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Entering the 2026-27 season, there are several plausible candidates to lead Virginia Tech in scoring. Transfer guard Isaiah Elohim arrives in Blacksburg after averaging 12.4 points per game at Florida Atlantic, while Oklahoma transfer Kuol Atak brings intriguing upside after flashing elite shooting efficiency in a limited role. Returning forward Amani Hansberry should also command a significant offensive workload in the frontcourt.
Still, the safest bet in my eyes is junior Ben Hammond.
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As a sophomore in 2025-26, the 5-foot-11 guard averaged 13.2 points, 3.2 assists and 2.0 steals per game while shooting 43.1 percent from beyond the arc and 86.5 percent from the free-throw line. He led the Hokies in minutes played, paced the team in three-point percentage and finished among the ACC leaders in steals, assist-to-turnover ratio and free-throw shooting.
Most importantly, Hammond’s scoring increased when the competition stiffened. He led Virginia Tech in ACC play at 14.9 points per game.
His late-season surge offered another glimpse of what could be ahead. Hammond closed the year with 23 points against Wake Forest in the ACC Tournament and scored 21 in the regular-season finale against Virginia. Earlier in the season, he exploded for a career-high 30 points in a memorable triple-overtime win over the Cavaliers Dec. 31.
Opportunity also works in Hammond’s favor.
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Virginia Tech underwent significant roster turnover for the second consecutive offseason, retaining only four contributors from last year’s team (five total, but freshman center Solomon Davis redshirted). While Mike Young added proven transfers, Hammond enters the season as the established centerpiece of the backcourt and one of the program’s unquestioned leaders.
As the primary ball-handler, Hammond will have the ball in his hands more than anyone else on the roster. That matters. Lead guards naturally accumulate scoring opportunities through pick-and-roll, transition chances and late-clock plays….
Source link : https://sports.yahoo.com/articles/could-lead-virginia-tech-mens-200005632.html
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Publish date : 2026-06-19 20:00:00
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