On the final Tech Talk Live episode of the 2025-26 season, Zach Mackey and Mike Burnop were joined on the show by Virginia Tech men’s basketball head coach Mike Young, along with two senior managers, Nick Capeci and Aaron Purser.
The Hokies close the regular season at No. 13 Virginia on Saturday afternoon.
Mike Young
How are you doing tonight, and what does it mean to be here for the final Tech Talk Live of the season?
It’s good to be with you. What else am I going to do on a Thursday? Two old buddies and a bunch of Hokie friends. Good to be with you and good to see everybody.
Coming off a 72-63 victory over Boston College on Tuesday night to secure the team’s 19th win of the year, what stood out to you after reviewing the film?
We had to get through it. It was a great start, and it looked like we got bored, and that bothers me to no end. We had a couple of ball-handling miscues and mistakes in a number of areas defensively. We just had to get through it and win the game for a number of reasons.
I said after the game that Boston College is like a chest cold, they will not go away. I knew they weren’t going to go away. They hang in there. I watched their game against Virginia that was played a couple weeks back in Chestnut Hill, and that one was hanging in the balance with a minute or so to play. Boston College did everything but beat them.
They’ve had a number of games like that this year. To our team’s credit, they hung in there. We got some very good performances from several people. As you said, we win it, we get to 19 wins, and we have a lot left to look forward to, starting with the one on Saturday down in Charlottesville.
Neoklis Avdalas had a big first half, making 5-of-8 shots and 4-for-5 from three. What did you see from him early?
I thought he did a good job picking his spots. They were going to switch some things on him and put some size on him. We were able to get the ball back to Neo, and he would shot fake, drive it and then step out of it.
[Boden] Kapke, who is a good player for them, No. 33, had a hard time keeping up with him. Avdalas was good. Ben Hammond has been good every game we’ve played. [Amani] Hansberry again was really good. Tobi [Lawal] was outstanding with 20 points and a bunch of rebounds.
Boden Kapke finished with 25 points for Boston College. What makes him a difficult matchup?
He’s big. Goodness gracious, he’s big. He doesn’t always shoot the ball like he did the other night. The ball-screen coverage strung us out a little bit, and they were able to throw it back to him. Then Tobi closes out to him, he drives by him and gets to the rim. It was choppy, and we’ll have to play better on Saturday. I know we will.
He also showed great effort chasing down Ben Hammond on a breakaway play. What stands out about the way he plays?
Kapke has a lot to him. I don’t even know where he came from. He transferred from Butler. He’s big, physical and he knows how to play. He has a great look about him. He’s communicating with his teammates and playing with energy.
Fred Payne is a good player for them. Donald Hand is a good player for them. Hand didn’t play particularly well on Tuesday, and I thought we guarded him well. But again, we look forward to our trip down to Charlottesville tomorrow and getting settled in and getting prepared.
The team went 11-of-24 from 3-point range, including seven threes in the first half. It seems like the team has been shooting the three well lately. What has led to that success?
It’s amazing when you take good shots, rhythm shots, and not step-backs or shots outside the offense, how things tend to go for our team. Shot selection was great. We have to get Jaden [Schutt] going. Jaden has struggled a little bit lately, and he’s such an important part of what we do, but other guys are stepping up and playing really good basketball.
Jailen Bedford had a tough first half but responded well in the second half with eight points, including a couple of threes. What did you see from him?
Ben had a great pass to him, and I think the other one came from Hansberry. Those are rhythm threes. They’re wide-open shots, and you have to make those. Bedford has done that for the most part all year. Nothing outside the offense, just easy plays and routine plays. You have to make routine plays. Don’t complicate it. The game is hard enough as it is. Easy plays lead to easier opportunities for everyone.
After beating Wake Forest and Boston College, how important has it been to win the games you’re expected to win, especially this time of year?
You have to. With the way things are set up with the quadrants, Quad 3 and Quad 4, you need all the Quad 1 and Quad 2 wins you can get. We don’t have a Quad 3 or Quad 4 loss, which bodes well. We need another Quad 1 win, and we have one staring us in the aisle on Saturday.
To stick with it and not overlook somebody like Boston College, especially with Virginia coming up, was great to see. We had a good couple of days of preparation, went on the floor and played well, and we’ve done that for the most part throughout the year.
Boston College made a run late to cut the lead down to six. What did you like about the team’s composure in that moment?
We had a couple of bad plays. Tobi tried to throw the ball up for Amani instead of passing to Neo, who was wide open. Ben didn’t run through the ball and waited on it, so it got knocked down. But we made our foul [shots] and made solid winning plays down the stretch, which was encouraging to see.
With one game left in the regular season and the ACC Tournament approaching, how important is it to be playing your best basketball this time of year?
It’s very important. We all aspire to be playing our best basketball at this time of year, and we all hope we’re healthy. We are healthy, with the exception of Sin’Cere Jones. Tyler Johnson took a quantum leap forward Tuesday night against Boston College.
