How Important Would A Win Over Virginia Be for the Hokies?

It would mean everything if Virginia Tech men's basketball could take down No. 13 Virginia Saturday afternoon.

Locked in for the Clash 🦃🆚⚔️

🤝 @CarilionClinic pic.twitter.com/v7XirqY9Ck
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 6, 2026

The Hokies (19-11, 8-9 ACC) continue to sit on the brink of the NCAA Tournament, with the Virginia game the last separator from Virginia Tech and postseason play. The ACC Tournament is on the horizon, beginning on Tuesday, March 10 in the Specturm Center in Charlotte, North Carolina.

With one game to go, Virginia Tech sits at No. 12 in the ACC standings; its seeding for the ACC Tournament is dependent on three other matchups Saturday, in addition to its game with UVA:

Florida State vs. SMU
NC State vs. Stanford
Wake Forest vs. California

Virginia Tech clinches the ninth seed in the ACC Tournament in only one scenario of the 16 available; that situation arises if Florida State beats SMU, NC State topples Stanford and Wake Forest wins over California.

But pivoting back to Virginia, this game is critical. The ACC Tournament historically has vacillated in how much weight it can carry to a team's resume; as such, Virginia Tech needs to take down the Cavaliers to subsequently not be reliant on the ACC Tournament to sustain their resume.

The Hokies can draw a potential path to the semifinals if they get a draw of Wake Forest/Clemson/Miami/Virginia. Then again, those games offer up a plethora of 50/50 chances, where Virginia Tech has been rather hit-or-miss this season. The Hokies have struggled in late-game execution, dropping four one-possession losses and sustaining six single-digit defeats in league play.

Tuesday was a struggle near the end of the game again. Virginia Tech, which led by as many as 19 over Boston College, allowed the Eagles back into the game. The Eagles held freshman guard Neoklis Avdalas to one second-half point after he logged 14 in the first.

As it stands, the Hokies hold two Quadrant 1 victories: their home win over Virginia on Dec. 31, plus a road victory at Clemson on Feb. 11.

Virginia Tech will need to beat the Cavaliers on historically tough soil in Charlottesville. The Hokies have taken down Virginia in only two of the last 10 meetings in John Paul Jones Arena. Moreover, the Cavaliers are 15-1 at JPJ and Virginia Tech hasn't swept the season series since all the way back in the 2009-2010 season.

Virginia Tech's game against the Cavaliers tips off on Sunday at 12 p.m. ET, with coverage available on The CW Network.