Rebuilding the Roster
Virginia Tech’s men’s basketball squad endured a bruising 2025‑26 campaign, dropping seven Atlantic Coast Conference games by ten points or fewer and ultimately falling short of the NCAA Tournament after a 95‑89 overtime heartbreaker against Wake Forest.
The roster reshuffle was stark: Izaiah Pasha, Neoklis Avdalas, Christian Gurdak, Jaden Schutt, Antonio Dorn and Brett Freeman all entered the transfer portal, while big man Tobi Lawal completed his eligibility and left the program.
Coach Mike Young, however, managed to keep three key contributors — Ben Hammond, Amani Hansberry and Tyler Johnson — on the roster, and he bolstered the squad with five newcomers: Kuol Atak, Isaiah Elohim, Jaylen Curry, Miles Heide and Ned Hull.
Hammond paced the team in ACC scoring at 14.9 points per game and ranked second in steals, while Hansberry contributed 14.3 points and 7.4 rebounds, and Johnson shot 53 percent from the field before a lower‑body injury limited him to 17 appearances.
The incoming transfers bring a variety of skills: Atak’s 41.3 percent three‑point shooting stretches the floor, Elohim’s 12.4 points and 46.5 percent field‑goal accuracy add depth, Curry’s 10.1 points and playmaking bring defensive grit, Heide’s interior presence addresses the void in the paint, and Hull offers a reliable outside option.
Analysts have graded the offseason a B, noting that the team sits in a more stable configuration but still requires one more interior piece to become a true tournament contender.
If the Hokies can blend the experience of their retained veterans with the fresh talent, they may finally break the drought that has kept them out of the NCAA Tournament since 2022.