BLACKSBURG — For each of the last four seasons, Virginia Tech men's basketball has found itself on the outside looking in when it comes to cracking the then-68-team field for March Madness. This year marks the eighth under head coach Mike Young, who hopes his squad will have better luck weathering injuries than it did in 2025-26.
"Let's hope we have some good fortune and we can keep them healthy," Young said at ACC Tipoff in October. "That was as frustrating and as debilitating as anything I've experienced in 25 years as a head coach, what we went through last year. We're in good health now."
Can they make it?
Guard Tyler Johnson — one of the Hokies' five returnees from the 2025-26 squad — missed 15 games, while forward Tobi Lawal missed nine. The two were part of Virginia Tech's opening-night starting lineup, and without them, the Hokies faltered at times. Tech lost nine games last year by single-digit margins and four by one possession.
Assuming that shifts this year with the infusion of new personnel, Virginia Tech should inherently be more lucky. But is it better? Perhaps, or perhaps not. Last year's rendition was a squad that was able to duel with nearly any ACC opponent that came across its path, though it fell to numerous opponents via a myriad number of circumstances.
The Hokies were thrashed by Florida State 92-69 in Blacksburg, but the game was rather even in the first half — until Florida State made 78.3% of its shots in the final 20 minutes. Similar cases could be made for games against then-No. 23 Louisville and then-No. 4 Duke. Save for a four-minute stretch at the end of the first half, the Hokies held serve with the Cardinals. Tech thinned its deficit to six against Duke with 6:10 to go and with four minutes to go, it was within two scores. However, a seven-point rally by Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer led to an eventual 14-point Duke win.
Virginia Tech can be better this year, but one question that could persist is whether the unit has enough high-end production to remain with the heavy hitters. Or is its floor now higher, allowing it to avoid some of the disappointing losses that ultimately kept the Hokies out of NCAA Tournament contention a year ago?
Virginia Tech's inability to consistently finish games last season was not indicative of a team incapable of competing in the ACC, but rather one that struggled to string together complete performances. The Hokies had opportunities to turn several of those narrow defeats into victories, and even a handful of different outcomes could have drastically altered the complexion of their season.
That makes the integration of Virginia Tech's newcomers all the more important. The Hokies return a handful of pieces from last year's squad — including senior forward Amani Hansberry and junior guard Ben Hammond but much of their success will hinge on whether the new additions can provide a level of consistency that was absent at times in 2025-26.
Having multiple players capable of shouldering the offensive load should help on nights when the Hokies aren't getting the production they need from their top options. Whether that translates to more wins, though, remains to be seen. Virginia Tech had its opportunities last season, and in a conference as unforgiving as the ACC, failing to capitalize on them proved costly.
Things should be easier this year — after all, the NCAA Tournament field has now expanded to 76 teams — but an expanded field alone won't guarantee Virginia Tech a spot in the Big Dance. The Hokies will still need to turn the narrow defeats that plagued them a season ago into victories.
Ultimately, I think Virginia Tech's path back to March Madness may depend less on whether it can go toe-to-toe with the ACC's best and more on whether it can consistently capitalize on its opportunities against everyone else and take care of business in a difficult non-conference schedule.
The Hokies showed flashes of being a competitive outfit last season, but flashes alone weren't enough to produce an NCAA Tournament berth. If Young's eighth team in Blacksburg can combine improved health with greater late-game execution, perhaps those narrow defeats will begin to swing in the other direction.
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