1978–79 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team

The 1978–79 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team represented Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University from Blacksburg, Virginia as members of the Metro Conference during the 1978–79 season. The Hokies were led by head coach Charles Moir and played their home games at Cassell Coliseum in Blacksburg, Virginia. After finishing fourth in the Metro regular season standings, Virginia Tech captured the conference tournament title to secure a bid to the NCAA tournament. As No. 8 seed in the Midwest region, the team beat No. 9 seed Jacksonville in the opening round before losing to eventual National runner-up Indiana State and superstar Larry Bird.[2]

1978–79 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball
ConferenceMetro Conference
Record22–9 (4–6 Metro)
Head coach
Home arenaCassell Coliseum
Seasons
1978–79 Metro Conference men's basketball standings
Conf Overall
Team W   L   PCT W   L   PCT
No. 13 Louisville 9 1   .900 24 8   .750
Florida State 7 3   .700 19 10   .655
Memphis State 5 5   .500 13 15   .464
Virginia Tech 4 6   .400 22 9   .710
Cincinnati 4 6   .400 13 14   .481
Saint Louis 3 7   .300 10 17   .370
Tulane 2 8   .200 8 19   .296
1979 Metro Conference tournament winner
Rankings from AP Poll[1]

Roster

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1978–79 Virginia Tech Hokies men's basketball team
Players Coaches
Pos. # Name Height Weight Year Previous school Hometown
F 40 Wayne Robinson 6 ft 8 in (2.03 m)
Jr Greensboro Day School Greensboro, North Carolina
Head coach
Assistant coach(es)

Legend
  • (C) Team captain
  • (S) Suspended
  • (I) Ineligible
  • (W) Walk-on

Roster

Schedule and results

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Date
time, TV
Rank# Opponent# Result Record Site
city, state
Regular Season
Feb 3, 1979*
vs. No. 4 North Carolina
North-South Doubleheader
L 80–92 OT 12–7
Charlotte Coliseum 
Charlotte, North Carolina
Feb 7, 1979*
Old Dominion W 91–85  13–7
Cassell Coliseum 
Blacksburg, Virginia
Feb 10, 1979*
vs. Virginia L 72–78  13–8
Roanoke Civic Center 
Roanoke, Virginia
Feb 12, 1979*
at William & Mary W 55–49  14–8
William & Mary Hall 
Williamsburg, Virginia
Feb 17, 1979*
Georgia Southern W 104–84  15–8
Cassell Coliseum 
Blacksburg, Virginia
Feb 19, 1979
at Cincinnati W 76–75  16–8
(4–6)
Riverfront Coliseum 
Cincinnati, Ohio
Feb 21, 1979*
West Virginia W 73–61  17–8
Cassell Coliseum 
Blacksburg, Virginia
Feb 24, 1979*
at Richmond W 93–91  18–8
Robins Center 
Richmond, Virginia
Metro Tournament
Mar 1, 1979*
vs. Cincinnati
Quarterfinals
W 80–74  19–8
Mid-South Coliseum 
Memphis, Tennessee
Mar 2, 1979*
vs. No. 13 Louisville
Semifinals
W 72–68  20–8
Mid-South Coliseum 
Memphis, Tennessee
Mar 3, 1979*
vs. Florida State
Championship game
W 68–60  21–8
Mid-South Coliseum 
Memphis, Tennessee
NCAA Tournament
Mar 9, 1979*
(8 MW) vs. (9 MW) Jacksonville
First round
W 70–53  22–8
Allen Fieldhouse 
Lawrence, Kansas
Mar 11, 1979*
(8 MW) vs. (1 MW) No. 1 Indiana State
Second round
L 69–86  22–9
Allen Fieldhouse 
Lawrence, Kansas
*Non-conference game. #Rankings from AP Poll. (#) Tournament seedings in parentheses.

[3][4]

Rankings

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[5]

References

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  1. ^ sports-reference.com 1978-79 Metropolitan Collegiate Athletic Conference Season Summary
  2. ^ "Arkansas Advances With Indiana State". The New York Times. March 12, 1979. Retrieved February 13, 2023.
  3. ^ "1978-79 Men's Basketball Schedule". Virginia Tech Athletics. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  4. ^ "2021-22 Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Media Guide" (PDF). Virginia Tech Athletics. Retrieved January 28, 2023.
  5. ^ ESPN College Basketball Encyclopedia: The Complete History of the Men's Game. Random House. 2009. pp. 856–857. ISBN 978-0-345-51392-2.