Who: Boston College Eagles (10-19, 3-13 in ACC) vs. Virginia Tech Hokies (18-11, 7-9 in ACC)
When: Tuesday March 3rd, 2026
Tip-Off Time: 9pm EST
How to Watch: ESPN U
The regular season is coming to a close as the BC men’s basketball team plays their final road game against the Virginia Tech Hokies down in Blacksburg. BC, who are losers of 9 of their last 10 games, will face off against a Hokies squad that is in a downward spiral as well. VT has lost 5 of their last 7 games after starting the season 16-6.
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The Hokies boast a good offense without a true go-to scorer from night-to-night. Junior forward Amani Hansberry leads the team in points per game with 14.5, but he is followed by four of his teammates who also routinely score in the double-digits. Hansberry’s strength is his versatility and ability to impact the game in multiple ways. He grabs a lot of rebounds, can score inside and get to the free throw line, but he also isn’t afraid to take and make three-pointers when he’s called upon. And on defense he can be asked to guard 1 through 5 somewhat effectively.
One of VT’s most dynamic players is 5’11” sophomore guard Ben Hammond. Hammond uses his smaller size to his advantage when he is distributing the ball, slipping by defenders, and getting open for threes. He’s definitely a vulnerability on defense, but his spark-plug offensive capabilities can often make up for it. Hammond often shares the backcourt with his teammates Neoklis Avdalas and Jailen Bedford. Bedford is a smaller, experienced senior guard that takes a lot of threes and can help run the offense. Avdalas is a 6’9” freshman guard that is a threat to score from anywhere on the court.
Rounding out the Hokies’ line-up is senior forward Toibu Lawal, who leads the team in rebounding and blocks. His presence in the interior can be difficult to overcome if BC doesn’t get strong play from their big men.
Overall, Virginia Tech has a solid offense that can’t be bottled up by just one or two great defenders. Their versatility of attack is apparent in all phases of the offense, especially with their high three-point percentage and ability to limit turnovers. The Hokies are more vulnerable on defense, often relying on their freshman Avdalas to take important match-ups and hiding their star 5’11” guard Hammond.
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If Fred Payne or Donald Hand can get a rhythm going, they should be able to exploit some of VT’s weaknesses. But based on the performance we saw last time out against Miami, I don’t expect any kind of consistency from the Eagles’ offense.
Prediction: Virginia Tech 74 Boston College 67
