WHEREAS, the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University men's basketball team won the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship at the Barclays Center in Brooklyn, New York, on March 12, 2022; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Tech Hokies defeated the Duke University Blue Devils by a score of 82–67 to secure the university's first ever Atlantic Coast Conference men's basketball tournament championship title; and

WHEREAS, after going into the half, narrowly ahead by 42–39, the Virginia Tech Hokies quickly jumped out to a double-digit advantage early in the second half and held at least a five-point lead for the remainder of the contest; and

WHEREAS, the Virginia Tech Hokies' historic win was a total team effort, with standout performances from the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament's Most Valuable Player Hunter Cattoor, who scored a career-high 31 points while shooting seven for nine from beyond the arc, and Keve Aluma, who had 19 points, 10 rebounds, and seven assists on the day; and

WHEREAS, entering the Atlantic Coast Conference tournament as the seventh seed, the Virginia Tech Hokies pulled off four wins in four straight days to become the lowest-seeded team to win the championship in the history of the tournament; and

WHEREAS, by also winning 13 of 15 games in the run up to its Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship win, the Virginia Tech Hokies punched their ticket to the 2022 National Collegiate Athletic Association tournament in commanding fashion; and

WHEREAS, the success of the Virginia Tech Hokies is the result of the dedication and hard work of the student-athletes, the leadership and guidance of their coaches and trainers, and the unwavering support of the entire Virginia Tech community; now, therefore, be it

RESOLVED by the Senate of Virginia, That the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University men's basketball team hereby be commended for winning the 2022 Atlantic Coast Conference tournament championship; and, be it

RESOLVED FURTHER, That the Clerk of the Senate prepare a copy of this resolution for presentation to Mike Young, head coach of the Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University men's basketball team, as an expression of the Senate of Virginia's admiration for the team's achievement.