The Virginia Tech men's basketball team officially began fall practice Monday afternoon inside the Hahn Hurst Basketball Practice Center. Over one month removed from their international tour of Switzerland and Italy, the Hokies looked the part of a team ahead of schedule.
The opening thought of the day was T.E.A.M. An acronym that stands for together everyone achieves more. Mike Young's program is built on this foundational concept, and the culture exudes team chemistry. The sense of brotherhood is commonplace at the Hokies' practices. From the coaches, to the players, to the support staff, there's a level of appreciation and respect that Young enforces through the T.E.A.M. mantra.
Young enters his fifth season at the helm of the Hokies, and this might very well be his most experienced roster to date. The Hokies feature three fifth-year players in Hunter Cattoor, Robbie Beran and Mekhi Long. All three of those guys have over 100 games played in their careers.
Despite the departure of Justyn Mutts and Grant Basile, the Hokies have added experience through the transfer portal and will benefit from players like MJ Collins and John Camden playing a more substantial role in their first seasons in Blacksburg due to injuries in the starting lineup a year ago. In addition, Sean Pedulla returns at point guard. The Edmond, Okla., native was named a top 100 player by The Almanac last week.
Gallery: (9-25-2023) MBB: First Practice
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Virginia Tech opens its season at home on Monday, Nov. 6, against Coppin State as part of a doubleheader with women's basketball. The full 2023-24 schedule is set to be revealed Tuesday night on ACC Network at 8 p.m.