COLLEGIAT ETIMES
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six more weeks of winter
VIRGINIA TECH HOSTS GOBBLERFAIR 2026
Jacob Luckenbaugh | News Writer
Students had the opportunity to speak to club members and learn about the organizations.
On Friday, Jan. 30, Gobblerfair took place in Squires Student Center from 4 p.m. to 6:30 p.m.
Hosted by Student Engagement and Campus Life, Gobblerfair is an annual event that brings together a wide range of student organizations to connect with Virginia Tech students, share upcoming events and promote their activities. Over 150 organizations participated in this year’s event, spanning cultural associations, faith groups and career and academic clubs.
Gobblerfair is the spring equivalent to Gobblerfest, held each fall on the Drillfield, and hosted over 700 booths during the 2025 event.
Katelyn Perry, a sophomore majoring in mechanical engineering, shared how having in-person events, like Gobblerfair, has helped her get more
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Impartiality means reporting, editing and delivering the news honestly, fairly, objectively and without opinion or bias.
Credibility is the greatest asset of any news medium, and impartiality is the greatest source of credibility.
To provide the most complete report, a news organization must not just cover the news, but uncover it. It must follow the story wherever it leads, regardless of any preconceived ideas on what might be most newsworthy.
The pursuit of truth is a noble goal of journalism. But the truth is not always apparent or known immediately. Journalists’ role is therefore not to determine what they believe at that time to be the truth and reveal only
involved in the Virginia Tech community.
“When you’re actually there in-person with those communities, it’s really easy to get to know them on a personal level and figure out which groups to involve yourself in,” Perry said. “You’ll find a lot of people with similar interests.”
This year, Gobblerfair offered a sensory-friendly portion of the event from 4 to 4:30 p.m. During this time, the organizers aimed to maintain reduced sound in the building and encouraged participants to limit the number of organization members at their tables to promote a welcoming environment.
The event primarily occurred in the Squires Commonwealth Ballroom, with other tables placed outside in the hallways on the second floor.
Organizations at the event often decorate their booths with
that to their readers, but rather to report as completely and impartially as possible all verifiable facts so that readers can, based on their own knowledge and experience, determine what they believe to be the truth. When a news organization delivers both news and opinions, the impartiality and credibility of the news organization can be questioned. To minimize this as much as possible there needs to be a sharp and clear distinction between news and opinion, both to those providing and consuming the news.
Voice your opinion. Send letters to the Collegiate Times.
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All letters must include a name and phone number. Students must include year and major. Faculty and staff must include position and department. Other submissions must include city of residence and relationship to Virginia Tech (i.e., alumni, parent, etc.). We reserve the right to edit for any reason. Anonymous letters will not be printed.
Letters, commentaries and editorial cartoons do not reflect the views of the Collegiate Times. Editorials are written by the Collegiate Times editorial board, which is composed of the opinions editors, editor in chief and managing editors.
posterboards, free merchandise and snacks to encourage student interaction. Students have the chance to speak with club members and ask questions to learn more about the opportunities that organizations have to offer.
Perry explained that Gobblerfair makes it easy to seek out a community that fits you well and to find your exact niche among a wide range of opportunities.
Gobblerfair provides student organizations with the opportunity to lay out their mission and goals, grow their membership and encourage student involvement.
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The Collegiate Times, a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, was established in 1903 by and for the students of Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University. The Collegiate Times is published every Tuesday of the academic year except during exams and vacations. To order a reprint of a photograph printed in the Collegiate Times, visit reprints.collegemedia.com. The Collegiate Times is a division of the Educational Media Company at Virginia Tech, Inc., a 501(c)3 nonprofit with a mission to provide educational experience in business and production of mass media for Virginia Tech students. © Collegiate Times, 2020. All rights reserved. Material published in the Collegiate Times is the property thereof, and may not be reprinted without the express written consent of the Collegiate Times.
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DAVID SUITER / COLLEGIATE TIMES
ONGOING TESTING OF VT ALERTS SYSTEM EMPHASIZES CAMPUS SAFETY
Abhigna Koochana | News Writer
The VT Alerts system is different from university messages from the police.
