It’s almost that time of the year. College basketball season is right around the corner. The games begin next month, and expectations are high in Blacksburg for the Virginia Tech Hokies — men’s and women’s
teams.
Unfortunately, the ACC media isn’t among those high on the 2025-26 Hokies.
On Tuesday, the ACC media revealed its picks for the 2025-26. No surprise, Duke came in at No. 1.
Here are the ACC preseason rankings, with first-place votes in parentheses.
- 1. Duke (34), 866
- 2. Louisville (15), 842
- 3. North Carolina, 741
- 4. NC State, 710
- 5. Virginia, 623
- 6. SMU, 616
- 7. Clemson, 510
- 8. Miami, 500
- 9. Syracuse, 489
- 10. Notre Dame, 477
- 11. Wake Forest, 412
- 12. Virginia Tech, 355
- 13. Georgia Tech, 315
- 14. Pitt, 301
- 15. Florida State, 221
- 16. California, 156
- 17. Stanford, 138
- 18. Boston College, 107
Virginia Tech is No. 12 in ACC preseason poll? Not nationally, but in the ACC.
How do you feel about that? Perhaps we are being overly enthusiastic about the upcoming season due to the offseason changes, the increased resources being invested in the program, the return of Chester Frazier, and a talented mix of freshmen and transfers, with international star Neoklis Avdalas (Greece) leading the way.
Jon Rothstein is high on the Hokies. He knows a thing or two about college basketball. Head coach Mike Young hasn’t gushed about any of his teams the way he has this one. Sure, Young is a positive guy, but have you heard him recently? The 2025-26 team has size and depth, and there should be a renewed focus on defense with Frazier’s return. The Hokies gutted last season’s team, bringing back only the four players they truly wanted to retain.
It’s a preseason poll, and ultimately, it doesn’t matter. That doesn’t mean we have to agree. Games are won and lost on the court, and we’ll know a lot about the Hokies by the end of December. The ACC as a whole will be much better this season. Virginia is rejuvenated, too, with an influx of cash and an all-new team under new head coach Ryan Odom.
Barring any unforeseen injuries, the Hokies will be good this season.
The ACC media also appears a bit low on the Lady Hokies.
The Lady Hokies overachieved in Megan Duffy’s first year after Kenny Brooks left Blacksburg in the middle of the night and stripped the roster of several top players. Not only does Duffy have several key players returning, but she signed a good mix of transfers and first-year players.
Not sure about you, but we are riding with Young and Duffy in 2025-26.
