Kenny Brooks says Elizabeth Kitley will not participate in the NCAA Tournament due to a lower-leg injury. #Hokies— Andy Bitter (@AndyBitterVT) March 21, 2024
Welp, that's not good
Later confirmed to be a torn ACL
Kenny Brooks confirms Liz Kitley tore her ACL. Devastated for Liz. One of the very best student-athletes I've ever covered, on and off the court.— Kelly Gramlich (@kellygramlich) March 21, 2024
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Comments
They've known all along she was done
Arguably protected our 4 seed, we all know they would have dropped us further without her so at least we get a home game in the tourney.
It just sucks all around...one of the best to do it and poised for a postseason run to have it taken away in the blink of an eye 😢
I think we all knew all along...
I think we all really knew that this was likely the case all along. Some of us were probably just lying to ourselves that she could come back and be full strength for the tourney.
I love my school, but let's be honest VT was absolutely being deceitful. Perhaps for a very good reason, but deceitful nonetheless.
I agree and unfortunately this is going to become the normal process going forward. FSU getting left out of the playoff due to Jordan Travis getting injured set the precedent. Teams are now incentivized to lie about injuries.
ND did exactly the same thing for the WBB tourney last year when Olivia Miles went down. Announced torn ACL on day of their first tourney game. They maintained their 3-seed status and home court in first 2 rounds.
Would expect every school in this situation to do exactly the same thing. Just saying.
Why would anyone tell everyone else how best to prepare against them?
if the NCAA tournament committee has any beef with how this was handled they need to go across the hall and talk to the CFP committee and what happened to FSU.
ZERO issues from me on how the team handled this. They didn't lie, and they chose not to disclose PHI details.
Nobody is going to say anything, it's standard practice.
😭
Gotta feel bad for her and the rest of the Lady Hokies. Let's go get 2 wins in Cassell this weekend.
It sucks so much that this is how her Tech career ends. She's the best, she has been the best, she's done so much for the program, it's just a bummer that she doesn't get to be a part of one more run.
I'll be honest, at least this gives them some sort of an out. I don't feel like they had been playing particularly well since the Gameday UNC game and their shooting had been pretty miserable.
This makes an early exit a lot easier to swallow.
Counterpoint:
This makes a run at the title "for Liz" all the more sweet.
We got absolutely dismantled vs Notre Dame in the ACC Tourney.
Unless this team has figured out how to play the younger talent effectively, we might be looking at a one and done.
Oh, I know. Just trying to stay positive given this news and the fact that it is looking like we might lose Brooks.
Exactly.
Kelly's Heroes always get the leg
For 1.6 million, we can be heroes
I'll thank you not to force me to swallow an exit that has yet to be served.
Yeah what he said. No swallowing
I feel so bad for Kitley. Hope she recovers and goes on to do big things. Always going to be one of the best Hokies we have seen.
Sucks for her. Even more dumb not to celebrate her and hang her jersey at the end of the season. I know there's some arcane rule as to why that "can't" happen, but that's when a leader steps in and makes the right thing happen.
I posted this in the thread about Kenny interviewing for UK, but it's just as relevant here 🫤:
We knew it was coming, but, still...
Is it too late for a medical redshirt? /s
Dammit, I hate this for her. She was having a great career that was hitting a full crescendo, but then I just HAD to go see her play and so I was there on 3/3 when she went down and I knew almost right away what had happened because it was so consistent with what happened (and how it happened) to a couple of friends when they tore their ACLs.
The whole thing sucks. She deserves VT's best & I totally support raising her jersey to the rafters.
I know it's a team sport and all, but her presence on the court was our one shot for a natty. Got to the F4 last year and I thought this was the year to make a run for it all.
Fuck this shit, I hate everything.
I don't know why Tech can't spring for Dr. Rudy Wells to come to Blacksburg to perform the Jaime Sommers surgery on Kitley.
Who can we email to make this happen?
Great pull!
Is it legal to have a bball player use an exoskeleton enhancement for their knee?
Give her the knee brace from The Dark Knight Rises that lets him kick a hole in a cement wall
Logs onto TKP after a busy morning of work.
**Kitley out for tournament.**
**Brooks interviewing at UK**
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I did also hear a fun (good) rumor about Lane Stadium changes.
Well that's nice also wrestling is having a hell of a first round.
is winning a part of the rumor?!!
LED Lights I am guessing since Father Joe Rogers was claiming credit for them yesterday all over X.
Sandman's going to be LIT this coming season...literally!
Also some rumors I've seen a few places that some sweet new unis could be coming.
Throwing everything we've got at football this coming season...so much is riding on it.
I hate this for her. She signed my hat at the Rutgers game and was very nice. Spent time talking with her family during the game as well. Theye were all very cool. Just sucks.
I hate this for her so much. What a shitty end to a fantastic career. I hope she goes on do to great things, whether that's the WNBA or med school or wherever else life takes her.
Ugh, I feel terrible for her. She's worked so hard.
Fuck.
Anyone or anything in particular?
Right now, it's anyone, anything and everything. In the words of the late great Bill Deal, "She Shot a Hole in my Soul", and Kenny's got me singing Baby Please Don't Go!!!!!
Any reference to Bill Deal deserves a leg!
Of course, we all called him "Big" Deal, and my brother played with him in the Rondells for several years before he took half the band and started his own band "The Hot Cakes". He always thanked Bill for getting him started in the biz after he graduated VT. Old days, mostly good ones.
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