Mike Young and the Virginia Tech men's basketball team finished non-conference play at 11-2 and will turn their attention to ACC play. That begins on Wednesday afternoon at Cassell Coliseum when they host Virginia. In fact, their ACC schedule bookends with the Cavaliers, closing out the regular season schedule in March in Charlottesville.
When it comes to the latest ESPN bracketology by Joe Lunardi, despite winning 11 of their 13 non-conference games, the Hokies have a lot of work to do if they are going to find themselves in the 68-team NCAA Tournament field in March. Currently, Lunardi has the Hokies in the "Next Four Out'' with New Mexico, Wisconsin, and VCU. A year ago, this would have been a steep uphill climb for Virginia Tech, but given how well the ACC has played, one quick look at the latest NET rankings has an opportunity for the Hokies to pick up some big wins.
Virginia Tech needs to take advantage of improved ACC in 2025-26
The ACC enters this week with every team over .500 except for Boston College, which is 6-6. This year, compared to others, the Hokies and everyone else have had the opportunity to pick up some big wins. Currently, there are nine teams higher than Virginia Tech in the NET rankings.
- No. 3: Duke
- No. 15: North Carolina
- No. 17: Louisville
- No. 23: Virginia
- No. 31: North Carolina State
- No. 34: Miami
- No. 36: SMU
- No. 37: Clemson
- No. 46: California
The two teams the Hokies lost to this year, Saint Mary's and VCU, are also higher in the NET rankings, with the Gaels coming in at No. 28 and the Rams at No. 59. Virginia Tech will be without Tobi Lawal for who knows how long, but it's safe to say that if the Hokies can take care of business in ACC play, they will have an opportunity to build a strong résumé for March. The ball is in their court.