Three Things to Watch for Virginia Tech Men's Basketball in their ACC Tournament Game vs Wake Forest

Here are three keen things to keep an eye on as the Hokies begin the ACC tournament.

Mar 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies forward Amani Hansberry (13) drives to the basket as Virginia Cavaliers forward Devin Tillis (11) and Cavaliers guard Jacari White (6) defend in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

The Hokies open their long quest to a hopeful ACC title run, or at the minimum, look to string a few solid wins together to sneak onto the dance floor before the clock strikes midnight.

Up first for Tech is the Wake Forest Demon Deacons, who split the season series with the Hokies, with both sides taking their home game victory. Here are three things to watch in the matchup:

Let the games begin 🫡

🆚 Wake Forest
🕖 7PM
📺 ACCN
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— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 10, 2026

No. 1: Amani Hansberry's availability.

On Tuesday, April 8, 2025, the Hokies announced the addition of West Virginia, Amani Hansberry, and after just a season of work, Hansberry has been the best player on Tech's roster on both ends of the court, being named an All-ACC Honorable Mention on his 14.3 ppg and 7.4 rpg, which both lead the Hokies.

Another honor for Mani 💪

Bigger goals ahead 🫡

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— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) March 9, 2026

So why should he be kept an eye on? Well, apart from witnessing stellar big work, Hansberry was shaken up with a lower-body injury in the second half of the regular season finale against Virginia, last Saturday.

Hansberry was seen in practice, but it was limited work for the 6-foot-8 forward; without Hansberry, the freshman center duo of Christian Gurdak and Antonio Dorn would need to step up and play larger roles, which they did in the absence of Tobi Lawal for a large chunk of ACC play.

"[Hansberry] took a spill. He's getting better and better. He feels a lot better today than he did after the game," Hokies head coach Mike Young said. "Looking ahead a little bit, it's a leg injury, and he's day-to-day. But he's doing a lot better."

No. 2: Wake Forest's backcourt

A similar problem may plague the Demon Deacons' backcourt, as senior guard Nate Calmese will have to navigate an ankle injury, as he is currently listed as questionable on the ACC availability report.

Calmese was a pivotal part in Wake Forest's victory in Winston-Salem, as he hit both a go-ahead three-pointer and nailed two go-ahead free throws all within the final six seconds of play. His 10.1 ppg is fourth on the team, but more importantly, it frees up 6-foot-7 guard Juke Harris to play more effecient in his time on the floor.

Harris is third in the entire conference in points per game with 21.7, so if Calmese is out, Tech's backcourt can primarily focus on shutting down Harris, as they did in Blacksburg for a 16-point performance on a 7-for-17 split from the floor.

"So he scored [16]... but not an efficient [16]. He's an efficient player," Young said. "Bedford and Schutt did a really good job on him. Tyler Johnson could certainly play Juke tomorrow at times."

No. 3 Look for how the Hokies attack offensively.

Tech has found sparky stretches all around the basket this season; sometimes it's been from deep, like in the Louisville game, when the Hokies went 16-for-30 from distance in the loss.

Against Wake Forest, look for Tech to test the waters early and then drive a gameplan from there. Against the Cavaliers in the season finale, the Hokies started a grim 1-for-8 from deep, before making their next six shots all inside the perimeter, finally settling into the long battle of a 40-min ACC contest.