I’ve seen it both ways over the years. If you coach long enough, you’ll experience different situations. I’ve lost the last two games of a regular season and then gone to the tournament and won it all. The year we won it here, we lost at Clemson by five, then went to the ACC Tournament and beat Clemson, Notre Dame, North Carolina and Duke.
You want to be playing well and have guys connected and pulling in the same direction. This team is doing that. We’re fired up about Saturday and fired up to get to Charlotte next week.
Tyler Johnson returned, played just over eight minutes against Boston College and hit a 3-pointer that really fired him up. How did he come out of that game physically?
He came out of it great. He feels great. I might have been more excited than Tyler was. He was probably the second-most excited person in the building. It’s tough to see a kid having a really good year and being such an integral part of your team go down for an extended time. We had to bring him back slowly because he just wasn’t ready yet.
I expect him to play 10 to 12 minutes on Saturday. That will depend on how things go and how he looks, but my hope is that he can play more against Virginia.
What needs to happen to replicate the triple-overtime win from earlier this season on Saturday against Virginia?
I just went back and watched that game again before coming over here with Chester [Frazier] and Ace [Custis], the two coaches who have the scout. We didn’t play very well. Virginia didn’t play very well either. If Coach [Ryan] Odom were sitting here, he’d probably say the same thing. Our shot selection wasn’t very good and we had some real miscues. Virginia is better now than they were then, and we’re better now than we were then. It was encouraging to win that game while not playing our best, but we’re going to have to play much better in Charlottesville.
The keys will be the same. You have to take away the 3-point arc. Virginia is a good shooting team, not a great one, but when they make 12 or 13 threes, you’re in trouble. That was a huge key in the first meeting. We limited them to seven made threes in regulation. They made ten for the game, but those are winning numbers.
You also have to rebound. They lead the league and rank nationally in offensive rebounding. They get about 40 percent of their missed shots, which is an astronomical number. We outrebounded them in Blacksburg. Hansberry had 15 rebounds and [Christian] Gurdak had 17. That made a big difference.
Very rarely do you see teams send all five players to the offensive glass, but Virginia does. Chance Mallory looks like he’s about 5-foot-4, but he’s built like a tank and crashes the boards every time. Dallin Hall does the same. They all go after it. Rebounding will be huge, and we have to keep them out of transition. They’re running harder now than they were when we played them on New Year’s Eve. You can talk about those things, but executing them is easier said than done. If we expect to win, we have to take care of those three areas.
In that first meeting, you outrebounded Virginia despite missing some of your usual rebounding presence. Do you think that could be an advantage this time with a fuller lineup?
Virginia has some really good rebounders. [Thijs] De Ridder is excellent on the glass. Johann Grünloh is a big kid from Europe who rebounds well. They have another big, number 33 [Ugonna Onyenso], who rebounds well. If we can outrebound them by five or six, that’s fantastic. But if they’re making threes and beating you on the offensive glass, that’s a big problem.
That first game was extremely physical and low-scoring early before it turned into a 95-85 final. What stood out to you about the defense in that game?
That first half was hard to watch. It was like a tractor pull. My dad used to say that sometimes games can be hard to watch, and that was one of them. It wasn’t basketball at its finest, but both teams were competing hard and playing physical, tough basketball. We did a good job on De Ridder and [Malik] Thomas. That bigger lineup really helped us. Gurdak did a nice job against Grünloh and their other bigs.
Amani’s size helped against De Ridder. We’ll probably start Tobi on Grünloh this time. He’s not quite as physical. De Ridder is terrific and an all-league caliber player. That matchup will probably be Amani on De Ridder, but that’s still something we’re evaluating.
With the ACC Tournament approaching, how do you feel about it being held in Charlotte this year?
I love Charlotte. It’s my favorite. D.C. was great. Greensboro was OK. Brooklyn was really good too, and I’d like to go back there for a couple of years. But Charlotte is a great city. I’ve spent a lot of time there. The downtown area is clean, the hotels are great and it’s an easy walk to the arena. It’s a really nice arena. We’re excited to get there and hopefully stay around for a few days.
The ACC Tournament has such a long tradition. What do you remember about watching it growing up?
When I was in second grade, my teacher would roll a TV into the classroom so we could watch the ACC Tournament. Back then, it was always in Greensboro or the old Charlotte Coliseum. I remember David Thompson, Phil Ford, Terry Holland, Dean Smith — so many legends in our league. I saw Phil Ford at the North Carolina game a couple nights ago. The history of that tournament is incredible. It’s special to be part of it.
What is the key to winning a conference tournament when games come so quickly?
Just play. Lose yourself in the game and enjoy the moment. Yes, there’s a lot on the line, but if you make too much of it, you run the risk of tightening up. Just lay your ears back and go play. Our teams have done a pretty good job of that in tournament settings.
Amani Hansberry played 35 minutes against Boston College and played more than 50 minutes in that triple-overtime game against Virginia earlier this year. How important will it be for him to stay on the floor Saturday?