A university-wide test of the VT Alerts system will be conducted on Feb. 5 between 8 a.m. and 4 p.m. This is meant to make sure that all channels of the system are working properly, according to Mark Owczarski, interim vice president of marketing and communications. There are various platforms where VT Alerts are announced, including emails, text messages, phone calls, social media posts on X and outdoor sirens.
According to Virginia Tech Emergency Management, VT Alerts were initially created for Blacksburg, but have expanded to include areas with VT campuses across the Commonwealth.
“I think VT Alerts are pretty helpful to quickly understand the basics of campus-wide notifications, especially since the headers usually contain all of the information you need,” said Zara Syed, a sophomore majoring in physics. “It’s nice to know what spots to avoid on campus if I’m out late.”
However, some students feel that the system could better communicate incidents off campus. According to Owczarski, there are a few situations where VT Alerts would send out a message regarding off-campus events, including if it is an area that students tend to frequent, like Main Street.
“There could have been an alert or two regarding the Foxridge fires,” said Jocelyn Chu, a sophomore majoring in Computer Science. “Even on campus, there was allegedly an armed man around the upper quad a couple months ago. I feel VT Alerts could have addressed this, even if it was just debunking it.”
Additionally, there is a difference between what is considered VT Alerts and messages from the police. According to Owczarski, VT Alerts is the system that tells students what to do in an immediate emergency. On the other hand, there are periodic emails from the VT police that are meant to inform, rather than alert, students about incidents and to share
information on safety and protection on campus.
“It would be nice to have more consistency between the email and text notifications,” Syed said. “Sometimes I’ll get a text hours before the email, or I won’t get a text at all and the email will get lost in my inbox.”
The VT Alerts system is part of a broader initiative of campus safety. Just as the system aims to keep students in the loop and prepared for emergencies, there are additional actions students can take to stay educated.
This includes individual emergency preparedness, such as having an emergency first aid kit and a plan and response in case of an emergency. In addition, students should be aware of certain words that may appear during a VT alert. These words include securein-place, shelter in place and evacuate. More information on these important keywords is available on their website.
“Sadly, the most commonly thought
OPINIONS
of use of an emergency system like this is an active shooter,” Owczarski said. “We would say, ‘secure in place, ‘ meaning secure where you are, close the door, hide, run, avoid the area.”
“(We) will send an update about every 10 to 15 minutes (saying) continue to shelter in place or we could say all clear, it is safe to move around.”
Additionally, the Blacksburg Police Department offers training opportunities such as R.A.D for Women, One Love, Faculty Staff Police Academy, Student Police Academy and Stop the Bleed Training.
For more information on VT Alerts and to sign up, visit their website.
For additional information on emergency preparedness and contact information, students can visit Virginia Tech Emergency Management through their website.
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GENERATIVE AI IS DESTROYING WHAT IT MEANS TO BE HUMAN
Emily Dorsey | Opinions Columnist
As AI adoption surges, experts warn it may erode qualities that make us human.
“We understand that people are anxious about how (AI) can change the way we live,” said OpenAI’s CEO Sam Altman in a 2023 Senate subcommittee hearing. “We are, too. If this technology goes wrong, it can go quite wrong.”
A chief executive officer admitting his worries about his own company is the first red flag consumers should recognize.
Artificial intelligence has been around for a few decades and was mostly known for internal business productions like automating easy tasks, providing customer service through chatbots, reducing human error and more. In the early 2010s, consumers directly interacted with AI through Apple’s Siri and Amazon’s Alexa, allowing them to streamline tasks with greater
sophistication and accessibility.
Throughout the past eight years, various generative pre-trained transformer (GPT) models were researched and funded with billions of dollars by companies like Google, Meta, Amazon and Microsoft. In 2022, ChatGPT opened to the public and by the end of 2025, it had 800 million weekly active users.
Generative AI platforms are unlike any other technology because of their sycophantic behavior. These models were built to please and conform to the user’s prompts and mold to the user’s reaction and feedback.
ChatGPT, Copilot, Gemini and others provide pleasing responses because of their large language models. LLMs are systems that understand, generate and process human-like text and typically
have techniques like reinforcement learning from human feedback. RLHFs are trained to appear more human and use human-like qualities, according to Amazon Web Services. The line between reality and unreality is blurred and when not understood, LLMs and RLHFs are worrisome concepts that humans are experiencing the side effects of every day.
