Notes and Quotes From Virginia Tech's Mike Young At 2026 ACC Tipoff

Virginia Tech men's basketball head coach Mike Young took questions from a conglomeration of media members today at the Hilton Charlotte Uptown in Charlotte, N.C. Here are the most notable tidbits and quotes from the coach, who enters his eighth season at the helm of the Hokies:

Young is planning to play Ben Hammond more at the two.

Then-sophomore guard Ben Hammond was an integral cog of Virginia Tech's 2025-26 proceedings, and his efforts proved critical as wing Neoklis Avdalas' effectiveness waned as the season went deeper and deeper. This year, Young says Hammond's improved in more facets of the game (then delve into the specifics regarding such a move).

"He shoots the bottom of the basket day in, day out,," Young said of the third-year guard to the ACC Network.

This year, Young says that Hammond has morphed into more of a shooting but that he can certainly still handle the ball. In 2026-27, Young intends to play Hammond "a lot at the point" but that he'll move him off the ball more and run him off different actions. Hammond averaged 13.2 points, while his 14.9 points per game in league play paced the team. In ACC play, Hammond was 31-of-66 (47.0%) from 3-point range.

The makeup of the team will be similar; Young hopes that the team will have good fortune.

Virginia Tech went 19-13 (8-10 ACC) last season, missing the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. It was a season largely defined by injuries and missed opportunities — guard Tyler Johnson missed 15 games and forward Tobi Lawal missed nine, both with foot injuries. The Hokies lost nine games by single digits, including four by one possession.

"Let's hope we have some good fortune and we can keep them healthy," Young said. "That was as frustrating and as debilitating as anything I've experienced in 25 years as a head coach, what we went through last year. We're in good health now."

Young stated that he was thrilled the team was able to retain Hammond, as well as Johnson and forward Amani Hansbery. Forward Sin'Cere Jones, who played 10 games before being ruled out for the rest of the season due to injury, and center Solomon Davis — he redshirted his freshman year and did not play at all — were also among those Young spotlighted.

"A lot of the same characteristics, but some different attributes as well," Young said. "... I'm excited about it, I'll tell you that."

Young said it was a "big, big deal" to retain the core nucleus of Hammond, Hansberry and Johnson; the team's main losses to the transfer portal were Avdalas (North Carolina), center Christian Gurdak (Rutgers) and guard Jaden Schutt (Kansas State). Five of Virginia Tech's 15 players this year are returnees.

"It's a big, big deal to retain your core and guys that have done it and good players, and there are no guarantees," Young said. "We know it. We all know it. They are free agents at the end of every year."

What does Young hope to learn over the rest of October and the exhibition game?

Young doesn't think it's any different than an yother year, in his own words.

"We've still got great strides to make on other sides of the ball," Young said remarking that the team had conducted 35 practices, most of them ranging from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes.

According to Young, the team scrimmaged against Liberty and has a closed-door scrimmage against Maryland before they head into the season. The team will also play against Wofford in an open-door exhibition on Oct. 16 in Spartanburg, S.C.

"There were some things I thought we were in good shape with [and] we're not as in good of shape as I thought we were," Young said. "There are some areas that I had some concerns about that took a step forward last night. ... Next week we'll have the opportunity to go to Wofford and we'll learn more about ourselves and it will be a great experience."

Add us as a preferred source on Google