Hokies Men's Basketball's Player Availability Report Ahead of Saturday Showdown vs. Wake: Who's In, Out?

Three Hokies are listed as "out", while one is designated as "probable".

Dec 31, 2025; Blacksburg, Va.; Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas (17) brings the ball down the court as Virginia guard Sam Lewis (5) defends. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The ACC has revealed the player availability reports for the men's basketball games of Jan. 3, 2026, a slate that includes Virginia Tech's showdown with Wake Forest. Here's a look at who's confirmed to be out and who's listed as probable for tomorrow's showdown between the Hokies and the Demon Deacons.

Out:

1. No. 1 - Tobi Lawal - Forward
2. No. 10 - Tyler Johnson - Guard
3. No. 77 - Antonio Dorn - Center

Probable:

1. No. 17 - Neoklis Avdalas - Guard

Tobi Lawal, Tyler Johnson and Antonio Dorn are listed as OUT for tomorrow's contest vs. Wake Forest. Neo Avdalas designated as probable. pic.twitter.com/LbIfMyNUa7

— Thomas Hughes (@thomashughes_05) January 3, 2026

Lawal misses his ninth straight contest after being out since Nov. 26. The last time he played was during the opening round of the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament against Colorado State. At that point in the season, Virginia Tech sat 5-0 and muscled out a win over the Rams when Lawal logged just three points and two rebounds. In Lawal's absence, the Hokies have gone 7-2, claiming three overtime victories over South Carolina (Dec. 2, 86-83), Elon (Dec. 20, 82-81) and most recently Virginia (Dec. 31, 95-85 (3OT)). In his abbreviated six-game stretch, Lawal averaged 12.8 points and a team-high 10.3 rebounds.

Johnson is out for the second straight contest after landing hard on his ankle in the Hokies' overtime period against Elon. In his 13 prior games, Johnson logged 9.5 points, 5.3 rebounds, 1.9 assists and 1.5 steals a night while shooting 53% from the field.

Dorn's absence marks his third straight; the German center aggravated his back against Maryland Eastern Shore and has subsequently missed the Hokies' contests against Elon, Virginia and now, Wake Forest tomorrow. In 10 games, Dorn logged 3.9 points a game in 12.5 minutes per contest, shooting a team-best 63% from the field. In his wake, freshman big Christian Gurdak has stepped up; the big man from Gonzaga logged career-highs in both points (17) and rebounds (19) in the triple-overtime throwdown with Virginia on Dec. 31.

Avdalas came down on his ankle during the Virginia game; however, he remained on the floor for the majority of the contest afterwards, taking occasional respites on the bench. In 13 games this season, the Greek wing has been stellar, logging 14.8 points (second-most on the team, behind forward Amani Hansberry's 16.3), 3.8 rebounds, a team-high 4.9 assists, as well as a 35.6% mark from long range. Avdalas has dropped 30 points in two outings this season: a 33-point outburst against Providence on Nov. 8, then a 30-point performance vs. Western Carolina on Dec. 11.

Virginia Tech's contest against the Demon Deacons in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, will tip off on Saturday, Jan. 3 at 12 p.m. ET; fans can tune into the game on the ACC Network.