Sanmay Das, the associate director of AI for societal impact at the Sanghani Center for Artificial Intelligence and Data Analytics, focuses on how AI can be used for public services and the societal effects of algorithmic systems. During our interview, he shared insight on the impacts AI has on humanity and future decisions we can take to be more conscientious.
“There are a bunch of opportunities (with AI) but also we need to be very careful,” Das said. “There’s also the possibility that we destroy the very things that higher ed is trying to do, what we impart to our students, how (professors) serve as a repository of knowledge and learning.”
ChatGPT can help anyone, especially students, save time and energy by providing snapshots of knowledge pulled from other databases and assisting with tasks that take several hours. For example, I’ve used AI to scan documents with over 100 pages and compile research from across the web, ultimately saving time and energy. However, my concern of usage and
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extreme dislike is when students, professionals or others heavily rely on generative AI to write, brainstorm, create or otherwise turn off their brain and allow it to do the work. That practice is eliminating our essence of being human.
I’ve seen numerous students utilizing ChatGPT for in-class reflective prompts, outlining their essay and other tasks that should come naturally to students. This has not only left me feeling frustrated about the lack of federal regulation on generative AI, but also sad for the students stuck in the cycle of consistently relying on artificial intelligence.
Just like social media, generative AI has not been around long enough to have the proper precautions to understand its deep-rooted effects on human thinking, processing and creativity. Yet anyone can see that on this trajectory, society’s collective critical thinking and social interaction skills are on a steady
decline.
The New York Times published an article about some people finding romantic partnerships, friendships and other connections with identities made out of code. There are various articles in which journalists explore real human and AI relationships, including going on dates with an AI partner and a couples retreat with chatbots to try to tackle the technology’s ethicality and place in the modern world.
Friendship, connection and falling in love is one of the most natural processes in humanity; it’s innate in our biology and DNA. Falling in love with an AI chatbot isn’t tangible, doesn’t amount to real-life connections, is alarming when overused and, overall, it’s not okay. People have taken their usage of generative AI to another level: first, as a crutch for administrative, creative and scholarly tasks. Now, by forming relationships with and anthropomorphizing information hubs.
Generative AI’s correctness is another factor to consider in terms of preserving humanity. ChatGPT and other platforms like it take information from all over the internet and present the mean. It’s useful for compiling large amounts of data in one location and scanning for generic information, but shouldn’t be used for anything shaped with empathy, complexity or morality. Das mentioned that this is not how humans function in the real world — surveying one million people in less than five seconds with a click of a button is beyond our norm.
In 2025, a teen took his own life while confiding in ChatGPT and his parents believe the OpenAI platform is to blame, according to a New York Times article. While this tragedy is unbelievably unfortunate, it emphasized a need for more federal regulation, awareness and, most importantly, the renewal of authentic human connection and collaboration. Having face-to-face conversations, reaching out to loved ones and receiving
LIFESTYLES
professional help will always hold more value than people who turn to “Chat” for not only therapeutic advice, but recipes or casual conversation.
“Our value as human beings is in knowing how to think, how to relate to other people and how to be human, essentially,” Das said.
A loss of knowledge, deterioration of creativity, decline in social skills and increased feelings of isolation are real effects from using generative AI. What makes us human is struggle, specialty knowledge, meeting new people and the small wins we experience each day that make life special. With it being capable of helping in every aspect, all of those factors and what it means to be human are erased. Generative AI won’t go away if users keep coming back to the platforms; therefore, consider the impacts on your future mental processing and idea generation skills before submitting another prompt.
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THE SUPER BOWL DIP PYRAMID
Grace Keller | Lifestyles Contributor
The teams change each year, but the dips never disappoint. Here are five Super Bowl favorites worth making.
Although not an official holiday, Super Bowl Sunday has cemented its place in American culture as one of the most anticipated days of the year. Every year, diehard football fans spend hours in advance preparing their party decorations, outfits, snacks and drinks for the big game. Tensions run high as friends and family gather to root and cheer for the team of their choosing.
This year, the New England Patriots and the Seattle Seahawks are set to play Sunday, Feb. 8. Many look forward to the iconic commercials and the half-time show, but a true star of the show is the food.
