March Madness 2019: 10 teams with the toughest path to the Final Four

NEW YORK, NEW YORK - MARCH 15: Head coach Steve Wojciechowski of the Marquette Golden Eagles discusses a call with a referee in the first half against the Seton Hall Pirates during the semifinal round of the Big East Tournament at Madison Square Garden on March 15, 2019 in New York City. (Photo by Elsa/Getty Images) /

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CHARLOTTE, NC – MARCH 14: Virginia Tech Hokies guard Ahmed Hill (13) hits an open layup during the ACC basketball tournament between the Virginia Tech Hokies and the Florida State Seminoles on March 14, 2019, at the Spectrum Center in Charlotte, NC. (Photo by William Howard/Icon Sportswire via Getty Images) /

6. Virginia Tech

The Hokies did good work to earn a no. 4 seed in the East region, and the selection committee gave them a decent first round matchup against Saint Louis. The Billikens earned their way into the dance by winning the Atlantic 10’s automatic bid, but they aren’t near as dangerous as other 13’s like Vermont.

After that the path to Minneapolis skyrockets in difficulty for Virginia Tech, which could square off against either Mississippi State or mid-major threat Liberty in the Round of 32. The Flames have a great shot to topple the Bulldogs in the 5-12 matchup and give Florida State major problems.

The Sweet 16 would bring another date with Duke, which Virginia Tech beat a few weeks ago, but with the caveat that the Blue Devils were without Zion Williamson. Williamson is healthy now, so the Hokies would have to contend with him this time.

If the Hokies can get past Williamson and Duke, they would square off against Michigan State with a trip to the Final Four on the line. Spartans’ coach Tom Izzo is one of the best in the country at getting his team ready to play on a quick turnaround, so it is very plausible that the Hokies could fall short of Minneapolis even if they do the unthinkable and knock out Duke.

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