Virginia Tech Men's Basketball Hosts Stanford In ACC Slugfest

The Hokies look to bounce back after dropping their first road ACC contest at the hands of Wake Forest.

Jan 3, 2026; Winston-Salem, N.C.; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jailen Bedford (0) handles the ball defended by Wake Forest Demon Deacons guard Myles Colvin (6). | Jim Dedmon-Imagn Images

Tonight, Virginia Tech men's basketball takes on Stanford in its third ACC clash, looking to raise its record in league play back over .500.

'Burg Night at the crib 🏰‼️

🆚 Stanford
🕖 7PM
📺 ACCN
➡️ https://t.co/BbETcO4t0k

🤝 Virginia's Insurance Marketplace pic.twitter.com/Ul4I8ihVC4

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) January 7, 2026

The Hokies and Cardinal meet tonight for the third time in program history; last year, Stanford dispatched Tech in California, 70-65, in the two teams' first meeting as conference opponents. Forward Tobi Lawal (15 points) and guard Tyler Johnson (two points) were the only two Tech returners to log points, while guards Jaden Schutt and Ben Hammond didn't score; Hammond, in fact, did not play.

Ahead of tonight's contest vs. the Cardinal, Lawal was listed as "probable" on the ACC initial player availability report released Tuesday evening. Lawal, who has missed the last nine games with an ankle injury, averaged 12.8 points and a team-high 10.3 rebounds in his first six games. Should he appear tonight, it will be Lawal's first since Nov. 26, in the Battle 4 Atlantis tournament opener against Colorado State. With Lawal playing, Virginia Tech has gone 6-0. Without him, they've gone 6-3.

However, that stretch included a six-game winning streak that featured three overtime victories: South Carolina on the road on Dec. 2, a comeback win over Elon on Dec. 20 after the Hokies trailed by as many as 19 and finally, the classic triple-overtime throwdown vs. then-No. 21 Virginia on Dec. 31, where Hammond dropped a career-high 30 points and true freshman center Christian Gurdak notched a 17-point, 19-rebound performance.

However, Wake Forest put an end to the Hokies streak on Jan. 3, forcing the Hokies into a season-high 19 turnovers — including seven from the normally steady Avdalas — as guard Nate Calmese drained the game-winning three-ball with six and a half ticks left on the clock.

In Lawal's stead, several players have stepped up, though the team has also dealt with attrition elsewhere. German center Antonio Dorn and Johnson are scratches for Wednesday's showdown, the former due to nagging back issues and the latter due to an ankle injury that has forced him into a boot and crutches. Dorn started following Lawal's absences, but after he went down, Gurdak earned the nods for both Virginia and Wake Forest. In the three starts Gurdak has made, he's averaged 13.3 points and 10.3 rebounds, anchoring the Hokies on both ends of the floor alongside the imposing Hansberry.

Hansberry, referred to as the "connector" of Mike Young's offense, has been a revelation. In the month of December, he averaged 17.3 points per game and 10.8 rebounds in a perfect 6-0 month for the Hokies. Though he initially struggled from the field against Virginia, starting 2-for-12, he ended the contest with a 5-for-16 mark, ultimately tallying 17 points and 15 rebounds. Hansberry has scored in double-digits all but once (Charlotte on Nov. 16 - nine points) and is currently riding a 10-game streak with double-digit points.

Against Wake Forest, he also became the first Hokie since Keve Aluma (Jan. 27, 2021; Jan. 30, 2021; Feb. 3, 2021) to log a double-double in three straight contests. However, Hansberry fouled out against Wake Forest with just over a minute to go and was stuck on the bench as the Demon Deacons narrowly outpaced the Hokies.

For Virginia Tech to claim a victory tonight, keeping Hansberry and Gurdak out of foul trouble is critical. The two both accumulated three fouls against Wake Forest by the end of the first half, with Hansberry fouling out after playing only 27 minutes. If Hansberry can remain on the floor, the impact his presence provides offers the Hokies a serious boost against an imposing forward in Chisom Okpara. Okpara, a 6-foot-8 senior, is averaging 15.3 points per game.

However, the engine of Stanford's offense has undoubtedly been freshman guard Ebuka Okorie. Fresh off a 28-point outing against Louisville, Okorie is leading the team in minutes (33.6), points per game (22.0), assists per game (2.8) and steals per game (1.7), meaning that if Virginia Tech wants to win today's game, shutting down Okorie is critical.

Stanford lost its ACC opener to Notre Dame in an insipid 47-40 affair; however, it quickly bounced back, toppling No. 16 Louisville in an 80-76 thriller paced by Okorie's 28 points. The victory was Stanford's first ranked win since it took down No. 4 Arizona on Dec. 31, 2023.

Virginia Tech has struggled against slow-tempo teams, though Wake Forest (No. 62 in adjusted tempo on KenPom at the time of writing) bucked the trend by continually switching up its coverage of Avdalas and forcing him into four turnovers in as many minutes to begin its contest. Stanford falls roughly in the middle of the nation tempo-wise, with its adjusted tempo number sitting at 69.0, which sits No. 156 in the nation.

My final prediction?

I think that the Hokies have enough to get out of this one with their seventh win in their last eight games, but by no means is this one a gimme.

Virginia Tech squares off against the Cardinal tonight at 7 p.m. ET; viewing for the contest can be found on the ACC Network.