Everything Important Mike Young Said After Win Vs. Coppin State: What It Really Means

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech men's basketball opened its 2026-27 season with an 88-54 victory over Coppin State at Cassell Coliseum Tuesday evening. Following the 34-point victory, head coach Mike Young spoke to the media. Here are the most important notes and quotes to glean from Young's first post-game press conference of the season:

Hammond, Hansberry and Johnson played vital roles in the victory.

The three represent the near-entirety of the Hokies' returning production from the 2025-26 season, and all three showed out in Virginia Tech's season-opening win.

Hammond totaled a team-high 20 points on 6-of-14 shooting, knocking down four of his nine looks form 3-point range. He dished out eight assists and ended the day with a career-high seven steals — one shy of the single-game program record.

"He understands actions," Young said of Hammond. "He understands what's next... I don't run as fast as he does, but I know exactly where he's going. ... It's hard to justify trying to curtail his aggressiveness. More often that not, positive things happen."

Hansberry finished the day with 16 points (6-of-11 from field), a team-high nine rebounds, four assists and team steals.

"We're going to do a better job of giving Hansberry the ball," Young said. "He's got to have more touches. He made the most of his touches."

Johnson came off the bench but logged the fourth-most minutes of any player at 22. The 6-foot-5 junior guard totaled 13 points on 3-of-6 shooting, adding seven rebounds and two assists while going a perfect 6-of-6 from the free-throw line.

"Tyler, to his credit, he banged that three down the first half," Young said. "He shot his fouls well. You know what you're getting. He's a junkyard dog and tough."

Young touched more on Hansberry's ability as a connector and as a scorer.

Hansberry, a 6-foot-8, 240-pound forward that's in his second year with Virginia Tech after stops at Illinois and West Virginia, has operated as a four and a small-ball five for Virginia Tech over his time with the Hokies. Young said that teams almost have to double Hansberry due to his size and versatility as a shifty big.

"Teams that are going to switch one through four — a number of people are doing that, employing that kind of scheme — you've got a guard on him, and you'll see it as the year goes on," Young said. "We'll post him at the nail, right there at the foul line. That's a hard place to double. He's an elite passer."

The triumvirate of Hansberry, Hammond and Johnson combined for 49 points, 14 assists and 10 steals in Tuesday's win. hey also connected on seven total 3-pointers (four from Hammond, two from Hansberry and one from T. Johnson).

Young praised Curry's scoring ability but criticized his decision-making.

Curry, who transferred to Virginia Tech from Oklahoma State ahead of the 2026-27 season, made an immediate impact on the offensive end in his Hokies debut, finishing with 19 points.

However, Young was far from pleased with Curry's performance as a facilitator. The guard finished with just one assist against six turnovers, an assist-to-turnover ratio that drew criticism from the veteran head coach.

"I don't know in 41 years of coaching that I've had a point guard with one assist and six turnovers," Young said. "That's disgusting. He made three shots. He's a good player, but we've got to have better point guard play. We will, and he understands."

Young added that Curry occasionally played too loosely with the basketball, emphasizing the need for greater discipline at the position. Despite the turnovers, Curry's scoring ability provided an early glimpse of what he could bring to Virginia Tech's backcourt alongside Hammond.

The veteran head whistle emphasized the need for defensive improvement despite forcing 24 turnovers.

Virginia Tech forced 24 Coppin State turnovers in Tuesday's victory, but Young was hesitant to give his team too much credit for the defensive production.

"I don't know that we forced 24," Young said. "They kicked several to us. Not going to happen very often. Certainly not in our league. It's not going to happen on Thursday against Mercer. We're going to have to play better basketball."

Young also expressed frustration with Virginia Tech's tendency to commit fouls, as the Hokies were whistled for 20 personal fouls in the season opener.

"You've got to make teams make plays," Young said. "You're bailing teams out when you're putting them on the foul line, and they are scoring there."

The veteran head coach specifically pointed to the Hokies allowing too many straight-line drives, something that could become a larger concern against more talented offensive opponents.

While the 34-point victory provided plenty of positives, Young made it clear that Virginia Tech's defensive discipline remains a work in progress.

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