When it was announced right before the ACC opener for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team that sophomore Tyler Johnson was going to miss the game against Virginia on New Year's Eve afternoon, it opened some eyes. His foot was in a walking boot, and it was just another injury Mike Young had to deal with in 2025-26.
The hope was that the Hokies would get Johnson back at some point in conference play. Young had hinted that Johnson might return for last month's showdown with Duke at Cassel Coliseum, but it didn't happen. Virginia Tech's veteran head coach had continued to hint that Johnson's return was getting closer and closer.
As it turns out, it doesn't appear to be that close.
Virginia Tech rules Tyler Johnson out against Miami
On Monday night, the ACC released the availability reports for each team for Tuesday's games, and once again, Johnson was ruled out against the Hurricanes. It will be the 14th consecutive conference game that he will miss.
Is Johnson actually close to returning, or is this just gamesmanship from Young for his opponents to potentially prepare for his return? We'll never know during the season. Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament bubble all but popped on Saturday afternoon with a loss to Florida State at home. Now they travel to South Florida to face a Hurricanes team heading in the opposite direction.
As for Johnson, you really have to wonder if he'll even return this year. A loss to Miami, and you wonder if it'll be worth it for him to return. It would take a miracle from the Hokeis to get into the 68-team field next month, and there is no sign that it would happen.
Nevermind asking if Johnson will come back this year, but has he played his last game in Blacksburg as a Hokie? There are likely some big roster changes coming this offseason.