The tournament brings one exciting matchup in the opening round, which we’ll cover below, but there are two other guaranteed good matchups for the Hokies heading into Friday night. Whether the Hokies win this game or not, they will face a team with a similar outcome to the St. Mary’s vs. Wichita State game. Following the conclusion of that game, Virginia Tech will face one of the four teams in the group consisting of VCU, Vanderbilt, Western Kentucky and South Florida. There aren’t any bad teams in the tournament field, so each matchup has a chance to mean something with potential NCAA Tournament stakes at the end of the season.
As far as this matchup goes, the Hokies are facing a Colorado State team that is difficult to get a good read on. The Rams have picked up some nice, solid wins so far, but lost a home game over the weekend against Denver, a team that was 1-3 entering the matchup. One game shouldn’t tell the whole story and skew everything, but it’s an important chapter early in the season. How Colorado State recovers from this will be telling and may also tell a story as to what the Hokies do to try to replicate some of Denver’s successes.
Kyle Jorgensen is the leading scorer for the Rams and the power forward can spread it out to the perimeter or attack inside the arc. Half his attempts come from beyond the arc, but he also does a good job of drawing fouls, so he can remain productive even on non-shooting nights. One thing that might slow him down is foul trouble but, otherwise, Kyle is an impressive offensive unit averaging 17.8 points, 6.6 rebounds and 2.6 assists while hitting 50% from three. Augustinus Kiudulas is the player who will replace him, although he is a traditional big who will attack the rim and score from the block. Kiudulas is a player who uses his strength well which allows him to slide into the center position in a matter of minutes.
Some familiar names begin to enter the lineup at starting point guard and other post players. Brandon Rechsteiner, former Virginia Tech Hokie, is the starting point guard for the Rams and is having success starting his Rams career. A phenomenal three-point shooter, Rechsteiner’s biggest struggles have been turnovers and running the offense, but that hasn’t been an issue while his shooting abilities have been on full display. Brandon is averaging 13.2 points and 2.8 assists per game while hitting 50% from three. The other is Carry Booth, a 6’10” forward, who spent one season at Notre Dame before transferring to Illinois last year. Booth is an athletic forward who averages nearly a double-double and plays with an edge. The way he can battle the Virginia Tech starting forward makes him a tough matchup on both ends of the court. Although not a huge part of his game, Carry Rams Booth is averaging 13.6 points and 9.2 rebounds.
The final two starters are two true wings and they rarely come off the court for first-year head coach Ali Farukhmanesh. Josh Pascarelli is the Rams’ greatest shot creator and perimeter shooter. That doesn’t mean he’s the most consistent, but he’s the player who steps up for his looks the most often. Part of it is that other players are doing a better job of getting to the foul line, but Pascarelli is just a pure shot taker, averaging 10 attempts per game, scoring 14 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.4 assists. Javin Muniz, a 6’6″ wing, takes the last starting spot and may not have had the breakout scoring game like others, but he has been a consistent playmaker for Colorado State, averaging 8.6 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.4 assists per game, including two games of 7 assists.
There are a few others who will come in to help fill out the rotation, like Jess Butler or JoJo McIver, but the majority of the minutes will be taken by the first six mentioned due to some foul trouble to mix things up. Colorado State can rebound and shoot at a high rate from the perimeter, but also likes to play at a much slower pace than the Hokies, so it will be interesting to see which style wins. Mike Young has been fine with letting teams slow things down, but after two close calls he wants to push the pace and force Colorado State into more turnover opportunities.
Another thing the Rams do efficiently is get to the line. Virginia Tech has attempted 121 free throws through 5 games this season. Colorado State has made 125 free throws this season. This included 21 misses, leading to a total of 146 free throws attempted. The Hokies have some depth but not enough to compete and overcome that level of foul shot disparity. Mike Young has shown us that is the style of offense he likes to run, slowing things down to find open shots on the perimeter or late action off screens, getting to the basket and drawing fouls if that doesn’t happen, crashing the glass with two guys while others drop back to limit fast breaks. Farrokhmanesh might not do that exact job, but the Rams aren’t too far off from what we’ve seen from Mike Young in the past.
Virginia Tech is undefeated, but only has one opponent that will be of similar standing to Colorado State, defeating Providence in overtime at Mohegan Sun in its second game of the season. One thing that has slowed the Hokies is a big, physical post presence that can lock down the paint. Even if he isn’t getting blocks he can alter shots and make things difficult for a Virginia Tech team that loves to attack the paint. Providence had Oswin Erhunmawunse, Charlotte had Anton Bonnke, and Bryant has one of the top-seeded lineups in the country. Looking at the Colorado State group, there is some size but no pure post threat outside of rarely used bench players.
