Three Bold Predictions for Virginia Tech vs. Iowa Basketball Matchup

Virginia Tech has won all four meetings against Iowa.

Mar 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Ben Hammond (3) shoots the ball as Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas (1) defends in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

The last time Virginia Tech and Iowa played, in November 2017, the Hokies won 79-55 in Blacksburg. That made them 4-0 all-time against the Hawkeyes.

Nine years later, the series picks up in Sioux City, where Iowa has never played a game. Tuesday’s matchup at the Tyson Events Center tips at 7 p.m. ET, with FS1 carrying it. The site is neutral, but it’s still in the Hawkeyes’ home state.

Iowa (2-0) is viewed as the better team over Virginia Tech (2-0), but the Hawkeyes still don’t know whether they’ll have their center. Andrew McKeever, a 7'3" Saint Mary’s transfer, hasn’t played a minute this season because of a back issue.

Here are three bold predictions for the game.

1. Amani Hansberry gets his first double-double of the season

Hansberry leads Virginia Tech with 39 points on 15-of-24 shooting through two games, and his 23 against Mercer were a career high.

The rebounds haven’t caught up. He has 14 so far. The senior forward averaged 7.4 a year ago and strung together four straight double-doubles, the first Hokie to do it since Jeff Allen in 2011. He was a second-team preseason All-ACC pick this fall.

Iowa has won the glass in both of its games, 41-33 against Lipscomb and by 15 against Eastern Illinois. If McKeever sits again, the Hawkeyes lean on two players. One is returning starter Cam Manyawu. The other is Trevin Jirak, a backup center in his second season who has grabbed seven rebounds in each game.

2. Jaylen Curry scores 15 with two turnovers or fewer

Two games, two different versions of Curry.

Against Coppin State, he scored 19 on 6-of-9 shooting and turned it over six times. Against Mercer, he had four assists and no turnovers but went 4-for-15.

The six-turnover night looks like the outlier. Last season at Oklahoma State, the senior guard averaged 10.1 points and 3.5 assists, averaging 1.4 turnovers a game.

Iowa will test that. The Hawkeyes had 11 steals in their opener and held Eastern Illinois to 32.7% shooting. Kael Combs, another returning starter, and Illinois State transfer Ty’Reek Coleman will see plenty of Curry.

Curry gets to 15 points and commits no more than two turnovers, the first time he does both in a Virginia Tech uniform.

3. Virginia Tech wins and moves to 5-0 against Iowa

Count the possessions. Virginia Tech has forced 42 turnovers in two games and made 21 of its 50 three-point attempts.

Iowa turned it over eight times against Lipscomb and 15 times against Eastern Illinois. That’s 11.5 a game, and Virginia Tech is forcing 21.

The Hawkeyes’ shooting has swung, too. In the opener, they went 6-of-25 from three-point range and 14-of-28 at the free-throw line. Three days later, they made 14 of 30 threes against Eastern Illinois.

McCollum knows what’s coming. “They’re not going to beat themselves,” he said of the Hokies this week.

None of this makes Iowa an easy out. McCollum’s first team made the program’s first Elite Eight since 1987 and knocked out defending national champion Florida on the way. Expect a crowd that leans heavily toward Iowa.

Tipoff for the game is at 7 p.m. ET with coverage on FS1.