Three Things We Want To Hear From Virginia Tech's Mike Young At ACC Tipoff

BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young — plus guards Ben Hammond and Tyler Johnson, as well as forward Amani Hansberry — are set to speak at the ACC Tipoff in Charlotte, N.C. tomorrow. Ahead of Virginia Tech's section, here's three things atop the list of questions I've got:

No. 1: Who's caught Young's eye among the newcomers?

Virginia Tech's roster complexion is again constructed mostly upon the backs of newcomers. Just five players — Hammond, Johnson, Hansberry, forward Sin'Cere Jones and center Solomon Davis — return from the 2025-26 unit and only three (Hammond, Johnson, Hansberry) of those five played for more than 40% of the season. Center Christian Gurdak was among one of the more notable transfer portal departures; since he's now at Rutgers, a vpid has opened up in the frontcourt, both in the vein of offensive rebounding and in scoring.

But who's caught Young's eye? Could it be San Diego State big man Miles Heide (5.6ppg, 4.5rpg at SDSU in 2025-26)? Or Davis, who redshirted in the 2025-26 season while acclimating to the college workload? Or NC State transfer Musa Sagnia, who logged eight rebounds in 17 minutes against then-No. 1 Duke last year and totaled five games with seven or more boards?

Virginia Tech's frontcourt is composed of mostly unproven and untested options outside of Hansberry and if the Hokies have an able five, it should enable the team to engage more with lineup changes out of want rather than out of necessity.

No. 2: What evolutions has Ben Hammond made in the summer — and where does Young think he can keep getting better?

Hammond broke out to start ACC play last season, totaling 30 points against then-No. 21 UVa. in a 95-85 overtime victory on Dec. 31, 2025. The guard elevated his scoring up to 13.2 points per game in year two while distributing the ball out for 3.2 assists a night. His assist-to-turnover ratio nearly doubled from 1.2 in 2024-25 to 2.2 in 2025-26, and he became one of the offense's focal points beyond just being a distributor.

In the final 24 games of the season, Hammond was held under double-figure points in just two games, and he scored 20 or more points in five games. Hammond totaled 24 points against Syracuse, 20 against Georgia Tech and scored 20-plus points in back-to-back games to close the season. The guard went 7-for-15 (6-for-9 inside the arc) for 21 points in a 76-72 loss to then-No. 13 Virginia on March 7, though he was 1-for-6 from deep. Hammond sunk seven of his 17 looks against Wake Forest three days later in Virginia Tech's season finale, pouring in 23 points in a 95-89 overtime loss.

Virginia Tech's season ended with a 19-13 (8-10 ACC) result where the Hokies missed the NCAA Tournament for the fourth consecutive season. If Tech is to snap that streak, it'll likely come both from external surprises and internal improvement. If Hammond can refine his game even further in his junior campaign, Virginia Tech could be in place to make its first NCAA Tournament since the 2021-22 season.

No. 3: How has Amani Hansberry improved defensively in the paint?

With Neoklis Avdalas now gone — he transferred to North Carolina — can Virginia Tech find a new go-to scorer? Hammond flashed at points, but can he shoulder both loads of being the primary scorer and ball-handler? Or could it be Hansberry, a slightly under-sized 6-foot-9 forward that's entering his second year with Virginia Tech?

Hansberry averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game last season, operating as a split option between the four and five. This year will be his first where he isn't a newcomer at a school — Hansberry spent a year apiece at Illinois and West Virginia before coming to Virginia Tech for the 2025-26 season — but he has the benefit of assistant coach Chester Frazier being with him for all the year's he's been in college thus far.

One area will help determine how much Hansberry has evolved: foul trouble. The 6-foot-9 big man fouled out of five games and committed at least four fouls in 14 of Virginia Tech's 32 contests last season. Cutting down on reaching and improving his defensive footwork could help him stay on the floor more consistently in the upcoming campaign.

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