Coming off a frustrating 2025-26 season that began with so much hope and promise, Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Mike Young had some serious work to do in terms of shaping the roster for a bounce-back 2026-27 season.
The veteran coach did what he had to do; he retained three key players and kept them in Blacksburg: guard Ben Hammond, forward Amani Hansberry, and forward Tyler Johnson. He also picked up some Transfer Portal additions after losing two promising freshmen: guard Neoklis Avdalas and center Christian Gurdak. One of the key players returning for Virginia Tech is flying under the radar a bit.
Amani Hansberry continues being overlooked going into the upcoming season
Kevin Sweeney of Sports Illustrated ranked the top 10 returning power forwards coming back for the 2026-27 season, and Hansberry wasn't mentioned in the top 10. Instead, he was listed in the "10 more to watch."
Hansberry, who transferred from West Virginia to Virginia Tech before last season, was a huge addition to the Hokies' lineup for head coach Mike Young. He recorded 20 or more points in four games in 2025-26 and dropped a season-high 22 back in December at South Carolina in an overtime win in the ACC/SEC Challenge. He led the Hokies with 14.3 points in 30 games and really was a key cog in the lineup while Tobi Lawal and Johnson dealt with injuries that cost a big number of ACC games after the New Year.
On the defensive end, Hansberry was just as valuable and good, averaging 7.4 rebounds a game. He was able to guard different positions, but when on the inside, he was able to alter some shots around the basket. The 6-foot-8 Maryland native missed the first-round game against Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament after suffering an injury at Virginia in the regular-season final three days earlier.
Hansberry was ranked the 40th returning player by The Field of 68 back in May, and let's be honest, retaining him was one of the things at the top of Young's to-do list this summer. He did, and if he's healthy going into the season, then that is a very good way for Virginia Tech to begin the season, with Hansberry leading the trio of key players coming back along with Hammond and Johnson.
The ACC players who were mentioned in the top 10 in the article by Sweeney were Virginia's Thijs De Ridder and Duke's Joaquim Boumtje-Boumtje. Hansberry and the Hokies will play UVA twice this season, but Virginia Tech does not play Duke in the regular-season schedule.
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