After much hype, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team opened the 2025-26 season on Monday night at Cassell Coliseum. The Hokies hosted Charleston Southern, and as expected, it was a slow start. The Buccaneers hung around in the opening 20, knocking down a bunch of 3-pointers, and Virginia Tech took a four-point lead into halftime at 42-38.
In the second half, Mike Young's team came out as a different team, knocked down shots from behind the arc, defended at a high level, and got out in transition, which led to a 30-point lead at one point before they coasted to the win to kick off the new year. It was only the first game, but there was a lot to like. Here are some observations from the 10th straight season-opening victory.
Observations from Virginia Tech's season-opening win over Charleston Southern
- Neoklis Avdalas is as good as advertised at both ends of the floor. He made several no-look passes, he got back after a turnover for a block, and had a smooth release on his shot. His height and skill are going to be tough for opposing teams to deal with.
- It didn't take long for Tobi Lawal to make an impact with his first dunk of the season. Tyler Johnson got into the lane and lobbed a pass up to Lawal, who threw it down with ease. He's going to be fun to watch this year.
- Freshman Christian Gurdak got some early minutes and was impressive. He had two three-point plays in the first half and has a very nice offensive touch. He was good at both ends and was as good as advertised.
- Transfers Amani Hansberry, Izaiah Pasha, and Jalien Bedford all made their Virginia Tech debut. Hansberry had a double-double with 19 points and 13 rebounds, Bedford finished with 13 points, and Pasha had six. All made an impact at both ends of the floor.
- Depth is going to be key this year for the Hokies, and they had nine different players score. Young is going to have a lot of different options this year, which is something he hasn't had in a while.
- Aside from Lawal, the Hokies had three other returners from last year's roster play. Tyler Johnson had nine points, six rebounds, and five assists; Ben Hammond had nine points, and Jaden Schutt had six points on two 3-pointers.
- Turnovers were a big issue for the Hokies last year, and they only had seven against Charleston Southern. It helps to have the ball in Avdalas's hands a lot.
Virginia Tech returns to the court on Saturday afternoon against Providence in the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip Off at Mohegan Sun Arena in Connecticut at 4 o'clock.