Here is Why the Virginia Tech Hokies Will Win the WBIT
Entering the 2024-2025 season, a lot of uncertainty surrounded Virginia Tech’s program after losing three-time ACC Player of the Year Elizabeth Kitley to the WNBA draft, along with a collection of head coach Kenny Brooks — who had been with Virginia Tech since 2016 — two-time All-ACC guard Georgia Amoore, and freshman center Clara Strack all leaving to join the Kentucky Wildcats.
With many gaps to address, the Hokies most importantly found their new head coach, Megan Duffy, in April. Duffy, who played college basketball at Notre Dame from 2003 to 2006, has been the head coach at Marquette since 2019. Shortly after Duffy’s arrival to Blacksburg, Virginia Tech also brought in Utah junior guard Lani White from the transfer portal.
Virginia Tech finished their first season under Duffy with an 18-12 record, going 9-9 in conference play. The Hokies’ ACC Tournament run was brief, as they were eliminated by Georgia Tech in their first game — whose first loss of the season came against Virginia Tech in January. Although the ACC tournament loss played a significant role in the Hokies falling short of earning a spot in the NCAA tournament, playing in the ACC faced them with some of the strongest competition in college basketball.
The ACC led all conferences this year with eight teams earning NCAA tournament bids, with four of those teams — Duke, NC State, North Carolina, and Notre Dame — receiving a top three seed. The ACC has also had at least one team reach the Final Four in each of the past three seasons, including Virginia Tech in 2023. Despite missing out of a tournament bid for the first time since 2019, the Hokies defeated three teams in this year’s NCAA tournament: Georgia Tech, Louisville, and California.
A reason for Virginia Tech’s 18 wins this season was the offensive success. Among the ACC, they finished second in both field goal percentage (46.78%) and three-point percentage (38.62%). Both shooting percentages rank as the best among all WBIT teams, with their three-point percentage being the fourth highest in the country. Four different players — Carleigh Wenzel (14.5), Carys Baker (12.7), Rose Micheaux (12.5), and Matilda Ekh (12.3) — averaged more than 12 points per game, giving the Hokies a dynamic lineup that creates challenges for opponents defensively.
As the No. 1 overall seed in the WBIT, the Hokies have positioned themselves as the tournament favorites. With the tournament format, Virginia Tech will host the first three rounds at Cassell Coliseum, giving them a home-court advantage on their path to the semifinals. Notably, the Hokies are the only ACC team on their side of the bracket. This season, they were 7-0 at home against non-conference opponents, with an average winning margin of 29 points per game.
Among the four No. 1 seeds in the WBIT — Colorado (20-12, 9-9), James Madison (28-5, 18-0), and Saint Joseph’s (23-9, 12-6) — Virginia Tech has the most combined victories against Quad 1 and Quad 2 opponents (5). Additionally, the Hokies were a perfect 10-0 in Quad 4 play, making them the only No. 1 seed to be undefeated in that category.
Looking to make a statement in March, Virginia Tech will face North Carolina A&T (19-11, 15-3) on Thursday, March 20, at 6:00p.m. in the first round of the WBIT.
