Hughes: Virginia Tech Well-Positioned For 2026-27, Though Sting of 2025-26 Should Still Linger

BLACKSBURG, Va. — Basketball has always been about putting the ball in the basket. But for coaches evaluating rosters in the offseason, the more pressing question is often what happens after the ball comes off the rim.

How do you build for what comes next?

For what it's worth, I think Virginia Tech men's basketball did a stellar job of rebuilding through the portal. Though the Hokies lost Neoklis Avdalas to North Carolina and Christian Gurdak to Rutgers, they did a solid job of replacing both through the aggregate. Next year's roster will presumably not have a player with the potential pop Avdalas possessed — ex: the Greek prospect's 33-point outburst against Providence on Nov. 8 — but it should possess a potential higher, and at least more consistent floor.

Virginia Tech's 2025-26 season, one in which it went 19-13 (8-10 ACC), was undone by lapses in judgement. That applies both in one play, such as the Boopie Miller half-court triple to send SMU to a 77-76 win.

It also applies over the course of cascading outcomes, such as the inbounding gaffe from Avdalas to forward Amani Hansberry, who the Field of 68 listed as the No. 40 returning player in college basketball for the 2026-27 season, that preceded it. Virginia Tech's 2026-27 season may be more fruitful than its 2025-26 campaign, not because the skill level is higher — that remains to be seen — but because the lapses in judgement that defined last season may be fewer and far between. The sting of the 2025-26 season should linger. Virginia Tech's season was one capable of ending in the NCAA Tournament, but the team fell by the wayside due to nine one-score losses against ACC teams, including four by one possession and six by two or fewer.

One of the best returning players in college basketball.

No debate. pic.twitter.com/QUZElPbThM
— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) May 29, 2026

The Hokies may still have some of those issues lingering, but one side effect of Avdalas' exit is that Virginia Tech will presumably run with an offensive engine more prototypical of head coach Mike Young's previous outfits.

The Hokies ran more in 2025-26, and they slowed down once the ball was placed into sophomore guard Ben Hammond's hands. While Hammond has proven that he can be dynamic, he also fits the mold of a Young system more. While he has the jitterbug-style of play as a guard, he's become more adept at slowing the pace down rather than playing at an uber-frenetic pace as he did in his freshman year. Expecting an evolution from Hammond feels reasonable, and that in turn, obviously benefits Virginia Tech.

Beyond that, it feels like the Hokies have more consistency, even if they don't have as much presumed star power. Oklahoma State transfer guard Jaylen Curry adds a change-of-pace option as the sixth man, while Florida Atlantic transfer guard Isaiah Elohim brings proven production from last year with the Owls (12.4ppg, 4.2rpg).

While I do think that the 2026-27 season has the potential to be better than 2025-26, that doesn't mean I'm sold. Virginia Tech is now without the player that has the capability to be the man, as Avdalas could be at points. And while it could emerge from internal improvement, the Hokies are likely better suited to do so in the aggregate this season.

Virginia Tech's first announced game at the time of writing is against Coppin State on Nov. 3.

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