Three Takeaways From Virginia Tech Men's Basketball's 78-61 Victory over Bryant

It wasn't pretty at times, but the Hokies pulled away in the end.

Mar 11, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Tobi Lawal (1) goes to the basket defended but California Golden Bears forward Lee Dort (34) during the second half at Spectrum Center. Mandatory Credit: Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech did not make things easy on itself Tuesday night. A weak first 15 minutes kept Bryant in for a good portion of the game, but a 15-4 run to end the first half allowed Virginia Tech to win by a comfortable margin. Here are three takeaways from tonight's game.

No 1. Christian Gurdak had his best game of his college career.

Freshman center Christian Gurdak notched his most impressive game in his young collegiate career. Tonight, he shot an efficient 7-for-9 from the field and put up eight rebounds in 27 minutes of playing time. He did not start at center, as Antonio Dorn took that position. But as the game went on, it instead was Gurdak who was getting more minutes at the five.

good stuff @ChristianGurdak 💪 pic.twitter.com/zXHh12WhyX

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) November 20, 2025

"That was a heck of an effort," head coach Mike Young said after the game. " He was as good tonight as Dorn was bad. He was great, he was the player of the game in my humble opinion."

With the absence of starter Amani Hansberry, Gurdak elevated his stock. Coach Young said that he will be the first big man off the bench as the Hokies head south to compete in the Marriott Bonvot Battle 4 Atlantis Tournament, assuming that Hansberry is available.

No. 2. Amani Hansberry's presence was greatly missed tonight.

Although the Hokies won by 17 points and players like Gurdak did a good job filling in for Hansberry, the Hokies did not feel as dominant as they have been on both sides of the floor tonight due to Hansberry possessing ankle injury. Coach Young clarified after the game that Hansberry would have played if it were a more important game and said that Hansberry was feeling much better. Barring any setback, he should be good to play in Virginia Tech's next game against Colorado State, according to Young.

This season, Hansberry is averaging 16 points, 8.3 rebounds and 2.5 assists. His absence, both on the offensive and defensive sides of the floor, was felt.

"Hansberry is the best communicator we've got," said Young. We really miss that without him on the floor, and he masks some mistakes that others may make just by sheer basketball IQ."

3. This team has standout depth.

Even without Hansberry, the Hokies did not fold. Different guys stepped in at different moments and showed that this team is deeper than some recent years under Coach Young.

Alongside Gurdak's aforementioned effort, another player who quietly notched a really nice game was sophomore guard Tyler Johnson. He tallied 11 points, shooting 4-for-5 from the field, including 2-for-3 from behind the arc. Johnson also notched nine rebounds.

"We're competing our tails off defensively," said Young. "Tyler Johnson is remarkable there."

The Hokies' star player, Neoklis Avdalas, did not have his best game offensively, shooting 4-for-11 from the field for 11 points. So it was on players like Johnson, Gurdak, Ben Hammond and Tobi Lawal to step up and pick up the slack.

Overall, it was a solid win for the Hokies. The only glaring statistic of the game for Virginia Tech was its free-throw percentage, shooting just 14-24 (58.3%). But all in all, the Hokies grinded their way to a double-digit win and are 5-0 as a result.

Virginia Tech's next game will be against undefeated Colorado State next Wednesday, Nov. 26, at 5:00 PM EST in the Bahamas. Coverage for the game will be on ESPNU.