Virginia Tech vs. Wake Forest: Preview, Prediction, & How to Watch

The Hokies are back! Well, kind of. Let’s all just agree to forget Tuesday night. They looked rusty and Georgia Tech played with more hunger, lingering to any NCAA Tournament bubble hopes that remain. It was nice to see Tyrece Radford back on the court, as he will be critical in this final stretch. However, it was tough to see the report that Jalen Cone was fit to return on Tuesday, only to see that news reversed prior to the game.

The Hokies have yet to lose back-to-back games this season and Saturday’s opponent seems ideal for Mike Young to get the squad back on track. On paper, this is the easiest game left on the schedule for VT, so it needs to be a win at home. Work of the kinks, get the three-point shooting back in rhythm, and potentially the return of Jalen Cone. Here’s the rundown for Saturday afternoon’s tip-off.

Saturday, February 27th, 2021

Match-up: Virginia Tech (14-5 | 8-4) vs. Wake Forest (6-12 | 3-12)

Venue: Cassell Coliseum (Blacksburg, VA)

Time: 4:00 pm ET

TV: ACC Network

Radio: TuneIn Radio

Live stats: HokieSports

ESPN Favorite: 86.4% for the Hokies.

All-time series: 37-31 in favor of Virginia Tech.

Stat Leaders

Scoring: Aluma (VT - 15.5) & Williamson (Wake Forest- 12.7)

Rebounds: Aluma (VT - 7.9) & Oguama (Wake Forest - 5.4)

Assists: Bede (VT - 2.9) & Williamson (Wake Forest - 2,6)

The Hokies have won five straight against Wake Forest, and eight of the last nine in the series, including a five-point win earlier this season. The Deamon Deacons started their season with three wins and four canceled games. From there Wake went on a seven-game losing streak that effectively ended any hopes of a postseason. They’ve managed a few ACC wins along the way, but last time out were held to just 39 points against Miami.

While anything can happen in the ACC, Wake Forest might be the perfect opponent to face following that flat performance against Georgia Tech. The Hokies are still mathematically in the hunt for the ACC title, but a win on Saturday is more important towards maintaining their NCAA aspirations.

Prediction

Virginia Tech - 72

Wake Forest - 63