is the executive editor of The SportsDominion.