Hokie ClubBLACKSBURG – Behind an impressive recruiting class and a wealth of preseason excitement, the Hokies’ men’s basketball team is eagerly awaiting its home opener against Charleston Southern on Monday, November 3 at 7 p.m. The squad, which is led by experienced head coach Mike Young in what will be his seventh year at the helm in Blacksburg, is poised to make a splash both in the Atlantic Coast Conference and nationally this season. With the squad playing host to Duquesne in an exhibition in just over a week, there’s no better time to be a fan of Hokie men’s basketball.
Flanking Young on the sidelines will be associate head coach Chester Frazier who returns to Blacksburg for a second stint, and assistant coaches J.D. Byers and David Moats.
The staff will have a plethora of talent at their disposal when regular season action begins in November. Three transfer athletes and six freshmen join the squad this fall, while four returners will see themselves back in Cassell Coliseum for another season. The 13 rostered student-athletes bring a mix of size, agility, quickness and strength to the 2025-26 iteration of the Hokies.
There’s no denying the impact true freshman Neoklis Avdalas will have on the Hokies this season. Hailing from Kalamata, Greece, the 6-foot-9, 215-pound guard catapulted the Tech men’s basketball team into the spotlight earlier this summer after deciding to forego the NBA Draft for an opportunity to play in Blacksburg. Avdalas’s arrival marks one of the most profound signings in Young’s extensive coaching career.
“We are absolutely thrilled to welcome Neo to the Virginia Tech family,” said Young after signing Avdalas. “This is a huge addition for our program. Neo is a highly sought-after talent with tremendous upside.”
Avdalas’s basketball résumé across the pond is spectactular. Ranked as the No. 2 international newcomer in the Class of 2025 by 247Sports, the former FIBA U20 EuroBasket participant spent a pair of seasons competing in HEBA A1, Greece’s top professional basketball league. As an 18-year-old, he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in just 18.5 minutes per game.
The Greek phenomenon is one of seven listed guards on the 2025-26 edition of Tech’s men’s basketball. Alongside Avdalas are transfers Izaiah Pasha and Jailen Bedford, returners Ben Hammond, Tyler Johnson, and Jaden Schutt, and freshman Brett Freeman.
Delaware transfer Izaiah Pasha and UNLV transfer Jailen Bedford are both expected to be significant contributors, the former averaging 11.9 points per game en route to a 2024 CAA Rookie of the Year win while the latter posted a 38.7 shooting percentage in 33 appearances last season. Those two combined to post 43 double-digit scoring games as a Blue Hen and Rebel respectively.
Hammond, Johnson and Schutt all return to the Hokies’ lineup. All three athletes made a significant impact last year: Hammond led the team in steals (35), Johnson ranked second in defensive rebounds (104), and Schutt set team highs in minutes (839) and made 3-pointers (57). Looking to join fellow guards on the stat sheet is Freeman, who averaged a scintillating 24.2 points per game as a senior at Ardery Kell High School last year.
The forward position is a blend of a talented returner in Tobi Lawal, one transfer in Amani Hansberry, and one freshman, Sin’Cere Jones. The collective arrives in Blacksburg with three equally impressive resumes and skills that are sure to transfer onto the court come tip-off.
Lawal spent the first two years of his career at VCU before becoming a Hokie a season ago. The London, England native led the team in several categories in his first year in Blacksburg, including total points (371), field goals (128), free throws (93), rebounds (210), blocks (20) and double-doubles (six). Lawal’s long wingspan and exceptional athleticism resulted in him recording 12.4 points and 7.0 rebounds per game in 32 starts last season.
The 6-foot-8 Hansberry hails from Silver Spring, Maryland, and has spent time at Illinois (2023-24) and West Virginia (2024-25). As a Mountaineer last year, he logged 31 appearances and averaged 9.8 points alongside 6.5 rebounds a game. While Jones does not have any collegiate experience just yet, his accomplishments at Churchland High School are evidence enough that the former First Team All-State selection is ready to bring his game to the next level.
In the paint, Young and Co. Have three young men who are in their first year of college basketball. Antonio Dorn is a seven-footer from Germany who like Avdalas, joins the team with international experience, joining the Hokies after spending a pair of seasons with Bozic Estriche Knights Kirchheim in Germany. The former FIBA U20 European Championship participant averaged 9.5 points and 4.6 rebounds per game on a Knights team that went 20-14 just a year ago.
Solomon Davis brings game experience after competing with Virginia Elite on the AAU in northern Virginia, while Christian Gurdak already enters with connection to former Paul VI High School teammate Ben Hammond from his first two seasons in high school.
Young and company will begin their season Nov. 3 with the Buccaneers and then head to Uncasville, Connecticut for the Basketball Hall of Fame Tip Off against BIG EAST opponent Providence. Other can't-miss matchups include the Battle 4 Atlantis during Thanksgiving and the ACC/SEC Challenge contest at South Carolina on Dec. 2, which can be seen on SEC Network
The Hokies will play host to five of their nine home league games on a Saturday, including a meeting with ACC champion Duke, who just competed in the Final Four for the 18th time in program history. That matchup is already sold out, as are ticket memberships. Fans can still purchase single-game tickets to see the Hokies at Cassell Coliseum.
With the adjustment in ACC men's hoops to an 18-game schedule, the Hokies will play two home-and-home series, against Virginia and Wake Forest. Notably, Pitt does not appear on the slate for 2025-26. Tech’s home schedule also features Stanford and Cal for the first time at Cassell, as well as Notre Dame, Georgia Tech, Duke, Florida State and Boston College.
Excitement is building for the Hokies as they prepare for the season ahead. Don’t miss out on your chance to purchase single-game tickets and see Tech men’s basketball for yourself this season!