A Need-to-Know for Virginia Tech Men's Basketball's Clash with Providence Today
In this story:
It's game day! For the second time this season, Virginia Tech men's basketball suits up for battle, taking on Providence at 4 p.m. ET. Here's how you can tune in and follow the contest:
morning work at Mohegan 🚧 pic.twitter.com/CNxTVOYqjc
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) November 8, 2025
Date: Saturday, November 8, 2025
Tme: 4 p.m. ET
Location: Mohegan Sun Arena (Uncasville, Conn.)
TV: Peacock
Play-by-Play: John Fanta
Analyst: Tim Welsh
Video Stream: Apple TV or Peacock
RADIO: Virginia Tech Sports Network
Play-by-Play: Zach Mackey
Analyst: Mike Burnop
In Blacksburg: The Bear, 105.3 FM
Live Stats: stats.hokiesports.com
Mobile Apps: HokieSports mobile app
Online/Full List of Affiliates: HokieSports.com/listen
Today's game day notes:
The Hokies return 46.8% of their scoring from the 2024-25 campaign, paced by Tobi Lawal, who averaged 12.4 points per game last year. Against Charleston Southern last Saturday, Lawal tallied 20 points and 12 rebounds. Tech is 2.5-point underdogs according to ESPN BET and went 5-1 last year in games decided by three or less points.
The Hokies aim to continue improving off a turbulent 2024-25 campaign where it went 13-19, falling in the opening round of the ACC Tournament. Tech committed just seven turnovers after ranking No. 309 in the nation last year in turnovers per game (13.4). Several other statistics from last season — blocks per game (No. 343), fastbreak points (No. 348), assist-to-turnover ratio (No. 293), defensive rebounds (No. 308) and scoring offense (No. 301), among others — loom large as the Hokies take on their first meaningful test of the campaign.
Charleston Southern currently ranks No. 329 at the time of writing, while Providence ranks No. 64, six spots ahead of Virginia Tech (No. 70). Earlier in the week, the Hokies sat at No. 66, but slipped four spots, while Providence dropped one.
Against Holy Cross (No. 341 KenPom), Estonian guard Stefan Vaaks shone for the Friars in a 89-79 triumph. In 20 minutes, Vaaks tallied 19 points on 5-of-9 shooting and a perfect 6-for-6 at the line. Five Friars tallied double-digit points, paced by Vaaks' 19 and fellow reserve Jamier Jones' 16.
Both teams stack up relatively evenly on KenPom's ratings, with Virginia Tech narrowly behind on offensive rating (112.7 to Providence's 113.2) and defensive rating (100.4 to Providence's 99.9 [Editor's note: For defensive rating, a lower number is better.])
Only two Friars taller than 6-foot-8 played more than 15 minutes against the Crusaders, however. Against a versatile Hokies offense that sported a starting five with each player standing 6-foot-4 or taller, that could pose to be an issue for Providence. That carries over to the other end, where Virginia Tech gobbled up 54 rebounds last time out, its most in a single contest since Aug. 18, 2015, according to the team's X (formerly Twitter) account.
Last game's starting five was Neoklis Avdalas, Jailen Bedford Tyler Johnson, Tobi Lawal and Amani Hansberry. One interesting storyline to watch for today's contest is whether Bedford earns the nod to start today, or whether Ben Hammond or Izaiah Pasha starts their first contest of the year.
Virginia Tech's contest against the Friars kicks off in two and a half hours.
More Virginia Tech Basketball News:
Thomas is a sophomore at Virginia Tech majoring in multimedia journalism with a minor in creative writing. He currently works with Collegiate Times, Virginia Tech's student-run newspaper, as a staff writer for its sports section. In addition, he also writes for 3304 Sports as a staff writer and on-air talent, as well as Aspiring Journalists at Virginia Tech as a curator. You can find him on X: @thomashughes_05.
Follow thomashughes_05