Virginia Tech at Virginia Basketball Preview
The back half of the ACC schedule begins Saturday when the Virginia Cavaliers host their in-state rival Virginia Tech Hokies. The Cavs enter with a 3-7 conference record, while the Hokies sit a game ahead at 4-6.
Tipoff is scheduled for 4:00 PM Eastern at John Paul Jones Arena, televised on ACC Network. It’ll be the first of two meetings between the rivals this season, with the game in Blacksburg set for February 15th.
About Virginia Tech
Virginia Tech is led by head coach Mike Young in his sixth season at the helm in Blacksburg. He’s twice taken them to the NCAA Tournament. The highlight of his tenure was a surprise run to the ACC Tournament title in 2022. He has a mostly new team this year, following heavy roster turnover in the offseason.
The Hokies carry a 9-12 overall record, 4-6 in ACC play. They’re coming off their best performance of the season, Wednesday's 76-66 road win at Florida State. Their NCAA NET ranking is 169. The adjusted efficiency ratings aren’t much better, outside the top 100 on both ends, a little stronger on offense than defense.
Virginia Tech’s Personnel
The Hokes have a very young squad. Six of their top nine are underclassmen. They’ve been starting with the following group.
G - Ben Hammond (5’11’ Freshman, 4.8 points and 2.0 assists per game)
G - Tyler Johnson (6’5” Freshman, 6.3 points and 5.2 rebounds per game)
G - Jaden Schutt (6’5” Sophomore, Duke transfer, 8.5 points per game, 35% from 3)
F - Toibu Lawal (6’8” Junior, VCU transfer, 12.8 points and 6.8 rebounds per game)
F - Mylyjael Poteat (6’9” Graduate, 10.0 points and 3.9 rebounds per game)
Charleston transfer forward Ben Burnham (6.9 PPG) is shooting 45% from deep this season. Sophomore point guard Brandon Rechsteiner (7.0 PPG), the son of former pro wrestling star Scott Steiner, leads the team in assists. And sophomore guard Jaydon Young (6.7 PPG) rounds out the backcourt rotation.
Hoos Healthy?
The big question going into this game is whether UVA will be short-handed again. They were missing two starters in Wednesday night’s 82-71 win at Miami. Guard Andrew Rohde (8.7 PPG) and forward Elijah Saunders (11.8 PPG) both sat out with injuries. In the postgame, Virginia coach Ron Sanchez seemed hopeful that neither would be out for long. But there’s a definite possibility that the Hoos could be without one or both again on Saturday.
Virginia received big contributions from senior guard Taine Murray (20 points, 7 assists) and sophomore forward Blake Buchanan (16 points, 9 rebounds) in Wednesday's win. Both were bumped into starting roles due to the injuries. They stepped up and delivered career-best performances. If Rohde and/or Saunders are unavailable, that pair will once again be called on for increased duty.
Up Next
The Wahoos will have a short turnaround after this one. They’ll be back in action on Monday night, on the road at Pittsburgh for a 7PM game on ESPN.
Be sure to tune in for the pregame show, starting 30 minutes before tip as always. Available on the Locker Room Access Facebook page and YouTube channel.
(Featured Image Credit: Jamie Holt/UVA Athletics)