Not having any big centers or space cloggers like this should open up a lot of room for Amani Hansberry and Toby LaValle to operate. Hansberry missed the last game with a minor ankle injury but reports were positive about Hansberry being available at the tournament. If Amani can’t go it’s a very different game, but assuming Amani can get out there, he brings physicality on both ends of the court as a tenacious rebounder. Hansberry can also spread the floor offensively, conducting pick-and-pops with the Hokies’ offensive starters. Lawal is used more often in the pick-and-roll because of his superior post mechanics and the inability for many defenders to match his athleticism. Toby has increased his defensive awareness and added shot blocking to his repertoire, making his overall game more complete. These two pair well and give the Hokies a strong 1-2 punch in the post.
Neoklis Avdalas is the point guard who gets everything started and helps get post players in the right spots. That Avadalas can take over a game and has been talked about as a potential lottery pick in the 2026 NBA Draft speaks to the kind of talent that can reach the next level. At times it seems like Neo might be pushing for his own shot instead of proving himself to be an elite playmaker, but the Hokies also need to be a scorer early in the season while they figure out everything else, so it’s a tough balance for a new player in a new setting. This game will be a big test for the Avadalas and a chance to prove themselves against a strong defensive unit.
Jaylen Bedford and Jaden Schutt and the Hokies have two of their best perimeter scorers at the moment. Bedford is arguably Virginia Tech’s best all-around player, hitting an incredible 52.6% from beyond the arc while coming in with a reputation as an elite perimeter defender. Jaylen has also been given the responsibility of being a pick-and-roll ballhandler, where he provides off-screen offense due to his effectiveness in the midrange and attacking the basket. Their overall offensive game is more sophisticated than expected, while still having impressive defense. Schutt doesn’t bring the same defensive qualities, something that could be called a weakness for him, but his offensive game as a floor spacer and shot maker has been important for the Hokies when so many others prefer to slash and get to the rim. Schutt is also generally a “quiet creator”, meaning he does not need the ball in his hands a lot to get his numbers at the end of the game.
When looking at impact players on both ends of the court, sophomores Tyler Johnson and Ben Hammond will also be immediately mentioned. Johnson’s impact can be seen solely on the stat sheet, but his game may also be the most versatile on the roster. Tyler averaged 9.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, 2.6 assists and 1.4 steals, while hitting 58.1% from the field and 38.5% from three. The combo forward uses his strength well to attack the glass and that’s where his play shines. Hammond is a quick point guard who can cause chaos defensively through his anticipation and speed. Ben is the backup point guard and runs the second unit effectively, getting into the lane for kick outs and pocket passes, but his defense is anchored by a sophomore who can push the ball on the fast break and consistently make the right passes and decisions.
Christian Gurdak, Antonio Dorn and Izaiah Pasha are the three who have a chance to round out the rotation. Gurdak was considered the third center to start the season, but has outperformed Dorn so far after several impressive performances. The true rookie has great body control which allows him to draw and eliminate his defenders through contact on a regular basis. Dorn has the size advantage and is generally a better defender, so giving him speed could be a priority for Mike Young. Antonio comes from the second division of the German Pro League so he has some talent. Pasha is a bit of a mystery, getting very limited playing time even when the lineup is limited due to injuries. Izaiah has talent and can reach the top but he isn’t picking things up for Blacksburg just yet.
The Hokies have matchups they can take advantage of but also areas of concern that the Rams can take advantage of. The perimeter defense at Colorado State has struggled at times and has been very good from beyond the arc to start the season. The Rams will likely make them pay whenever the Hokies go down a screen, as Charleston Southern did in the first matchup. Virginia Tech has also really struggled to hit their free throws, while Colorado State is drawing and hitting at a high rate. For Virginia Tech to feel safe they need to stay out of foul trouble and keep those free throw attempts at a similar rate. If one team advances in that area it can start a snowball effect.
Prediction
This is quite difficult for me. I like a lot of the players on this Colorado State team and they have had a good start to the season. Yes, they lost to Denver but one piece of perimeter defense broke down and I’m not sure Virginia Tech has the ability to repeat that. My big questions will be about pace, can they draw fouls to force Jorgensen to the bench, and does rebounding become a story early. My gut feeling is that Virginia Tech goes 2-1 (7-1 overall) with a win in its tournament opener. The last few games haven’t exactly inspired the most confidence, but Avadalas feels like a big game baller and this qualifies as a big game for the Hokies. Mike Young’s team won a close game after Neo surged ahead in the second half.
Final: Virginia Tech 88 Colorado State 81
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