Hoops campaigns for NCAA bid in D.C.

After ending the season on a high note by defeating the Clemson Tigers, Tech put itself in prime position to earn an NCAA Tournament bid as they head to the ACC Tournament at the MCI Center in Washington D.C. this week. In the first round today the Jackets look to avenge an early-season loss to Virginia Tech and fortify its NCAA Tournament hopes.

" As players, we just got to go out there and make plays, " said starting forward Anthony McHenry. " We need to win this first game to get to the ACC Championship. "

Today ' s game in D.C. will mark Tech ' s 26th appearance in the ACC Tournament, where the Ramblin ' Wreck holds an all-time record of 17-22 and 2-4 under Coach Paul Hewitt. Tech has won the ACC tournament three times, all under former coach Bobby Cremins.

Tech has shown some promise as well as growing team cohesion since the return of guard B.J. Elder and freshman forward Jeremis Smith by winning three of its last four road games and leading the one they lost to Wake Forest by double digits in the second half. The return of Smith helped the Jackets outrebound their last seven opponents by almost two rebounds per game on average, a stretch over which Smith has been averaging five rebounds a game.

" This team has overcome an awful lot to put themselves in a position where we ' re in discussion for an NCAA Tournament berth.We ' ve overcome an awful lot, and if we are invited, I have a lot of confidence that we can accomplish a lot, " Hewitt said.

Tech is hoping its team ' s injuries to Elder and Jeremis Smith combined with its relatively stronger play in the ACC with the return of those players will make a good case for the NCAA Tournament Selection Committee to place them in the field of 65 on Selection Sunday. The Jackets have only played seven games in which all 14 players on the roster have been dressed.

Tech has not been able to completely escape the injury bug this week; Hewitt sat Isma ' il Muhammad out of Wednesday ' s practice before leaving for D.C. and says his playing status is a game time decision that will be Muhammad ' s in the end.

Muhammad has been bothered by patella tendonitis since last year ' s tournament run and has not recovered 100 percent.

" He ' ll be honest with me. Based on how he feels before the game he said he ' ll be honest with me...It ' s approaching the worst it ' s ever been for him [concerning his tendonitis]. It ' s bothered him the whole season. It ' s an interesting lesson for him realizing just how important your legs are in this game and how to take care of them, " Hewitt said.

In his final press conference in Atlanta before the start of the postseason, Hewitt emphasized the team ' s ACC-leading defense, which ranks first in field goal percentage defense for the second consecutive year while ranking second in scoring defense.

" They consistently go out after you [on defense]; they are consistently concentrated [on defense], " Hewitt said. " We always talk in our locker room about how we don ' t allow your offense to impact your energy and concentration level on defense. "

" In a tournament situation where it ' s a one and done situation, all it takes is one gap in your game, one three- or four-minute run that can put your season to an end or put your tournament hopes to an end, " Hewitt said about the plethora of close games Tech has played in the latter half of the season.

On that note Tech is walking a tightrope with 12 of its last 13 games decided by eight points or less, where Tech has posted a 6-7 mark. In Tech ' s last six wins they have only outscored opponents by 25 points cumulatively.

Despite the unfortunate number of injuries that occurred or reoccurred in some situations coupled with the setbacks in team chemistry those injuries induced, Hewitt knows his team of seniors has been through rougher times. From seeing a low point in their college careers with home losses to Penn, Tulane and IUPUI before starting the ACC 0-7 as freshmen, Elder, Muhammad, Anthony McHenry and Luke Schenscher turned it around for a Jackets squad that fought furiously in its last nine games, winning seven of them in Hewitt ' s first season.

They improved as sophomores with the addition of point guard Jarrett Jack and now-departed Chris Bosh to earn an NIT berth, where they advanced as far as the quarterfinals, which set up their dream season of a year ago. With the addition of Will Bynum last year, the Jackets went farther in the NCAA Tournament than any prior Tech team, falling one win short of being crowned champions. Now, as seniors, the group looks to get past the frustrations of this season and go out in style.

" If anything, the guys in our locker room this year are more frustrated at not being able to grasp what we know we ' re capable of doing. It ' s been frustrating for them. They know in real life that this team has overcome an awful lot, more than what past teams could have overcome, " Hewitt said.

For those that are doubting Tech ' s ability to make a Final Four run this year because of offensive woes, the stats are comparable to last year ' s squad at the same point in the season. The Jackets ranked in the upper half in the ACC for both scoring average in all games and in conference games both last year and this year, where both teams ranked fifth in the ACC.

Another statistic that is comparable to last year is field goal percentage, which is only five-thousandths of a point off last year ' s mark of 46 percent, and both teams ranked third in the conference in that category.

Tech ' s assist average is actually slightly better than last year ' s and its turnover average is the same at 15.4 a game. The main difference on the stat sheet is Tech ' s shooting problems from downtown where they shot almost 37 percent last year compared to just 33 percent this year. This might be attributed to the loss of Elder for ten games.

Regardless of the team ' s record, the vibe in the locker room remains positive heading into the postseason.

" If we get in, we are as good as anyone in the country, " Hewitt said.