Crunching the Numbers: How Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Measures on the Rankings and My Thoughts

How do the Hokies stack up on KenPom, the NET rankings and BartTorvik a month in?

Dec 2, 2025; Columbia, S.C.; Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) drives around South Carolina guard Mike Sharavjamts (55). | Jeff Blake-Imagn Images

After one month of competition, Virginia Tech men's basketball sits in a healthy position, sporting a 7-2 mark through nine games and sitting in the top-100 on the NET, KenPom and BartTorvik, a large step up from last year. Here's what the statistics look like a month in and my takes on them:

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— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) December 5, 2025

Season History

• Virginia Tech's 2025-26 record: 7-2
• Wins: Charleston Southern (Nov. 3, 98-67), Providence (Nov. 8, 107-101 - OT), Saint Joseph's (Nov. 12, 94-59), Charlotte (Nov. 16, 84-76), Bryant (Nov. 19, 78-61), Colorado State - Battle 4 Atlantis Opening Round (W, 66-64), South Carolina (Dec. 2, 86-83 - OT)
• Losses: Saint Mary's - B4A Semifinal (Nov. 27, 77-66), VCU - B4A Third-Place Game (Nov. 28, 86-68)

NET:

• Overall: No. 67
• Quad 1: 0-1
• Quad 2: 2-1
• Quad 3: 1-0
• Quad 4: 4-0

Sporting a 2-2 record against Quad 1 and Quad 2 teams this early in the season isn’t bad at all, especially when considering the context of the matchups. On paper, a .500 record might look pedestrian, but it’s actually a respectable showing for a team still finding its identity and building cohesion, finding its footing and primarily struggling against slow-tempo teams looking to jolt the Hokies out of their more free-flowing, fast-paced offense. One of those losses came against St. Mary’s, which sits at No. 29 in the NET rankings after games on Dec. 4. Factoring that in, the Hokies’ performance looks even stronger, since they were competitive against one of the better non-conference squads in the nation.

Early-season records against high-quality opponents are often more indicative of a team’s potential than wins against weaker competition. The Hokies have demonstrated the ability to compete at a high level.

KenPom

• Overall: No. 73
• Net rating: +11.96
• Offensive rating: 114.6 (No. 72)
• Defensive rating: 102.6 (No. 83)
• Adjusted tempo: 69.8 (No. 125)
• Luck: +.105 (No. 40)
• Strength of schedule net rating: +3.67 (No. 87)
• Strength of schedule offensive rating: 110.1 (No. 85)
• Strength of schedule defensive rating: 106.4 (No.111)
• Non-conference strength of schedule net rating: +3.67 (No. 87)

Thomas' thoughts:

The Battle 4 Atlantis and Tech's subsequent two-game stretch against South Carolina (won 86-83 on Tuesday) and George Mason (contest tomorrow) props up those strength of schedule numbers significantly.

Outside of that event, the Hokies’ non-conference schedule had been somewhat nondescript, featuring teams unlikely to push national perception or rankings. But the B4A trip introduced top-tier competition, and the Hokies also faced three additional teams ranked in the top-150 during the rest of the non-conference schedule. These matchups give context to a net rating that might otherwise look mediocre; instead, it reflects a team performing respectably against quality opponents. Even without the Battle 4 Atlantis results, the strength-of-schedule numbers, particularly the +3.67 net rating vs. non-conference foes (No. 87), show the Hokies’ performance is fairly explicable and paints a more optimistic picture than a cursory glance might suggest. After all, Tech dropped from the mid-50s, perhaps lower than it should have, given the absence of forward Tobi Lawal for the past three contests.

BartTorvik

• Overall: No. 71
• Adjusted offensive efficiency: 114.7 (No. 63)
• Adjusted defensive efficiency: 103.4 (No. 87)
• BARTHAG: .7672 (No. 71)
• Turnover percentage: 12.2% (No. 2)
• Wins above bubble: +0.6 (No. 39)

Thomas' thoughts:

Torvik’s advanced metrics reinforce my thinking that Virginia Tech is a borderline tournament team this season. Offensively, they clearly outperform their defensive effort, generating points efficiently and creating opportunities, but the defensive side of the ball remains a limiting factor, especially against slower-tempo teams. Both the eye test and KenPom’s rankings, which factor in tempo while BartTorvik's does not, show that the Hokies struggle to control games when pace is deliberately slowed, since the offense becomes less fluid and turnovers are less likely to generate easy opportunities.

One metric that truly stands out is Virginia Tech’s turnover percentage, ranked No. 2 nationally at just 12.2%. BARTHAG sits at .7672 (No. 71), and Tech's sitting over halfa game from the bubble further confirm that they are competitive enough to be considered in tournament discussions, though not comfortably locked in. Overall, the numbers depict a team that relies on efficient offense and elite ball security, but must continue improving defensively to fully capitalize on its postseason potential.

Virginia Tech will take on George Mason tomorrow at 3 p.m. ET, with viewing for the contest available on ACC Network Extra.