It’s big. We were really thin in that first meeting. If you recall, we played without [Antonio] Dorn, so we really only had two frontline guys with Gurdak and Amani. I’ve been in a lot of locker rooms after big wins, but that one was one of the most somber because everyone was exhausted. Ben Hammond was cramping worse than I’ve ever seen a young person cramp. Hansberry looked like he had just been beaten up. It was physical and it was a 55-minute game.
If it went that long again and we won again, I’d take it, but hopefully we won’t have to ask quite that much from those guys this time.
At this point in the season, the team has played more than 30 games. How do you balance practice intensity and rest to keep players fresh?
You rely on the players to take care of themselves. Once we get into conference play, we pull back a lot in practice. There’s not a lot of contact. You’re trying to conserve energy for games. You make sure they’re eating right, getting enough rest and staying comfortable. That’s a big part of it. I think we’ve managed that well during our time at Virginia Tech.
Ryan Odom has done a strong job in his first season at Virginia. What stands out about him as a coach?
Ryan is a really good basketball coach. He’s been successful everywhere he’s been — UMBC, Utah State, VCU and now Virginia. He reminds me a lot of his dad. He’s a classy person and he runs a clean program.
Nick Capeci
How are you doing tonight, and what’s it like being here on Tech Talk Live?
I’m doing well. Thanks for having me here. This is awesome and a great opportunity.
What was the process like for you becoming a manager for the Virginia Tech basketball program?
A lot has changed over the years. When I first came in, Ryan Nadeau was our video coordinator and led a lot of the process. We started with an interest meeting. After that, we played pickup basketball with some of the managers and staff members. Then we sat down and interviewed with the managers. After that, we interviewed with Ryan.
Now with Eli [Atzenhoffer] running the manager program and serving as video coordinator, the process starts with email applications. We interview applicants, then Eli meets with them. If things go well, we move to a second round of interviews. We hired two new managers this year and they’ve both been really good for us.
The pickup basketball game is part of the process. What do you learn from that when evaluating potential managers?
We love the pickup basketball game. During the interest meeting, you get a sense of personalities, but playing basketball lets you talk with people and see how they interact. One of the managers now, Baker Dean, stood out during that game. Aaron [Purser] and I were talking about how he was running the floor and rebounding everything. We both said we needed that kid. He’s been great for us and really competitive in the manager games.
You mentioned manager games. Do you still play those regularly?
Yes, we do. We’re 6-6 this year. The website actually has us listed as 1-6, so we need to fix that. We’re planning to play tomorrow at John Paul Jones Arena, so hopefully we can get above .500.
What does a typical practice day look like for a manager?
If practice is at 1 p.m., managers are usually there by noon. Some players like to get extra shots before practice, so we help rebound during those sessions. For example, J.D. [Byers] works with Tobi regularly on shooting. Austin Howard, one of the graduate assistants, sends out time slots in a group chat asking for rebounders. If you’re free during that time, you sign up.
During practice, we help with scout jerseys, Coach Young’s whiteboards, towels if someone falls on the floor and making sure everything is set up. After practice, players often stay for extra shots. Tobi might stay with JD to get additional reps up. We also handle player laundry and other tasks that need to be done before the next day. Some days are long, especially after games, but being in the building is always fun.
How difficult is it to balance the responsibilities of being a manager with schoolwork?
My dad always told me that time management is important. Once you get your class schedule set, it becomes easier to balance everything. If we need to finish an assignment after practice, we can go upstairs and work in the media room. The program emphasizes academics first. We’re student managers, not manager students. At the end of the day, we’re working toward earning a degree.
What are you studying and what do you hope to do after graduation?
I’m studying sports media and analytics with a minor in data and decisions. After spending four years with the basketball team, I’d like to get into coaching basketball. When I first started here, I thought I might go into broadcasting, but being around the team changed that.
What are the best and worst parts of being a manager?
The best part is the travel. Getting to visit places like the Dean Dome at North Carolina has been incredible. Traveling with the team and sharing rooms with other managers like Aaron has been a lot of fun.
The toughest part is the late nights. A 9 p.m. tip can mean leaving the building around midnight or later. Some nights we’re there until 1 a.m. Those nights can be rough, but they’re part of the job.
Which players tend to stay the longest for extra shooting after practice?
Christian Gurdak definitely puts in a lot of work. He’ll shoot hundreds of hooks, and sometimes we’ll stop and talk about technique for a few minutes. Izaiah Pasha also likes to get additional workouts in after practice. He always thanks the managers for helping afterward.
What do you like to do in your free time away from basketball?
I like to play golf, although I’m not very good. I’m looking forward to getting back out there this spring. I also play video games and enjoy grilling. That’s a hobby I picked up last summer while living on Cape Cod. The lobster rolls up there were amazing.
What’s your favorite thing to grill?
Either a steak or a classic hamburger.
Who is the funniest player on the team? If you want to know the real stories about the team, you talk to the managers.
Ben Hammond is really funny, and Jailen Bedford is another one who keeps things entertaining. It’s probably one of those two.
