Associated Press

March 17, 2010

BLACKSBURG, Va. (AP) — Malcolm Delaney scored 19 of his game-high 25 points in the first half to lead Virginia Tech past Quinnipiac 81-61 in a first-round NIT game Wednesday night.

The Hokies (24-8), who advanced to play Connecticut at home in the second round on a date to be determined, shrugged off the disappointment of not making the NCAA tournament by holding the Bobcats to 38.1…

Associated Press

March 17, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Tech coach Paul Hewitt on Tuesday lashed out at suggestions his rollover contract is the only reason he still has his job.

The coach said Tuesday it is “really cheap” to say the expensive buyout of more than $7 million has kept him at Georgia Tech. Hewitt’s Yellow Jackets finished 12-19 overall and 2-14 in the ACC last year…

Associated Press

March 17, 2010

CHAPEL HILL, N.C. (AP) — Dexter Strickland hit the go-ahead free throws with 2:34 left and North Carolina held William & Mary scoreless for the final 5 minutes in the Tar Heels’ 80-72 win in the first round of the NIT on Tuesday night.

Deon Thompson scored 20 points to lead the Tar Heels (17-16), the reigning national champions who found themselves in the NIT…

Associated Press

March 16, 2010

TAMPA, Fla. (AP) - Dennis Horner scored 25 points and Richard Howell’s go-ahead layup with 8 seconds left barely beat the shot clock as North Carolina State defeated South Florida 58-57 in the first round of the NIT on Tuesday night.

The officials reviewed Howell’s basket to see if he got off the shot before the shot clock expired and the call stood.

USF star Dominique Jones had a…

Associated Press

March 14, 2010

HARRISONBURG, Va. (AP) - Richmond is joining Colonial Athletic Association champion Old Dominion as state schools in the NCAA tournament, while Virginia Tech was left out of the field of 65 announced Sunday.

The disappointed Hokies will be joined by an elated William & Mary team making just its second postseason appearance ever in the NIT field.

The Spiders (26-8), who lost…

Associated Press

March 14, 2010

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) - North Carolina State turned its late-season surge into its first trip to the postseason in three years.

The Wolfpack (19-15) earned a No. 6 seed in the 32-team NIT field and will travel to No. 3 seed South Florida on Tuesday night. It’s a sign of welcome progress for Sidney Lowe’s program, which hadn’t been to the postseason since…

Associated Press

March 14, 2010

Defending national champion North Carolina will play another game after all.

The Tar Heels (16-16) earned a No. 4 seed in the NIT on Sunday night despite a frustrating season filled with injuries and youthful mistakes that sent them to their worst finish under coach Roy Williams.

They will host No. 5 seed William & Mary on Tuesday in Chapel Hill, which will mark the…

Associated Press

March 14, 2010

GREENSBORO, N.C. (AP) - Duke claimed one tournament title Sunday and immediately turned its attention toward the pursuit of an even more important one.

The Atlantic Coast Conference champion claimed the No. 1 seed in the South Regional when the NCAA announced its tournament pairings. The Blue Devils (29-5) will face the play-in winner, Winthrop or Arkansas-Pine Bluff, in the…

Associated Press

March 14, 2010

ATLANTA (AP) - Georgia Tech is returning to the city where it launched its run to the 2004 NCAA championship game.

Paul Hewitt had a warm flashback on Sunday when he saw his Georgia Tech team was being sent to Milwaukee for its NCAA tournament first-round game against Oklahoma State on Friday. The Yellow Jackets opened their successful 2004 tournament in Milwaukee.…

Associated Press

March 14, 2010

CLEMSON, S.C. (AP) - Coach Oliver Purnell knows how to get Clemson in the NCAA tournament. Now, he says the Tigers are ready for more.

Clemson earned its third consecutive NCAA berth on Sunday, something it hadn’t achieved since current Texas coach Rick Barnes took the Tigers there from 1996-98.

However, Barnes began a legacy with his last appearance in 1998 that Purnell…