Virginia Tech Picked To Finish Ninth in 2026 Preseason Poll, Amani Hansberry Named Second Team Preseason All-ACC

The ACC released its projected order of finish and All-ACC teams for both men's and women's basketball earlier today; in the former, the media placed Virginia Tech men's hoops at No. 9 entering the season.

The men's team garnered 489 points in the poll (48 media members voted), sandwiching it between NC State (502 points) and SMU (443). Virginia Tech, which went 19-13 (8-10 ACC) last season and missed the NCAA Tournament for the fourth straight campaign, lost to both squads last year and dropped a 77-76 game to the Mustangs in January off a Boopie Miller half-court buzzer-beating 3-pointer.

The Hokies were a further 30 points behind Florida State (519 points); the Seminoles thrashed Tech.

Here's the full poll for men's basketball, with first-place votes included in parentheses:

1. Duke (45) - 861 points
2. Virginia (1) - 778 points
3. Louisville (1) - 758 points
4. Miami (1) - 753 points
5. North Carolina - 658 points
6. Clemson - 623 points
7. Florida State - 519 points
8. NC State - 502 points
9. Virginia Tech - 489 points
10. SMU - 443 points
11. Syracuse - 353 points
12. Pitt - 323 points
13. Stanford - 267 points
14. Wake Forest - 234 points
15. California - 225 points
16. Notre Dame - 153 points
17. Boston College - 150 points
18. Georgia Tech - 119 points

The women's basketball team was projected to finish sixth by the media poll, while no Hokies on the women's hoops team cracked the All-ACC preseason teams. Men's hoops, however, was a different story — senior forward Amani Hansberry, who enters his second year with Virginia Tech after stops at Illinois and West Virginia, was named to the Preseason All-ACC Second Team. Hansberry averaged a team-high 14.3 points per game in the 2025-26 season, while his 13.1 points per game in league play was second on the squad only to sophomore guard Ben Hammond (14.9).

My brief thoughts

It's a ranking that makes sense in my eyes. While Virginia Tech doesn't appear to have quite as much offensive firepower, the inconsistency that came with Neoklis Avdalas — the highly touted Greek recruit who shined at times, though his 12.1 points per game ranked fourth on the team, and his 10.8 points per game in ACC play ranked fifth — is gone. In its place is a roster that, while perhaps lacking the same offensive ceiling, could have a more consistent foundation.

Virginia Tech could be in position to snap its March Madness drought, though I wouldn't be surprised if the Hokies find themselves on the outside looking in come Selection Sunday. Much will depend on whether that newfound presumptive balance translates into more consistent results against ACC competition.