Full Game Preview and Score Prediction for Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest

CHARLOTTE, N.C. — Virginia Tech men's basketball has reached the postseason. The Hokies sit as the No. 12 seed in the ACC Tournament, set to draw 13th-seeded Wake Forest tonight.

Let the games begin 🫡

🆚 Wake Forest
🕖 7PM
📺 ACCN
➡️ https://t.co/BbETcO4t0k

🤝 @Gatorade pic.twitter.com/dSNenhT5BH
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 10, 2026

This isn't the first — or second — rodeo for either team against one another this year. Tonight's matchup will be the third time that Virginia Tech and Wake Forest have thrown down on the hardwood this season.

In the first matchup on Jan. 3, Wake Forest won 81-78, led by 25 points from guard Nate Calmese. Calmese also knocked down the game-winning three-pointer with 6.5 seconds left on the clock. In that game, Virginia Tech committed 19 turnovers and grabbed 15 assists. In the second matchup, Virginia Tech only gave away five turnovers — while logging 20 assists.

In the second meeting, however, Virginia Tech emerged victorious, 82-63, in a relatively comfortable 19-point win. That effort was anchored by a combined 34 points from guard Neoklis Avdalas and forward Tobi Lawal. Each scored 17 to lead the Hokies to their highest margin of victory in league play.

Heading into this contest, Wake Forest guard Nate Calmese and Virginia Tech forward Amani Hansberry's statuses are each unknown. Calmese was listed as questionable in yesterday's initial availability report, while Hansberry was designated as probable. Hansberry suffered a knee injury with under seven minutes to go against No. 13 Virginia and did not return. Head coach Mike Young remarked at Monday's practice that Hansberry, who spent the majority of the 45-minute practice not moving much, is "getting better and better."

“He feels a lot better today than he did after the game," Young said yesterday. "I may have been able to go back with him. I just thought, for his well-being, that that would not be wise looking ahead a little bit. It’s a leg injury and he’s day-to-day. We’ll see what tomorrow brings."

Calmese, meanwhile, has missed nine of the last 10 games with an ankle injury.

Juke Harris has been the star for Wake Forest this season, averaging 21.7 points per game (No. 12 in D-1, No. 3 in ACC). Harris has logged a combined 31 points against Virginia Tech in the two teams' pair of matchups. The sophomore guard has struggled from three-point land against the Hokies, however, nailing just 15.4% of his looks from deep.

Wake Forest is rather pedestrian on both sides of the ball, ranking 69th in D-1 in adjusted offensive efficiency and 97th in adjusted defensive efficiency. Moreover, their defense has been porous inside the arc, allowing a 54.8% clip on average (No. 304 in D-1); Virginia Tech's isn't much better at 54% (No. 270). The Demon Deacons have been stout in disrupting passing lanes, however, forcing steals on 11.4% of possessions (No. 45).

That's combated by a Virginia Tech team that, for the most part, has limited giveaways. The Hokies have allowed steals on just 7.7% of their possessions, the 29th-best total in the country.

To claim the victory, Virginia Tech will need to keep the Demon Deacons away from the free-throw line. Wake Forest shoots 77.1% from the stripe, the 32nd-best total in the country. In league play, that total elevates to 78.3%, tops in the ACC. In addition, Virginia Tech will need to lean on its strength of defending the three-ball; the Hokies' season-high clip of 30.4% allowed from long range ranks No. 25.

Virginia Tech enters this contest in must-win territory after winning just four of its last 11. The Hokies are down to their final chance(s) to prove that they belong in the NCAA Tournament. A bid would mark their first since the 2021-22 season, and their first at-large nomination since the 2020-21 campaign.

Virginia Tech was listed as the third team out of the 68-team field this morning by ESPN bracketologist Joe Lunardi. Santa Clara has elevated itself clear of the first four teams in or out of the bubble with an upset over Saint Mary's. That qualified it into the WCC title game, where it will play Gonzaga. Should the Broncos win, it will mark another small dent towards Virginia Tech's NCAA Tournament aspirations.

Still, Virginia Tech is confident in its draw. If the Hokies advance past Wake Forest tonight, fifth-seeded Clemson awaits tomorrow evening. Virginia Tech took down the then-No. 20 Tigers on the road 76-66 on Feb. 11. Should Virginia Tech supplant Clemson, fourth-seeded North Carolina would be the quarterfinals draw.

Young responded with a simple "yes" when asked at Monday's practice about whether he thought the tournament draw set up well for his team to prove its case to compete in the NCAA Tournament.

Virginia Tech's contest against the Demon Deacons tips off tonight at 7 p.m. ET, with coverage for the contest being carried on the ACC Network.