BLACKSBURG, Va. — Virginia Tech opened its 2026-27 men's basketball season in convincing fashion Tuesday night, defeating Coppin State 86-52 at Cassell Coliseum behind a strong performance from its backcourt and an impressive defensive showing.
Ben Hammond led the Hokies with 20 points, eight assists and seven steals, finishing one steal shy of the program's single-game record. Oklahoma State transfer Jaylen Curry added 19 points in his Virginia Tech debut, while Amani Hansberry contributed 16 points, nine rebounds and four assists.
The Hokies shot 50% from the field and 48.1% from beyond the arc, connecting on 13 of their 27 three-point attempts. Virginia Tech also forced 24 turnovers, turning those opportunities into 26 points while holding Coppin State to just 36% shooting.
Despite the comfortable victory, head coach Mike Young was far from satisfied with every aspect of his team's performance.
"I thought a little wishy-washy... A little jittery early on," Young said. "I thought we did some good things in the first half, but better, much better in the second half. Our pace was better."
Virginia Tech carried a 45-27 advantage into halftime before outscoring the Eagles 41-25 in the second half. The Hokies led for more than 37 minutes and built their largest advantage of 34 points in the closing stages.
Hammond's defensive performance was one of the biggest storylines of the evening. His seven steals accounted for more than half of Virginia Tech's 12, while his eight assists helped the Hokies finish with 20 assists on 28 made field goals.
"I would just say my anticipation," Hammond said. "I'd say just seeing a lot of basketball, seeing a lot of plays, knowing what's really coming next."
Young credited Hammond's preparation and understanding of opposing offenses for his ability to create turnovers.
"He does a great job. He immerses himself in the scout report, and he understands actions. He understands what's next," Young said.
However, Young also acknowledged that Hammond's aggressiveness can occasionally leave the defense vulnerable when he gambles unsuccessfully for steals.
"He can get a little kamikaze on me at times, and that drives me nuts," Young said. "But again, it's hard to, you know, to justify trying to curtail his, his aggressiveness. So more often than not, positive things happen."
Curry provided another offensive spark, shooting 6-for-9 from the field and connecting on three three-pointers. His scoring ability offered an early glimpse of the potential of Virginia Tech's new-look backcourt.
"Scoring just like a, like a thing I can do regularly, but that's just one part of my game," Curry said. "I can do way more than just score, facilitate, you know, get my teammates involved. That's an underrated part of my game, but there's more to come."
Still, Young was particularly critical of Curry's ball security. Despite his 19 points, Curry finished with just one assist and six turnovers.
"I don't know in 41 years of coaching that I've had a point guard with one assist and six turnovers. That's disgusting," Young said. "He's a good player, but we've got to have better point guard play. We will, and he understands."
Hansberry also played a significant role in the victory, shooting 6-for-11 from the field and knocking down two of his three attempts from beyond the arc. His versatility as both a scorer and facilitator gives Young another offensive option alongside Hammond and Curry.
"We're going to do a better job of getting Hansberry the ball. He's got to have more touches," Young said. "He's an elite passer."
Tyler Johnson provided another encouraging performance, finishing with 13 points and seven rebounds in 21 minutes. Johnson was perfect from the free-throw line, going 6-for-6, and added a block and a steal.
"He's a junkyard dog and tough," Young said. "Did a pretty good job of guarding the ball tonight."
The Hokies also held a 36-29 rebounding advantage, including 14 offensive rebounds that helped produce 20 second-chance points. Coppin State was led by Brendan Johnson, who scored 17 points on 8-for-13 shooting.
Although the Hokies dominated statistically, Young emphasized that the team's defensive discipline and offensive execution must improve as the competition becomes more challenging.
"I don't know that we forced 24... They kicked several to us," Young said. "Not going to happen very often. Certainly not in our league. It's not going to happen on Thursday against Mercer. We're going to have to play better basketball. We will."
Virginia Tech (1-0) will return to Cassell Coliseum Thursday to face Mercer at 7 p.m., looking to build on its season-opening victory and continue developing the chemistry of its new backcourt.