Different families have different Super Bowl snack traditions, but one dish in Sunday’s lineup will always ring true: dips. From seven-layer bean to marshmallow fluff fruit, the possibilities of dips are endless. Here are some easy but delicious Super Bowl dip recipes for the college student football fan.
The Classic: Buffalo chicken dip
The Forked Spoon’s Buffalo Chicken Dip recipe is a hit among party goers, rated 4.9 stars in rave reviews. It’s simple — calling for shredded chicken breast, cream cheese, mozzarella and cheddar
cheese, ranch dressing, Frank’s RedHot, chopped green onion and seasoning to taste.
Once assembled in a casserole dish, the dip can be stored in the fridge until game time. With a prep time of 10 minutes and a cook time of 35 minutes at 350 degrees, it’s a protein-packed fan favorite that is not too time-consuming with minimal mess. This dip is great served with celery sticks or a heaping portion of tortilla chips.
The Showstopper: Seven-layer bean dip
Described as the “ultimate party appetizer,” Tastes Better from Scratch’s Seven-Layer Bean Dip is rated 5 stars. This dip is another quick and simple dish, assembled by layering ingredients. On top of the base layer of refried beans goes mashed avocado with a splash of lime or lemon, then sour cream, salsa, shredded cheese, olives and green onion to top it off. The dip takes a total of 15 minutes to prepare, and at game time can be served with tortilla chips or eaten by the spoonful.
The Elevated: Spinach artichoke dip
Delish’s Spinach Artichoke Dip,
heralded as “restaurant-level” by commenter Steph Coleman, boasts five stars. This dip consists of a more extensive ingredient list compared to the aforementioned dishes, perfect for those on the hunt for a more complex recipe.
Ingredients are as follows: cream cheese, mayonnaise, sour cream, freshly grated parmesan, white cheddar, shredded gruyère, artichoke hearts, frozen spinach, minced garlic, lemon zest, red pepper flakes and seasoning to taste. Bake at 350 for around 30 minutes until golden. This dip is rich and creamy, perfect when enjoyed with a sliced baguette.
The Tried & True: Ro-Tel dip
Perhaps the simplest (but still tasty) dip in this lineup would be Ro-Tel Dip, also from Delish, rated 5 stars. Combine a can of Ro-Tel tomatoes, cubed Velveeta cheese, chili powder and fresh cilantro in a crock pot or skillet, and cook over medium heat until the cheese is melted. For an extra flare, add ground beef or pork sausage to up the protein. Tortilla chip cups are a fantastic option to eat this dip with, for their scoopability.
The Sweet Treat: Marshmallow fluff fruit dip
Contrary to popular belief, not all Super Bowl dips are savory. In fact, a sweet dip can be just the addition to make a good SuperBowl spread great. This fruit dip by Iowa Girl Eats is the perfect respite from the abundance of salty snacks on the table, with a rating of five stars.
With just three simple ingredients, this dip is a piece of cake to make and takes no time at all. Combine marshmallow fluff, orange juice concentrate and cream cheese in a bowl and whip. Serve with grapes, strawberries, pineapple, banana slices, graham crackers or Nilla Wafers.
Regardless of whether you are rooting for the Patriots or the Seahawks this upcoming Sunday, a Super Bowl party is not a Super Bowl party without at least one dip — or even better, multiple. Whether it is savory or sweet, it is a necessity that one of these dips grace your table. Happy eating.
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BACK TO THE PATCH: LANDMAN SEASON 2 REVIEW
Samuel Harvey | Lifestyles Writer
Loss, loyalty and power struggles fuel Landman’s tense and surprisingly heartfelt second season.
“Landman,” the latest neo-western drama from “Yellowstone” creator Taylor Sheridan, aired its second season’s finale earlier this month. “Landman” follows Tommy Norris (Billy Bob Thornton), a no-nonsense crisis manager for an oil company in the heart of West Texas. Season one’s conclusion saw Tommy’s company being turned on its head with the untimely death of its owner, Monty Miller (Jon Hamm). Monty’s wife, Cami (Demi Moore), inherits the business and is left to preserve her late husband’s oil empire on her own.
