When Virginia Tech falters to Wake Forest, Mike Young’s annoyance erupts.
Mike Young, the men’s basketball coach of Virginia Tech, had his team coming into Saturday afternoon’s matchup at Cassell Coliseum having won three of their previous four games after beginning ACC play 0–2. Last Saturday, the Hokies held off California after blowing a significant second-half lead. In those three victories, they also rallied in the second half to defeat Miami and North Carolina State.
Many were shocked to see that Virginia Tech, with a 3-3 conference record, was positioned in the center of the ACC standings following their victory over NC State on Wednesday night at home. After battling the gifted Demon Deacons, they were hoping for a memorable victory over Wake Forest on Saturday. Young’s annoyance reached a boiling point after the game, but ultimately there was no comeback as the Hokies lost by nine points.
Mike Young, the coach of Virginia Tech, was upset following the Wake Forest defeat. There are several issues that have dogged Virginia Tech during their first 18 games in 2024–25, if you have been following the Hokies closely. The number of turnovers per game has been one of the largest. In addition to reducing attacking possessions, turnovers give the opposing teams in transition easy points. That’s what happened to the Demon Deacons.
“Burns my ass,” Young remarked. That’s not how we’ve ever played. You’re not capable of it. Their goals are admirable. It is really, truly aggravating. I understand Young’s irritation because turnovers can be unforced or easily self-inflected in some situations—in fact, very frequently. passes that ought to be made, failing to catch a pass, or just losing their dribbling without exerting any pressure. You could argue that the Hokies’ 8-10 record could have been, say, 10-8 or 11-7 if they handled the ball well, but that isn’t the case, and the veteran coach is becoming increasingly frustrated.