Just when you thought the month of June was going to be quiet for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team, guess again. It was a busy month in terms of coaching staff additions, non-conference game schedules, and the NBA Draft.
That's where we'll begin, with the NBA Draft. After Tobi Lawal announced he was returning to Virginia Tech for his senior season, it was widely thought that he was going to raise his draft stock. However, injuries hampered his 2025-26 season, but in the end, he was able to hear his name called in Brooklyn, New York, last week on the second night of the NBA Draft.
There were mock drafts that had Lawla going in the second half of the second round, and that was the case. Just days after hiring former Florida Atlantic and Michigan coach Dusty May as their next head coach, the Dallas Mavericks picked Lawal 48th overall.
Lawal wasn't the only former Hokies player picked. The pick before him at No. 47 went to the New York Knicks, who selected former Virginia Tech sharpshooter Tyler Nickel. He spent only one season in Blacksburg before going to Vanderbilt, but it was one season in which he showed fans how good a shooter he was.
Virginia Tech added two big non-conference games for 2026-27
Virginia Tech's non-conference schedule for next season was still a work in progress, and in June, we got more clarity on who the Hokies will be playing. They are going to host Ole Miss as part of the ACC/SEC Challenge in December, but they picked up two more games against power programs.
Virginia Tech will play Iowa at a neutral site in Sioux City, Iowa, in November, before visiting West Virginia in December. Returning to Morgantown will be the Hokies' assistant coach, Chester Frazier, and forward Amani Hansberry. Both left West Virginia for Virginia Tech after the 2024-25 campaign.
Virginia Tech brings back Hunter Cattoor to Mike Young's staff
Mike Young added to his coaching staff in June, bringing back former program fan-favorite Hunter Cattoor. He will be a nice addition to work with the shooters, and there is nobody that they can learn from better than one of the top shooters in program history. It'll be fun to watch his impact on the program next season.
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