BLACKSBURG — Opening night cannot come soon enough as far as Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Mike Young is concerned.
It has nothing to do with trying to forget about the stunning six-game losing streak the Hokies suffered through in December nor their frustrating stretch run, when they won just four of 11 games in February and March.
It’s a new season with a new team that he believes consists of a great mix of new faces and returning players.
“Time will tell,” Young said during Virginia Tech’s appearance at last month’s Atlantic Coast Conference media day. “They haven’t determined anything in October, but I will not shy away from it and I’ve said it all summer: I’ve got a really good basketball team. … If we can stay healthy, continue to get a little bit better and have a little luck, we will win a lot of games and have a great year.”
The Hokies finished 13-19 last season and lost to California in their ACC Tournament opener. It was Virginia Tech’s first losing record under Young and snapped a streak of four straight postseason appearances.
Once the team returned from the tournament, Young got back to work and started his rebuild.
Eight players on last year’s Hokies roster have moved on. Two, second-leading scorer Mylyjael Poteat and reserve Ben Burnham, used up their eligibility. Six others moved on via the transfer portal, including part-time starter and third-leading scorer Jaydon Young, who will play for North Carolina this year.
Virginia Tech was ready to act, and it went overseas to fill two of those roster spots. From Germany comes 7-foot center Antonio Dorn, and Young also expanded his recruiting footprint into Greece, where he landed one of the ACC’s most anticipated newcomers — Neoklis Avdalas, a 6-foot-9 guard who joined offseason workouts after fulfilling his obligations as a member of his country’s under-20 national team.
“In sheer basketball talent, he’s the best I’ve ever coached, and I’ve coached a bunch of great ones,” Young said. “… As I’ve watched him this summer since he’s come over, he is a playmaker. He’s a unique basketball player and a great player to coach.”
Another fast fan of Avdalas is frontcourt player Tobi Lawal, one of four returning Hokies and last year’s leader in scoring, rebounds and blocked shots.
“He’s nice,” Lawal said. “He’s unselfish. He doesn’t force any plays. When he gets the ball, he’s trying to get open. If he’s not, he passes.”
Young said retaining Lawal as well as guards Jaden Schutt, Tyler Johnson and Ben Hammond was crucial going forward. All have significant experience in the Hokies’ system and smoothed over the transition for the newcomers.
“Keeping these guys in the program was important,” Young said.
Keeping Lawal on the roster could be the most important recruiting job done by Young. Lawal is a British national who came to Blacksburg last year after beginning his college career at VCU. The coach is also excited about Hammond, who led the Hokies in steals and was second in assists.
“He had a great summer,” Young said of Hammond, one of two players on the roster who is from Virginia. “He does it every day. His assists are up, his turnovers are down – not that we had a problem with that a year ago. He’s shooting very well. He takes the right 3s. He’s going to have a really good year.”
From the transfer portal, the Hokies added three whom Young expects to play important roles. Graduate transfer Jailen Bedford, who went to junior college before moving on to Oral Roberts and then UNLV, averaged more than 10 points per game for the Runnin’ Rebels last season. The Hokies also increased their presence inside with West Virginia power forward Amani Hansberry and also expect an offensive boost from Delaware transfer and CAA Rookie of the Year Izaiah Pasha.
“With the versatility and depth that we have, it’s going to be an exciting year,” Bedford said at media day. “I love the fact that we’re underdogs. I’ve always been overlooked, and coming in here and seeing the pieces that Coach Young has put together and we’ve gotten together so fast and so tightly, it’s going to be a fun season.”
Young said the roster-building coaches go through these days is much different now than even when he first arrived in Blacksburg in 2019, but then again, those days were different than when he was hired as Wofford’s head coach in 2002.
“You better evolve in this day and age with everything that’s going on. I think we’ve done a very good job in that area,” he said. “… We’re going to continue to do more in Europe and beyond. But let’s not lose focus on where we’re located and (the quality players) in Charlotte and the great state of Virginia.”
When the Hokies have enjoyed success in recent years, it was the result of forcing opponents into high-tempo contests and wearing them down with a combination of strong outside shooting and winning the physical battles inside. That will be the case this year, Young said, if his optimism turns out to be warranted.
“We’ll need to ring the bell,” he said. “I’ve made my living with a bunch of kids who could shoot it. I don’t know if we have a (superstar), but we’ve got a number of kids who can put it in the basket when they have the ball.”
Virginia Tech men at a glance
Last year: 13-19, 8-12 ACC (T-9th place)
Coach: Mike Young (105-85 in six seasons)
Season opener: Monday vs. Charleston Southern, 7 p.m.
ACC predicted order of finish, as selected by media: 1. Duke, 2. Louisville, 3. North Carolina, 4. NC State, 5. Virginia, 6. SMU, 7. Clemson, 8. Miami, 9. Syracuse, 10. Notre Dame, 11. Wake Forest, 12. Virginia Tech, 13. Georgia Tech, 14. Pittsburgh, 15. Florida State, 16. California, 17. Stanford, 18. Boston College.
Schedule
November: 8: vs. x-Providence, 4 p.m.; 12: vs. Saint Joseph’s, 7 p.m.; 16: vs. Charlotte, 2 p.m.; 19: vs. Bryant, 7 p.m.; 26: vs. y-Colorado State, 5 p.m.; 27: vs. y-Wichita State or St. Mary’s, TBA; 28: y-TBA.
December: 2: at South Carolina, 7 p.m.; 6: vs. George Mason, 3 p.m.; 11: vs. Western Carolina, 7 p.m.; 14: vs. Maryland Eastern Shore, noon; 20: vs. Elon, 2 p.m.; 31: vs. Virginia, 2 p.m.
January: 3: at Wake Forest, noon; 7: vs. Stanford, 7 p.m.; 10: vs. California, 4 p.m.; 14: at SMU, 9 p.m.; 21: at Syracuse, 9 p.m.; 24: at Louisville, 3:30 p.m.; 27: vs. Georgia Tech, 8 p.m.; 31: vs. Duke, noon.
February: 7: at NC State, 1:30 p.m.; 11: at Clemson, 7 p.m.; 14: vs. Florida State, 2 p.m.; 17: at Miami, 8 p.m.; 21: vs. Wake Forest, noon; 28: at North Carolina, TBA.
March: 3: vs. Boston College, 9 p.m.; 7: at Virginia, 12:30 p.m.; 10-14: ACC Tournament, in Charlotte.
x-Basketball Hall of Fame Tipoff in Uncasville, Connecticut
y-Battle 4 Atlantis at Paradise Island, Bahamas
