Three Takeaways from Virginia Tech Men's Hoops' First Four ACC Games

The Hokies have a prime Quad 1 opportunity coming up at SMU on Wednesday.

Jan 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Virginia Tech Hokies Amani Hansberry (13) shoots the ball against Wake Forest. | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Through four ACC games, Virginia Tech men's basketball has split its quartet of conference contests and sits at 13-4 overall. In their most recent game, the Hokies (13-4, 2-2 ACC) took down California, 78-75, rallying from 11 points down in the first half and surviving a Justin Pippen three-point attempt at the buzzer. Here's three takeaways from this four-game slate.

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— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 11, 2026

No. 1: The quality of multiple players stepping up serves as a benefit and simultaneous detriment.

So far, this season, it's been forward Amani Hansberry that paces the team in scoring and rebounds with 16.1 points and 9.1 rebounds, respectively. While wing Neoklis Avdalas has flashed at points, characterized by a pair of games at or over 30 points against Providence (33 points) and Western Carolina (30 points) on Nov. 8 and Dec. 11, respectively, his outputs have been varied.

Avdalas has been stellar at points. His past five games in the points tally read as such: 16, 17, 8, 21 and 11. Those are solid, but Avdalas hasn't really demarcated himself. Against Virginia, it was sophomore guard Ben Hammond that stepped up, tallying 30 points, five rebounds and five assists. Center Christian Gurdak did too with a 17-point, 19-rebound performance. Against Wake Forest, it was Hansberry, who logged 19 points and 10 rebounds for his then-third straight double-double. When it came to the Stanford game, it was Avdalas with his 21 points, though his switching onto Okorie led to the guard's game-winning trey for Stanford.

And in Virginia Tech's last game against California, it wasn't really anyone. Six Hokies scored in double-figures, paced by Amani Hansberry's 15. The others all scored between 10 and 13 points — Jailen Bedford logged 13, Gurdak added 12, Avdalas and guard Jaden Schutt had 11 apiece and forward Tobi Lawal put up 10 in his second game back from injury.

While Virginia Tech appears balanced, that leaves them vulnerable without a key option that can take over the floor down the stretch. Avdalas has proven to be that in stretches. Hammond has proven to be that in stretches. Hansberry has, too. For the Hokies to avoid more close games and escape losing a tight contest, they need more top-end production from one player in order to boost their NCAA Tournament case.

No. 2: This team is inconsistent.

That's evidenced most clearly by California being the fifth straight contest where Virginia Tech has had the game decided by a possession or enters overtime. Bringing the rest of December into the equation, there's been six in the last month-plus, dating back to the Hokies' 86-83 overtime victory over George Mason.

Virginia Tech has proven itself able to fight with the very best, taking down a ranked team in then-No. 21 Virginia. It also nearly snagged a Quad 1 opportunity on the road in Winston-Salem, North Carolina against Wake Forest.

But then again, that contest slipped away late because the Hokies failed to make any inroads early and committed a season-high 19 turnovers, in addition to Hansberry fouling out late with just over a minute remaining. Then, four days later, Virginia Tech dropped a valuable and costly Quad 2 opportunity at home to Stanford, where it led by 12 with 2:18 to play. The Hokies subsequently allowed a 14-1 run and lost to the Cardinal on a game-winning trey with 3.3 ticks left from guard Ebuka Okorie. That day, Okorie incinerated Tech's defense in the second half, pouring in 26 points in the frame and logging 11 of Stanford's final 14 points.

Virginia Tech has proven that it can compete with the ACC's top echelon of teams. Now, it needs to prove that it can consistently topple them.

No. 3: Virginia Tech's put itself behind the 8-ball a tad.

As I've emphasized this week, the Hokies claiming 50/50 games — or more aptly, games where it stands a fair shot at victory — is paramount towards their NCAA Tournament hopes. They have opportunities to do so in the remainder of this month, with Notre Dame coming to Blacksburg for a Jan. 17 clash, and Syracuse awaiting on the road on Jan. 21. Virginia Tech likely needs to claim both contests to strengthen its resume rather than hinder it. As of the afternoon of Jan. 12, the Hokies are currently listed in the "Next Four Out", put at No. 73, five spots outside the provisional 68-team field.

For Virginia Tech, continuing to claim the games it can and should win is paramount. The Hokies also draw a prime opportunity for an upset with SMU on deck on Wednesday, Jan. 14 in Dallas, Texas. Virginia Tech nearly supplanted the Mustangs last year, slicing SMU's nine-point lead to two with under a minute to go. However, the Hokies ultimately lost the game, 81-75.

Virginia Tech's contest against the Mustangs starts at 9 p.m. ET on Wednesday, Jan. 14, with the event being carried on ESPNU.