This time around, season two raises the stakes when Cami’s new business partner, Gallino (Andy Garcia), reveals himself to be the head of a dangerous drug cartel. As Tommy and Cami clash on how to handle this potentially deadly revelation, tensions rise to a boiling point and Cami fires Tommy from the company altogether. It is at this point that the season really picks up momentum.
Now cut loose from the only system he knows, Tommy must rebuild his
career from the ground up. With the help of a few close friends and his ambitious son, Cooper (Jacob Lofland), Tommy establishes his own oil company, taking the reins of his destiny. Tommy’s story unfolds over the course of 10 new episodes, presenting audiences with a plethora of memorable character moments, performances and plot lines. Let’s break down some of this season’s highlights.
Memorable performances
Billy Bob Thornton’s performance as Tommy has lost none of its iconically gruff edge present in season one. Sharp and profanity-ridden monologues are intercut with more tender moments alongside co-star Ali Larter, who plays Tommy’s not-so ex-wife, Angela.
The two share a number of scenes where Angela’s steadfast love and loyalty bring out Tommy’s kind heart. His chemistry with Larter is always entertaining, with their characters’ snappy arguments spliced with moments of true love. Thornton talked about his instant chemistry with Larter in an interview with The Upcoming magazine, “My first scene and
her first scene was on a FaceTime call. The relationship was already there and that doesn’t always happen, but we just had a natural chemistry.”
This duo offers some of the best character moments of the season.
Themes and messages
Season two takes on some very heavy topics, including grief, aging and learning to live life to its fullest. Cami’s grief for her deceased husband is presented in a very organic way, including a touching scene in which she delivers his favorite cigar and bottle of wine to his grave. Despite the sadness she feels, Cami continues to run her company with steadfast determination. Although she and Tommy do not see eye to eye, her strength as a leader is unmistakable.
The introduction of T.L. Norris (Sam Elliot) injects a new thematic angle into the series. T.L. is Tommy’s ailing father, who enters his son’s life after his wife’s death. Initially, Tommy is resentful toward him due to his prolonged absence. However, the two begin to mend their relationship. T.L. shows
Tommy just how much he takes for granted and that he is lucky to have such a loving and supportive spouse. In turn, Tommy gives T.L. a second wind, introducing him to his grandchildren, Cooper and Ainsley (Michelle Randolph). The rekindled relationship between father and son gives the show a lot of warmth and a full-circle moment.
Overall impressions
Season two manages to keep itself grounded while still raising the stakes and introducing audiences to a few new characters. Tommy and Cami’s clash over how best to run the company plays out in a believable way that doesn’t seem forced. Arguably, the show’s greatest strength still lies in its smaller, character-driven moments. The humorous, petty arguments between Tommy and Angela or the grizzled wisdom of T.L. cement themselves as iconic moments in the show. According to The Hollywood Reporter, season three has already been greenlit, giving fans a lot to look forward to.
PHOTO COURTESY OF TV INSIDER
Landman can be found on Paramount+ and other streaming services for purchase.
BEGIN AGAIN: ENTERING THE YEAR OF THE FIRE HORSE
Shreya Munjeti | Lifestyles Writer
The Chinese New Year’s symbolism speaks to pop culture’s recent desire for renewal.
New Year’s and other man-made timestamps have always been great excuses to reinvent oneself. They offer a symbolic reset. Though 2026 has already begun, another marker to look forward to is Feb. 17, the start of the Chinese Lunar New Year. This date not only punctuates the beginning of a new year numerically, but thematically.
Pop culture has increasingly grown a fascination with Chinese culture. This recent surge in digital recognition points toward a growing awareness and appreciation of Asian culture and traditions, particularly those surrounding wellness and intention, something many are looking to implement in the year forthcoming.
“Becoming Chinese” refers to the practice of non-Chinese people adapting traditional Chinese habits like only drinking hot water, keeping feet warm at all times and, of course, cooking
Chinese meals. Though many people were acquainted with these traditions through a memeified lens, the practices themselves are rooted in generations of accumulated wisdom and science.
