Two tall and talented transfers have helped vault both of Virginia’s Atlantic Coast Conference schools into the NCAA Big Dance.

Led by All-ACC Sam Hauser, the University of Virginia will play Ohio University on Saturday, March 20, in the opening round of the NCAA Tournament. The game, at 7:15 p.m., will be played in Bloomington, Ind., and broadcast on TruTV.

With second team All-ACC Keve Aluma as a marquee attraction, Virginia Tech will meet the University of Florida in the first round at 12:15 p.m. Friday, March 19, in Indianapolis. The game will be broadcast on CBS.

Hauser, a senior, transferred to U.Va. this season from Marquette University in Wisconsin. Aluma arrived as a junior at Virginia Tech from Wofford College in South Carolina.

The 6-foot-8 Hauser averages 15 points and seven rebounds while hitting 43 percent from 3-point distance.

Aluma, at 6-foot-9, averages 16 points and eight rebounds for the Hokies.

As fourth seed in the West Region, Virginia (18-6) will be playing the 13th seed Ohio Bobcats (16-7) from the Mid-American Conference.

Virginia Tech (15-6) is seeded 10th and the Southeast Conference power Florida Gators (14-9) are seeded seventh in the South Region.

Both U.Va. and Tech fell short of expectations at the ACC Tournament in Greensboro, N.C.

Tech was eliminated 81-73 by the University of North Carolina in the quarterfinals.

Virginia, the 2019 NCAA champ, slipped past Syracuse in the quarterfinals, but then was forced to drop out of the tournament due to COVID-19 contact tracing.

All 68 schools competing in the NCAA Tournament will have to follow strict COVID-19 protocol in the days leading up to this weekend’s event.

In case of a positive test and a school has to drop out, the NCAA has four replacement schools ready to fill in. They are Louisville, Colorado State, St. Louis and Mississippi.