Three Takeaways From Virginia Tech Men's Basketball's 76-66 Win Against Clemson

Josh Poslusny breaks down three takeaways from a key Virginia Tech win. Read more below.

Virginia Tech Hokies forward Tobi Lawal (1) boxes out Clemson Tigers forward Chase Thompson (3) Wednesday, Feb. 11, 2026, during the NCAA men’s basketball game at Littlejohn Coliseum in Clemson, South Carolina. | Alex Martin/Greenville News / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Virginia Tech travelled to Clemson and earned a crucial 76-66 win behind crucial performances from Jailen Bedford, Ben Hammond and Tobi Lawal. As it stands, Clemson is a Quadrant 1 win for Virginia Tech, which greatly boosts their tournament chances.

another one for our resume 😏 pic.twitter.com/f2ZoQu3rGF

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) February 12, 2026

Here are three takeaways from the contest:

No. 1: Virginia Tech earned a must-win game.

Virginia Tech now has its third quadrant-one win. The Hokies travel to Miami, North Carolina and Virginia and are in need of winning just one of those final three. Should the Hokies have lost this evening, it likely would have put them in a must-win situation against either UNC or UVA, both of which have historically handled the Hokies when they travel.

When asked if he felt like he received a big boost for his NCAA Tournament hopes, Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young responded with a simple "I do."

Moreover, the nature of the win came at a desperately needed time. Entering the contest, Virginia Tech had lost three of its last four — and went 1-4 in road games in league play.

"We needed bad right it here," Young said.

The crucial win lifts the Hokies to where they likely need to win one of the final three road games to feel comfortable heading into the ACC Tournament — if they can take care of their contests at home.

Virginia Tech tourney chances with loss: 10.3%

Virginia Tech tourney chances with win: 58.0%

Yep, this is the season.

H/T: @totally_t_bomb

— Doug Bowman (@DougBowman247) February 12, 2026

No. 2: Virginia Tech knocked down crucial threes.

After the NC State game, I talked about the severity of Tech's poor shooting performances as of late. Coming into this game, Virginia Tech had shot just 27.8% from three over the previous three contests.

Today, Virginia Tech shot 11-for-21 from beyond the arc, a clip of over 50% that provided a vital boost to the Hokies' chances to win.

Virginia Tech isn't a poor shooting team despite its recent woes and tonight, they proved that. Bedford shot 4-for-5 from three, Lawal went 2-for-2 and Hammond shot 3-for-6.

No. 3: Ben Hammond is Virginia Tech's X-Factor.

Hammond and Bedford were the difference tonight. However, one name appears to be increasingly recurring in Virginia Tech wins: Hammond.

"He's going to do some kamikaze things," Young said. "He's going to give you everything in his tank, he's going to play the right way. He was really, really good."

In conference wins, Hammond is averaging 19.2 points per game while shooting 46.3% from the field and 47.8% from three-point land. Hammond is also averaging 2.5 assists to just 1.2 turnovers.

While he isn't always considered the best player from the floor, Hammond has established himself as an X-factor for Virginia Tech in big games, a designation that should carry over for the remainder of the season.