Though Chinese wellness practices have entered mainstream coverage, the symbolism of the Lunar New Year remains comparatively underexplored, despite its potential to resonate in similar ways. The symbolism the Lunar New Year carries is one that has inspired authors and artists of many backgrounds. An example of this is “Year of the Monkey” by Patti Smith. The book explores travel, solitude and a whimsical exploration of Smith’s aging mind, mirroring the playful unpredictability and chaos associated with the Monkey in Chinese astrology. The act of calling years by their Chinese zodiac sentimentalizes the passing of time. It reframes each year as deliberate and symbolic,
bringing significance to each fleeting year.
Feb. 16 marks the end of the Year of the Snake, a year associated with transformation, introspection and shedding the old. An image that renders this vividly is the Ouroboros, a symbol from ancient Egyptian, Greek, Norse and Chinese iconography. It is defined by the Oxford Dictionary as “a circular symbol depicting a snake, or less commonly a dragon, swallowing its tail, as an emblem of wholeness or infinity.”
Snakes shed their skin to accommodate growth, a process that is instinctual and necessary, but leaves the snake often feeling temporarily vulnerable and highly stressed. Humans, like snakes, are constantly growing and changing. Every year, every month and even every hour offers the opportunity for reinvention. The Ouroboros, a symbol of infinite destruction and
creation, is a representation of the cyclical nature of human life: birth to death, consumption to renewal and proof that endings are also beginnings. The Year of the Fire Horse is fast approaching, and so is the transformation that follows a year of growth. In the Chinese zodiac, the Year of the Fire Horse rewards courage, boldness, trusting your intuition and intense forward action. These qualities resonate universally, regardless of individuals’ varying backgrounds, much like the other Chinese traditions recently gaining popularity within Western pop culture.
PHOTO COURTESY OF CHINESE NEW YEAR 2026 is the year of the fire horse.
MEN’S BASKETBALL OUTLIVES GEORGIA TECH IN ANOTHER CLOSE ACC FINISH
Alex Winn | Sports Writer
The Hokies didn’t convert a field goal in the last 6:58.
The Hokies survived yet again in ACC play on Tuesday, beating Georgia Tech 71-65 in a nail-biting finish highlighted by Ben Hammond and three-point defense.
The Hokies (16-6, 5-4 ACC) started rocky. Three consecutive three-pointers by Georgia Tech (11-10, 2-6 ACC) guard Kam Craft made it 9-0 Georgia Tech in the blink of an eye. Virginia Tech responded with a 15-1 run, capped by guard Neoklis Avdalas shouting at the bench after draining a three, making the score 15-10 Hokies.
After Craft’s torrid start, Virginia Tech didn’t allow another made three-pointer all game. Georgia Tech went 0-for-14 from deep the rest of the way.
“We didn’t get great looks,” said Georgia Tech head coach Damon Stoudamire. “When I look at the statsheet, aside from Kam early on, what I would say is that the guys who shot threes and missed threes are probably the guys in their scouting report. We just didn’t shoot the ball well from three.”
The Hokies built a lead in the second half, leading by as much as 15 with five minutes remaining. That was before they went down a path all too familiar — another down-to-the-wire game caused by untimely Virginia Tech errors.
The Yellow Jackets’ offense caught fire in the final five minutes while the Hokies’
offense went ice cold. Georgia Tech ended the game making seven of its last nine field goals, while the Hokies didn’t make a field goal in the last 6:58.
“It’s weird whenever it gets to that kind of situation because you’re trying to chew clock, but you want to get a good shot,” said Hokies center Christian Gurdak, who had 11 points and seven rebounds in his first game off the bench since Dec. 14. “We had some good shots, just didn’t fall, and we’re gonna work on that these next few days before Duke, but I did like some of the looks we got.”
The Hokies survived the Georgia Tech comeback attempt with the help of Hammond and Jailen Bedford sinking clutch free throws to put the game away. Georgia Tech opted not to go for threes to end the game, instead choosing to make quick, easy two-pointers to put pressure on the Hokies to sink clutch free throws. Late free throws are something Virginia Tech has struggled with in other close ACC finishes, like its losses to Stanford and SMU that ended in heartbreaking gamewinners for its opponents.
