Both Tech’s men’s and women’s basketball teams qualified for the 2010 NCAA Tournament. It is the first time both have qualified since 2007. Tech is one of six ACC teams in the men’s field and one of six in the women’s field.
The men’s team was selected as a No. 10 seed in the tournament’s Midwest region. The bracket matches them up with No. 7 seed Oklahoma State. They will play on March 19 at 7:15 p.m. in Milwaukee, Wisc. Tech was a No. 10 seed the last time they made the tournament, losing to UNLV in the first round, 67-63.
Late in the season, the men’s squad was perceived to be “on the bubble,” meaning they did not qualify for an automatic bid and would only make the tournament if the NCAA selection committee selected them as an at-large bid. A run to the ACC Tournament championship game helped boost Tech’s prospects of getting into the tournament. After losing to Duke, Tech had to wait the hours before the bracket was released to see if it could qualify for the tournament for the first time in two years.
The women’s team was chosen as a No. 6 seed in the Kansas City region and will be playing No. 11 seed Arkansas-Little Rock in the Round of 64 on March 21 at 7:16 p.m. in Norman, Okla. If both higher seeds advance in the first round, Tech would have to play No. 3 seed Oklahoma in what would essentially be a home game for the Sooners. Tech lost to Oklahoma last year in the second round of the tournament, 69-50.
After losing in the quarterfinals of the ACC tournament to Duke, the women’s team has been awaiting its postseason selection for over a week. The team was considered to be a lock to make the tournament, having been ranked in the AP Top 25 for much of the season, and was only awaiting what kind of seed it would earn from the selection committee. They have made the tournament for four straight years and this year’s No. 6 seed is the highest they have ever earned.