Mike Young is entering his eighth season as the head coach of the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program. This past week, he addressed the media at the annual ACC Media Days. While the years have added up, Young admitted the makeup of this year’s team is very similar to others from the past.
“Well, the same character makeup of other teams that we’ve had. Let’s hope we have some good fortune, and we can keep them healthy. 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,” he said.
The key could be keeping players on the floor that can perform. At one time or another last season, the Hokies were without three to five key players in key spots.
“It’s a long year, but thrilled that we’re able to retain Ben Hammond and Amani Hansberry and Tyler Johnson,” he said.
Young hopes to use Hammond more as a shooting guard as he had made great strides in that area of his game. “He will play a lot at the point, but we move him off the ball more and run him off different actions.”
Hammond averaged 13.2 points, while his 14.9 points per game in league play paced the team. In ACC play in 2025-26, Hammond was 31-of-66 (47.0%) from 3-point range.
The 6-8, 240 Hansberry transferred from West Virginia University and started 30 games for the Hokies. He was the team’s leading scorer, averaging 14.3 points per game with an efficient 49.2% field goal percentage.
His 7.4 rebounds per game rank tenth in the conference and the Silver Spring, Maryland native’s eight double-doubles rank fourth amongst ACC athletes. Johnson, who is a junior, has stayed true to Virginia Tech all three years of his college career.
He was named to the 2025-26 All-ACC Academic Team, started 13 times in 17 appearances for the Hokies, averaging 26.1 minutes per game. But he missed the first 15 games of ACC play due to a lower body injury.
When he was on the floor, Johnson averaged career highs on the offensive end of the floor with 8.0 points, 53% shooting from the field and 41.5% from beyond the arc and contributed 4.5 rebounds per contest.
Virginia Tech went 19-13 (8-10 ACC) last season, missing the NCAA Tournament for the 4th consecutive season. But the tide could be changing directions.
Young is excited about this group.
“It’s a big, big deal to retain your core and guys that have done it and good players, and there are no guarantees. We know it. We all know it. They are free agents at the end of every year.”
“No matter how I feel about that part of it, that’s the way it reads, and they have the opportunity to explore and do what they think is in their best interest as players. I respect that,” he said.
But a lot of things have to fall into place before the season gets underway.
“We’ve still got great strides to make on other sides of the ball,” Young said. The team had conducted 35 practices, most of them ranging from an hour to an hour and 15 minutes. There have also been closed practices against Maryland and Liberty with another coming up with Wofford.
“There were some things I thought we were in good shape with [and] we’re not as in good of shape as I thought we were,” Young said.
The Hokies open Nov. 3 as they host Coppin State. ACC play will get underway on Dec. 30 when Louisville comes to town.