As for the statsheet, the Hokies were outdone by the Yellow Jackets across the bulk of team statistics. They were outrebounded 38 to 36, shot worse from the field — 43.9% to 33.8% — and had fewer
points in the paint, 38 to 26. They also had fewer fastbreak points (eight to seven) and blocks (six to two). However, the Hokies hit eight threes to the Yellow Jackets’ three and committed just eight turnovers to the visitors’ 14. No Virginia Tech guard finished with a turnover on Tuesday.
Georgia Tech did a stellar job of eliminating Virginia Tech’s two leading scorers on the season: Avdalas and forward Amani Hansberry. The two combined for just 14 points and shot 4-for-20 from the field.
“Coming into the game, I always call those guys (Avdalas and Hansberry) the knowns,” Stoudamire said. “We haven’t been struggling with the main dudes; it wasn’t really about (shutting Avdalas and Hansberry) down.”
Tuesday was Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal’s first game in the starting lineup since his foot injury on Nov. 26, 2025. He tallied 10 points, five rebounds, one block and a steal before fouling out with 2:38 left in the second period. As he often does, Lawal showed off his athleticism — erupting a packed home crowd with a powerful block and two alley-oop slams.
Hammond continued a strong stretch of ACC play. Entering Tuesday’s contest, the sophomore guard was averaging 16.6 points per game on 49.4% shooting in ACC play, and on Tuesday, he added another
20-point performance – his third this season.
“He’s just playing so good,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young when asked about Hammond. “He’s just playing such good basketball, and we need his firepower in that lineup. I would rather not play him when I’m playing him. He played 37 (minutes) tonight, but we need Ben on the floor.”
Virginia Tech gets a three-day rest before facing its toughest foe of the season in No. 4 Duke. The Blue Devils will enter Cassell Coliseum for the first time since their 77-67 victory over the Hokies in 2024. Duke is on a three-game winning streak against Virginia Tech, with its last loss coming by three points in Blacksburg on Jan. 23, 2023.
“They’re a really good team,” Gurdak said when asked about getting ready for Duke. “Their record, their pedigree speaks for itself, but they’ve lost to us before in (Cassell). It’s kind of a haunted place for them a little bit.”
“These people and that Cassell Guard and that fanbase are special,” Young said. “They were ready to explode a couple times tonight. Let me assure you, it will be a little more salty in there on Saturday.”
The Hokies host the Blue Devils on Jan. 31 at 12 p.m. ET on ESPN.
‘HE NEEDS TO SEE A COUPLE GO IN’:
AVDALAS STRUGGLES THROUGH JANUARY
Sam Mostow | Sports Editor
The highly-touted recruit shot 31.1% from the floor in nine games.
Neoklis Avdalas struggled in January. Across nine games, he averaged 9.3 points per game with a 31.1% shooting rate, including 14.6% of his 3-point attempts. Twenty of his 84 points scored in 2026 came at the free-throw line. Virginia Tech’s 72-58 loss to Duke in Cassell Coliseum concluded a 4-5 month for Avdalas and Co., as the team prepares for a stretch run that will dictate whether
or not the Hokies qualify for the NCAA Tournament.
Avdalas scored five points across 29 minutes against the No. 4 Blue Devils (20-1, 9-0 ACC). Three of those points came at the free-throw line, while he converted just one of his eight shots — including none of his four attempts behind the arc. He contributed four assists, though he committed four
turnovers. The final turnover came at the 4:07 mark of the second half, at which point head coach Mike Young removed him from the game.
He had the ball near the left wing, then passed across the court toward forward Tobi Lawal. His pass went too high, and it glanced off Lawal’s hands and out of bounds for a turnover. The Hokies (16-7, 5-5 ACC) trailed by six at the time, then
Duke scored eight unanswered points to end the game.
Hokies forward Amani Hansberry, a veteran transfer from West Virginia, pulled Avdalas aside before he left the court.
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“I told him to use his smarts,” Hansberry said. “… It’s a mismatch, but other guys are pulled and trying to have his back, so keep moving the ball. We’ll create more advantages.”
The Kalamata, Greece, native forwent the NBA Draft in 2025 to join Virginia Tech, with hopes of improving his draft stock. Though his shooting struggles haven’t helped, his 4.7 assist per game mark in January means he has not been productive.
