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Stadium: Cassell Coliseum
Built as a replacement for the much smaller War Memorial Gymnasium, the Coliseum's construction began in 1961. It was completed in December 1964 at a cost of $2.7 million. It was designed by Carneal and Johnston,(now Ballou Justice Upton Architects, Richmond, Va) and built by T.C. Brittain and Company of Decatur, Georgia. Originally just referred to as "the Coliseum," it was dedicated on September 17, 1977 to the late Stuart K. Cassell, former school business manager, first Vice President of Administration, and major supporter of the building of the arena.
The first game, however, was on January 3, 1962. The Hokies played Alabama. The Hokies won 91-67. Unfortunately, the crowd sat on the concrete floor to watch the game because the seats had not arrived.
Team History:
The Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team is a NCAA Division I college basketball team competing in the Atlantic Coast Conference. Home games are played at Cassell Coliseum, located on Virginia Tech's campus in Blacksburg.
Virginia Tech has seen a resurgence of its basketball program under coach Seth Greenberg. During the 2006-2007 regular season, Virginia Tech beat Duke at Cameron Indoor Stadium and also beat top-ranked North Carolina in Blacksburg. The Hokies went on to beat fourth-ranked North Carolina in Chapel Hill that same season.
The Hokies lost to Southern Illinois in the second round of the 2007 NCAA tournament. The Hokies' last appearance in the NCAA tournament was following the 1995-1996 season. They won the National Invitation Tournament following the 1994-1995 and 1972-1973 seasons.
Season Preview:
Good news: The Hokies are coming off a season in which they won their first NCAA Tournament game in 11 seasons and swept three games against Duke and North Carolina. Forward Deron Washington and guard A.D. Vassallo have the ability to be big-time scorers, and sophomore Cheick Diakite and freshman Lewis Witcher played well in limited roles last season.
Bad news: The Hokies must replace the nucleus of their team: guards Zabian Dowdell and Jamon Gordon and forward Coleman Collins. Gus Gilchrist, the most high-profile recruit signed in the Seth Greenberg era, asked to be released from his scholarship after the mass shooting on campus in April.
Official Site:
hokiesports.com