Going into the 2025-26 season, expectations were high for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team. That was understandable after they landed freshman Neoklis Avdalas and got a huge Transfer Portal addition from Amani Hansberry from West Virginia.
However, as much hype as there is off the court, it's all about the results on the court. As far as veteran head coach Mike Young is concerned, you don't need to tell him that. He has been around long enough to know that the results on the floor matter.
The truth was, the results were not good enough this past winter. After steamrolling through their non-conference schedule at 11-2, the Hokies hit some trouble patches in ACC play and finished in 10th place, and were forced to play on the opening day of the ACC Tournament. They lost in overtime to Wake Forest, and that loss completely popped their NCAA Tournament bubble.
After not accepting an NIT bid and ending their season, it is going to be a big offseason for Young and Virginia Tech. There was another exodus out of Blacksburg through the portal, and that left Young and his staff scrambling to fill out a roster through the portal. However, there was some good news in terms of retention with forwards Tyler Johnson and Hansberry returning, along with point guard Ben Hammond. After the portal work is done, one college basketball writer had a promising take for the Hokies, again.
Virginia Tech men's basketball gets promising early outlook for 2026-27 season
Isaac Trotter of CBS Sports took a deep dive into the ACC as we enter June. The Transfer Portal is closed, and now it's about summer practices and getting ready for next season. A lot of rosters have changed, and there were some coaching changes. So, how does Trotter feel about the Hokies' matchup after some offseason work?
"Virginia Tech is in a sneaky-good spot, even after losing the talented Neo Avdalas to UNC. You could make the case that retaining point guard Ben Hammond and warrior forward Amani Hansberry means Virginia Tech kept its two best players from ACC play last year. Hammond and Hansberry are also wired to be ridiculously competitive, which you want to invest in and could lead to some high-floor outcomes,'' wrote Trotter.
Given how last season, a sneaky good spot is not a bad position for Young and Virginia Tech to be in. They hit the portal and added some veteran depth that will come in and make an immediate impact. Yes, Tobi Lawal is gone, but retaining Johnson, Hammond, and Hansberry was a must. Along with Avdalas, Jaden Schutt, Christian Gurdak, and Antonio Dorn also left through the portal. There are some big names there.
It remains to be seen just how much this portal class makes an impact; however, you hope it is a class that ends up being the right fit. Clearly, last season's roster was a great fit together, and when things got tough, some players didn't get going. Avdalas was one of the better players on the team, but his absence late in the overtime loss to Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament was telling.
If Virginia Tech is going to turn things around, it'll have to find a way to win close games. They failed to do that consistently in conference play, and it cost them. What could help is the NCAA Tournament field being expanded to 76 teams. However, that doesn't make it a given that they can still get in.
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