Full Game Preview and Score Prediction for Virginia Tech vs. Miami
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Virginia Tech men's basketball is set to take on Miami tonight at 8 p.m. ET. The Hokies are in search of their fourth Quadrant 1 victory of the 2025-26 campaign, seeking to claim a vital victory on the road.
On to Miami
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) February 16, 2026
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Miami (20-5, 9-3 ACC) opened its ACC slate with four straight victories before suffering consecutive losses to then-No. 22 Clemson (69-59) and Florida State (65-63). The Hurricanes have won five of their last six, with an 86-85 loss to California being their lone blemish.
All five of Miami's victories over that stretch came by single digits. Here's the list of margins in each of those contests:
- Syracuse, Jan. 24: +9 (85-76)
- Stanford, Jan. 28: +9 (79-70)
- Boston College, Feb. 7: +6 (74-68)
- then-No. 11 North Carolina, Feb. 10: +9 (75-66)
- NC State, Feb. 14: +1 (77-76)
As a result of winning five of its last six, Miami has boosted itself to No. 4 in the ACC standings.The Hurricanes currently sit only behind No. 3 Duke (24-2, 13-1 ACC), No. 14 Virginia (22-3, 10-2 ACC) and Clemson (20-6, 10-3) in the conference standings.
In comparison, Virginia Tech (17-9, 6-7 ACC) currently sits ninth in the conference, behind the aforementioned three schools and Miami, plus NC State (18-8, 9-4 ACC), No. 16 North Carolina (20-5, 8-4 ACC) and No. 21 Louisville (19-6, 8-4 ACC).
The face to watch for Miami's squad is senior forward Malik Reneau. The senior is averaging 20.1 points per game through the Hurricanes in 25 contests, No. 32 in Division I. Reneau, who spent three years with Indiana, has elevated his game to a new level this year.
In 2023-24 and 2024-25, the forward averaged 15.4 points and 13.3 points a night, respectively. This year, that total is up to 20.1/game.
Moreover, Reneau has morphed back into a strong three-point shooter. Last year, the forward went 3-for-24 (12.5%) from long range. This year, he's gone 20-for-55 (36.4%), comparable to his sophomore year (15-for-45, 33.3%).
Reneau is also a strong rebounder, averaging 6.6 boards a night. He isn't alone in his charge, however. The forward is flanked by three other double-digit scorers: guard Tre Donaldson (15.8 points per game), forward Shelton Henderson (14.5 ppg), and guard Tru Washington (11.9 ppg).
Donaldson is also an effective distributor, averaging 6.0 assists per game.
Several of Miami's players are also effective in forcing steals; five log over a steal a game, paced by Washington's 1.8 a night.
Still, Reneau is the engine that makes Miami's offense go. in the aforementioned six-game stretch where the Hurricanes won five contests, Reneau has led the team in points each time. In all but one of those games, Reneau dropped 20 or more points, only failing to do so against North Carolina (16 points).
The senior forward has also proven remarkably consistent; across the entirety of the season, he has scored in double-digits in every single game this season and has scored at least 14 points in every contest but one.
The Hokies currently hold a 24% win probability on KenPom ahead of tonight's clash and are listed as 8.5-point underdogs at the time of writing. The Basketball Power Index currently allots the Hokies a 19.9% chance of claiming an upset victory in Coral Gables.
But what do I think unfolds tomorrow night?
I believe that Virginia Tech has what it takes tomorrow to keep the game largely competitive, but the Hokies have shown lapses at key points that have dramatically lessened their chances of reaching the NCAA Tournament for the first time in three seasons.
While Virginia Tech is by no means out of the fight in regard to its NCAA Tournament aspirations, the Hokies face an uphill climb, particularly in trying to navigate their slate on the road. Virginia Tech is 2-4 in conference clashes away from Cassell Coliseum, and I believe that total goes down to 2-5 after tonight's tilt.
The Hokies take on Miami tonight at 8 p.m. ET, and coverage for the contest will be on the ACC Network.
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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.
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