Men's Basketball Recap Week 5 & 6: Holiday Hoops Leads to Highs and Lows, ACC Play in Full Swing

The Hokies had high morale headed into the fifth week of play. 

Mike Young's crew were on their first win streak since the season's start. They understood walking into neutral territory didn't change their challenge against Saint Joseph's. Ben Hammond's breakout had earned the freshman his first start. Rodney Brown Jr. was emerging as the spark plug off the bench. Tobi Lawal was starting to shine as the lead force on the team. There was a lot to look forward to, but this season has proven nothing is guaranteed. 

Weeks five and six emphasized this reality.

You'd expect to be excited when you see the headline that Ben Hammond led the team in scoring in his first start. Then, you see that he led with 11 points and begin to see the full picture of this game.

This was one of the more disappointing outings of the season. 

Good momentum translated in the first half, with a 12-0 run leading to a two-point game going into the second. Saint Joseph's beat Coach Young at his own game. The shot chart between the two teams was neck and neck from mid-range, but the Hawks suffocated the Hokies with their three-point shooting. They created more looks from deep and drained them with higher efficiency. A staggering 31.8% from Virginia Tech paled in comparison to Saint Joseph's 46.9%. 

It was a record night for the Hawks. Erik Reynolds II broke into the school's top five scorers list with his 25-point performance. Rasheer Fleming begins to shine as an NBA prospect, being the only player in college basketball with 20 dunks and 20 threes. All of these accomplishments came at the Hokies expense. Pair that with leading the turnover margin yet again, and a recipe for disappointment is inevitable. 

In the blink of an eye, the momentum the Hokies built the previous week seemed to deteriorate. After competing against a strong Pitt team, fans were disappointed to see them roll over against Saint Joseph's.

Cooper Flagg is special.

That was the storyline heading into this game. A 24.5-point spread signaled this game to be a beatdown. Virginia Tech followed suit with their performance against Saint Joseph's. A surprisingly competitive first half followed by a suffocating second half. 

Again, the Hokies only had two double-digit scorers. Tobi Lawal led the team with 19 points with one of his most efficient outings all year. He did his best to carry the load, but Duke outweighed them in every way imaginable. More threes, more free throws, more rebounds, and more assists. The only category they didn't lead? You guessed it, turnovers. 

Duke had six players in double-digits, with the top prospect in the 2025 NBA Draft leading the charge as expected. Flagg was everywhere on offense and defense. While this wasn't a game the Hokies were expected to be competitive in, they were to start. Back-to-back second-half crumbles hurt to see. It shows this squad has the pieces and coaching to compete with top talent. The execution is extremely inconsistent, either getting blown away down the stretch or failing to finish in tight contests.

This was the response Coach Young's squad needed.

Miami has had a similar season to Virginia Tech. After some intriguing runs in years past, it was a rebuilding year. Both teams were winless in the conference and had the opportunity to kick 2025 off with a bang. 

This may sound like a broken record, but yet again, Tobi Lawal was an emphasis. He's proven time and time again when he's at the top of his game, so is his team. He was an active glass cleaner and had his career-high in assists with five. He cracked double-digit points for a team-leading tenth time, finishing just a point shy of his career-high with 22. His efficiency continues to shine, garnering him more opportunities as the season progresses. 

Ben Hammond continued to settle into the role as the team's lead playmaker. His career-high eight assists were the most by a Hokie since Jan. 20th of last year. While the turnovers still plague some of his plays, that's to be expected in his first season of collegiate play. He's got nitrous in his legs, bringing a level of quickness that stands out every time he checks into the game. As his discipline grows, so will his ability to run this offense. 

But they're not the story of the night.

M-m-m-my Mylyjael

This was the Mylyjael Poteat legacy game. He's been relatively consistent as the starting center, but he hasn't blown up like this since the beginning of the year. The Senior came into 2025 with a vengeance. While he wasn't as impactful as a rebounder, he had a career night as a scorer. His outing was also the highest scoring by a Hokie all season. His 25 points bolstered this team's confidence front to back. Poteat came in clutch with his game-winning And-1, providing fans with a worthwhile highlight for the season. 

This season hasn't been for the faint of heart. Little moments like these, in the eyes of some, are monumental for others. They spoiled a revenge game for former Hokie Lynn Kidd and created one of the most electric environments Cassell Coliseum has seen all year. It's easy to get up in the moment but wins like these are sparks.

At least, that's what fans were hoping for.

The Hokies were hit hard before they entered the game with the news of Ben Hammond being unavailable due to a foot injury.

A formidable foe in Stanford looked to exploit the hit to Virginia Tech's playmaking. They went from 23 total assists against Miami to just eight against the Cardinals. Even though they improved in the turnover margin, having fewer turnovers than their opponent for the first time in months. Lawal had yet another double-digit game with 15, and Ben Burnham had his second 18-point showing of the season. The Hokies also had a more efficient night from the field than the Cardinals, with more shots attempted.

Despite this sounding like a formula for success, that's about where the positives end.

The Hokies were deficient in every other margin offensively. Their three-pointers were off and failed to make up for it at the free-throw line. The Cardinals shot with higher intensity and effectiveness in both categories. Once again, the Hokies came out of the first half competitive and burned out. While none of these ACC matchups come easy, there's got to a point where this team puts their foot down. They've shown fans they compete almost every week.

Now, they must prove they can finish these competitions on top.

They almost did it again.

The Hokies came out red-hot in the first half. Virginia Tech needed to play complementary ball at its highest degree without Ben Hammond for the second straight game. They got quality bench assistfromce, with Jaydon Young having his best showing this year. He was showing confidence as the team's six-man this squad could greatly benefit from down the stretch.

Young wasn't the only player who broke out. Freshman Tyler Johnson was lights out in California. He posted the first double-double by a true freshman Hokie since 2015, with 11 points and 12 rebounds on 71% shooting. He was one of four players with double-digit points, however this bout still brought self-inflicted hardships. 

Cal was drastically more disciplined with the ball. Combatting 13 turnovers with only two became essential to their second-half comeback. They also spent much time at the free throw line due to Virginia Tech's 18 personal fouls. The Hokies were up 19 to end the first, yet only won by three. However, they did one thing they haven't been able to prove. They showed up when it mattered most. Coach Young's crew stayed in the game and shot an effective 57% on the night. 

Prying this comeback from the Golden Bears' paws is certainly a much-needed confidence booster for this developmental team.

January 15th vs N.C. State on ESPNU

*Reigning ACC Champions, Coming off first Final Four appearance since 1983

January 18th vs Wake Forest on ACCN

*Hunter Sallis leads team in scoring with 18.6 points per game, Fourth in the ACC

January 22nd @ Georgia Tech on ESPNU

*Sophmore from Senegal, Baye Ndongo, highlights the matchup of the night against forward Tobi Lawal