ETTICK, Va. -- Since Lonnie Blow Jr. arrived at Virginia State University, making the NCAA tournament has become almost a given.
The Trojans received an at-large bid for the 2020 NCAA Division II Tournament. VSU are the #7 seed in the Atlantic Region and will travel to West Liberty, West Virginia to play the host school in a 1st round match-up this weekend.
"Anytime you get to the NCAA Tournament, every time is a different deal," said VSU Head Coach Lonnie Blow Jr. "I don't care how many times you go, every time you just get pumped up."
This marks the fourth time in the last five years the Trojans have reached the NCAA tournament. In the previous three trips, VSU won their first round game.
"The NCAA Tournament is a big stage," stated Coach Blow. "It's different from the regular season, different from the CIAA Tournament, it's a bigger stage."
Coach Blow is very familiar with West Liberty. VSU played the Hilltoppers in the second round of the 2016 NCAA Tournament in Wheeling, West Virginia, a 10 point victory for West Liberty. And just last year, they met in the Round of 32 in Indiana, Pennsylvania, an 82-80 win for the Hilltoppers.
"Had a close one with West Liberty last year up at IUP," said Coach Blow. "Hopefully we can get over the hump this year."
