Projecting Virginia Tech's Starting Lineup and Rotation After Recent Transfer Portal Activity

Coach Mike Young has picked up a few new pieces going into next year, where do they fit in?

Virginia Tech basketball team in a huddle pregame vs Saint Mary's. | Virginia Tech Athletics

Transfermania in Blacksburg brought the madness to Virginia Tech, but it wasn't the madness that Coach Mike Young expected his 25'-26' team to be in. With seven players leaving Virginia Tech through the portal, four players have committed to Virginia Tech to fill the holes left by the likes of Neoklis Avdalas and Christian Gurdak to name a few.

Starters: Ben Hammond - Guard

The 5-11 speedy guard that had a renaissance last season with his memorable 30-point thrashing of the Cavaliers returned to Virginia Tech, seemingly giving the Hokies some resemblance of last season's team.

Hammond led the team in scoring in ACC Play with 14.9 points and led the team in minutes played with 1,007 minutes. Hammond is a huge retention for Coach Mike Young, with Hammond's stock being at an all-time high going into this portal cycle.

The incoming Junior will play his third season for the Hokies, and if he is able to build upon last season, Hammond has the potential to be a 20 PPG player for the Hokies next season.

Amani Hansberry - Forward

The second of the big three retained from the last season team, going into his fourth season, Hansberry and his chosen coach Chester Frazier, return as last season's leading scorer with 14.3 points.

Hansberry serves as the only returning paint presence from last season, with Antonio Dorn and Gurdak hitting the portal and high-flyer Tobi Lawal testing the NBA draft after graduating. The Silver Spring native will serve as the on-court leader in his second season with the Hokies as a veteran on the court.

Hansberry posted career highs in every category last season and looks to build upon his efficiency and scoring next season serving as Mike Young's paint beast.

Tyler Johnson - Forward

The last of the returning starters from last season, Johnson serves as the largest unknown in the returning starters from last season. A season that was cut short due to an ankle injury that transpired against Elon in the OT scare in December 2025.

Johnson did play in four games after the injury returning against North Carolina at the end of February. The Orlando, Fla. native lost a step after the injury, never getting the opportunity to settle back into the season.

A defensive stalwart for Virginia Tech scored double-digits in three of his last four games before his injury was hopefully a flash of what is to come next season. Johnson, Hammond and Hansberry will be called upon to lead this new team into 26'-27' and establish the culture that is expected at Virginia Tech.

Isaiah Elohim - Guard (FAU Transfer)

The first newcomer to Blacksburg from the illustrious Sierra Canyon HS and playing for FAU and USC, Blacksburg will be a change of pace for Elohim, with Blacksburg lacking beach weather and a different speed in the ACC.

Elohim will fill in the last guard spot left open by Avdalas, looking to meet the expectations that were placed on him coming out of high school. Ranked 48th in his class by ON3 coming out of Sierra Canyon HS, his time at USC was not what he expected, averaging 5.7 minutes in his freshman season.

Elohim transferred to FAU, where he was able to showcase the talent that made him a former top 50 recruit. He started and played in 32 games for the Owls averaging 12.4 points and 4.2 rebounds. His final game as an Owl was against the Mean Green of North Texas, where he produced a 20-point outing in a 2nd round loss in the American Tournament.

Expect Elohim to take a big role going into next season as he looks to fill the shoes left by Avadals as the second guard in the lineup.

Kuol Atak - Forward (Oklahoma Transfer)

Rounding out the starting five, Kuol Atak is coming into the Hokies lineup with by far the coolest name on the team. On the court, Atak will fill in the void left by the aforementioned transferring big man and will pair with Hansberry in the paint.

Atak's freshman year highlight was against Georgia, where he channelled his inner Stephen Curry and drained six-of-seven from deep in an 18-point performance where he outscored his minutes played. Atak, when he gets going, can take over games and produce 20-point performances.

Atak is going into his Sophomore season with the Hokies and looks to take a huge step in Blacksburg and contribute.

The Rotation: Miles Heide (SDSU), Ned Hull (Elon), Sin'cere Jones

The rotation is the largest unknown currently, many of the rotational pieces last year have hit the portal, and the only rotation player still with the Hokies is Sin'cere Jones.

Jones came off the bench in 11 games, averaging 6.7 minutes per game. He only totaled seven points last season as a freshman, but he has the potential to take a step forward and be a more prominent rotation piece for the Hokies.

Miles Heide will serve as a forward coming off the bench replacing either Hansberry or Atak when needed. He recorded 5.6 points per game for the Aztecs and serves as a big body in the paint to grab rebounds, especially on the offensive side.

Ned Hull is an interesting transfer for Mike Young to pick up, to say the least. Hull is clearly Young's way of replacing the outgoing Jaden Schutt, as 93/122 shots taken by Hull were from beyond the arc.

Hull came off the bench in 31 games for Elon and averaged 18.2 minutes played in those games. He averaged 4.7 points for the Phoenix and serves as a huge unknown if he will translate to the ACC well.

To cap it off, currently Virginia Tech has a lot more talent in the starting five than on the bench with a lack of a Ben Hammond or Christian Gurdak to relieve the starters. The starters will most likely have to play a majority of the minutes as the drop off in talent from the starters and the bench is noticeable.