On March 11, 2007 our beloved Tech Men's Basketball Team gathered to watch the NCAA Selection Show on "Selection Sunday." The Hokies were sitting pretty with a record of 21-11, including a 10-6 mark in the ACC; that was good enough for a third-place regular season finish. The Hokies were knocked out of the semi-finals of the ACC Tournament the previous day by a team that will forever be a thorn in our side, NC State.
The Hokies didn't have to wait too long to hear their names called. They were selected as a #5 seed in the West Regional; their opponent would be #12 seed Illinois.
I dug through the Hokiesports archives and I found some photos of the team watching the NCAA Selection Show. Enjoy...
Team meal before the Selection Show
Our team gathered to watch the ACC Tournament Final
"The waiting is the hardest part" – Tom Petty
Our Puerto Rican sharpshooter, AD Vassallo. Check out those sweet Air Jordan V's!
"If you don't think this team is one of the top 65 teams in the country, you're certifiably insane." – Seth Greenberg (yeah I know he didn't say that until 2008, but I'm sure he was thinking it in 2007 as he watched the selection show)
The smartest guy on the team, Coleman Collins
We're In!!! Seriously, can we get a better TV for these guys? I know it's 2007, but c'mon man!
And there was much rejoicing! Terrance Vinson (middle) looks possessed. And yes, that's Robert Krabbendam (aka The Flying Dutchman) on the far left.
Smiles all around
You gotta love Zabian Dowdell
Jamon Gordon was a defensive stud
Clear eyes, full hearts...
Don't forget your dancing shoes!
The Hokies traveled to Ohio to take on the Fighting Illini. The Hokies beat Illinois in a wild 54-52 contest.
Unfortunately, the Hokies fell to #4 seed Southern Illinois in the second round, which ended their NCAA Tournament run. I was a freshman at Tech during the 2006-2007 season, and I assumed we'd be back to the Big Dance very soon. Sure, we were losing Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon, but we had a lot of returning talent so it wouldn't be long until we returned to March Madness. Alas, it was not meant to be. We had to endure several years of heartbreak after not hearing our names called on Selection Sunday. We were a perennial "bubble team" that was always relegated to the NIT.
It's been ten years since the Hokies went to the Big Dance. That streak should end on Sunday as we'll HOPEFULLY hear our names called during the NCAA Tournament Selection Show. There will be a Selection Show Watch Party inside Cassell Coliseum. That's a whole lot better than watching the show on some crappy JVC television like they did back in 2007.
Speaking of the 2007 squad...
Comments
Awesome write-up. Deron's dunks still give me goosebumps.
They still give Greg Paulus goosebumps too...
This is great, thanks for putting it together. What a squad that was
Bonus legs for the Robert Krabbendam shout out
I remember seeing that guy at West End ALL. THE. TIME. But how can you miss him in a crowd of people? He couldn't just blend in.
I remember walking by that guy on the drill field. A stand-up guy you could really look up to...
Dear God how far our TV technology has come
Yet the head coach has the same amount of hair :D
Leonard hot take -
1. Can't believe 2007 was ten years ago, I thought 2007 was just this morning.
2. This was the year the Hokies passed on Steph Curry. #stillbitterlyperplexed
Can we just take a moment to appreciate Deron's superior dunking ability?
His play reminds me of an And1 mixtape.
TEABAG PAULUS!!!
We should bring Deron back to teach Dunkology 101
Also in those galleries:
#44 for BC is thinking, "I want no part in this."
I just can't believe that Deron Washington is 31, I remember him getting drafted by the Pistons like it was yesterday.
Man, we need an electrifying flying dunker like Deron Washington on the team in the near future (Clarke comes close). When that guy had the ball you just know something nuts was gonna happen. He ate rims for breakfast and Paulus ate......you know! He knew how to get the fans involved in a hurry.
I still have a picture of him leaving the Cassell floor his last time. Respect!!
The height he got when defending inbounds passes was ridiculous
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+1
Tyrie Jackson is a pretty good dunker, but is only 6'1".
I was at an event where Buzz was talking about his players, and said Pig (Jackson) was easily the best athlete on the team.
I remember my first XBox 360 game I ever had was NCAA March Madness 07 with Adam Morrison on the cover when he played for Gonzaga. Looking back at it, that game was not the greatest by any means, but I remember winning the national title that year as a 1 seed with this Hokie squad. Zabian and Jamon were so dirty on that game. I got the game in like 2010 and once I won the national title, I don't think I ever picked up the game again. Really wish there was some way for EA to reach some deal with the NCAA because nothing was more fun back in the day than college football/basketball games. Say what we want about Greenberg, but I will never forget that Illinois game or beating UNC in OT in Chapel Hill that year. Great times.
Random story about AD Vassallo:
My senior year at VT was 2014, I was playing pickup basketball at McComas and the guy I was guarding got hurt. Their team turned to the sideline and screamed, "Yo AD, get in here!" At the moment I didn't think anything of it, I just thought, "Man, that's a big guy I have to guard". He hit a 3 on their first possession from about 30' and then it clicked with me. Running back down the floor I looked at him and said, "AD? Are you AD Vassallo?" He nonchalantly said, "Yea, I played varsity basketball here." Keep in mind we're in the middle of a close game still, and all I could think to say was, "Yea, I know. You were my favorite player."
I loved that team, they were awesome and it's also cool to know that the guys you liked when you were a kid are good dudes.
Stories like these are some of my favorite parts of TKP.
AD Vassallo came to my high school's game - in WV. One of my friends was being recruited by a few D1 programs, and AD showed up for a game with county rival.
I took a picture with him after the game; he was a super nice guy.
I still have my ticket stub for this game!
I remember that Illinois game vividly. For dinner my parents always liked to turn on music. When a game was on, though, we would watch that. About halfway through the second half, my dad wanted no part of that Illinois game and changed the tv back to music given. I kept convincing him to turn it back on, and he finally budged. We proceeded to watch Deron Washington absolutely take that game over. Still one of my favorite Hokie memories to this day. In fact, that whole season was filled with awesome memories. I was a third grader at the time. Little did I know I'd have to wait till I was a college student to watch us play in the NCAA tournament again. Thank you, Buzz Williams.