Ah, February in college basketball, where a lot of games begin to take on a hint of desperation. Both NC State and Virginia Tech are fighting for NCAA tournament position at this point of the season, with neither even close to a guaranteed spot in the field. The Hokies are worse off at this point, as they have the terrible non-conference slate to match NC State without the same caliber of quality wins.
Virginia Tech also has a much more difficult schedule down the stretch with games remaining against Virginia, Duke (2), Clemson, and Miami. The Hokies will need to add to their list of quality wins in there somewhere, and in the meantime they really really need a win at home on Wednesday night.