“He needs to see a couple go in. Couple of things mechanically that
we’re working with him,” said Virginia Tech head coach Mike Young. “We’re not backing away. We’ve seen the kid be really, really good, and he’s in a dark place here a bit. … We’ll get through it with him.”
Still, being one of the most highly anticipated recruits brought expectations. Some of the students in Cassell Coliseum on Saturday cheered when Young removed him from the court and booed when Avdalas entered.
“I think the crowd booed him today — not sure why,” Hansberry said. “I thought he played good today. I tell him every
game I love him, I got his back. When he’s down, I make sure I pick him up.
“He’s still a kid, he’s still growing up — but he’s a really talented kid. I think by the end of the season, he’s gonna be a completely different player than what he was coming into the fall.”
Basketball is similar no matter where it is played, but the nuances of Division I college basketball are different from what Avdalas was accustomed to in European professional leagues.
“I think the pace here is a lot faster than what it is overseas,” Hansberry said. “And the physicality, as well. I think he’s
just getting acclimated.”
Other Virginia Tech players are contributing where Avdalas is not. Hansberry scored 20 points on Saturday, including a 4-for-5 rate in 3-point attempts — tying his career high. Guard Jailen Bedford added 12 and fellow guard Ben Hammond added 11. Lawal blocked two shots and added three steals. One loss to the fourth-best team in the country will not sink Tech’s season, though it needs to begin stacking together wins.
“I’ve got a really good team,” Young said. “They fight like hell.”
VIRGINIA TECH INCHES CLOSE BUT STUMBLES VS. NO. 4 DUKE
Dylan Tefft | Sports Editor
Amani Hansberry scored 20 points in the loss.
Almost everything in No. 4 Duke’s pedigree tracked on Saturday, when the Hokies spooked but ultimately couldn’t hang with the Blue Devils in Cassell Coliseum.
Tech (16-7, 5-5 ACC) got as close as six points twice in the second half, but couldn’t hit a momentous shot or handle Duke’s offense down the stretch. Freshman Cameron Boozer wreaked his usual havoc, leading the visitors in points, rebounds and assists (24/8/5) on 9-of-12 shooting, including a 2-for-3 mark from deep.
Boozer led an unrelenting Blue Devils (20-1, 9-0) paint attack along with bigs Maliq Brown, who recorded 11 points on 5-for-10 shooting, and Patrick Ngongba II, who was 4-of-7 with nine points. Duke finished 26-for-38 on two-point attempts.
“Boozer is a mismatch nightmare,” said Hokies forward Amani Hansberry. “He can shoot it, dribble and pass. He’s got all three attributes, and that’s really scary, especially when he’s, like, six-ten, 250.”
“Duke is 62% from two on the year, they’re good, alright?” said Tech head coach Mike Young. “Their size and they’re good players. They put you in some actions that give you heartburn … We’ve worked on it, it’s difficult.”
Two major things went the Hokies’ way, though: The Blue Devils shot 5-for-21 (24%) from three, their second-worst mark of the year, and Hansberry had a career day.
Duke allowed Hansberry open shots along the perimeter, preferring to limit his touches inside. The West Virginia Transfer answered with a season-high
four threes — which tied his career high — on five attempts, which combined with four two-point baskets for a 20-point afternoon.
“They gave me time and space (to shoot), so I just took my time,” Hansberry said. “I knew I was going to have wide-open threes going into the game.”
Hansberry had been quiet leading up to the Duke game, shooting just 10-for-23 in his last three forays with 27 total points. What was more damaging were his foul habits — he had four in all but one of his last five games coming in.
“Well, I hope my pleading, begging, beseeching him to please stop fouling unnecessarily resonated with him over the last couple of days,” Young said. “Duke, they want to sit back in the paint with the opposite big and take away any back cuts and lobs. Amani stepping out there and getting those four (threes) down was critical.”
Outside of Hansberry, however, Tech was just 3-for-21 from deep, with the only other makes being Jaden Schutt (2-for-4) and Ben Hammond (1-for-5). Jailen Bedford and Tobi Lawal were a combined 0-for-8.
“It was just not falling,” Hansberry said. “We were wide open, just couldn’t stick them.”
Neoklis Avdalas struggled again, shooting 1-for-8 with three turnovers, including a particularly costly error in which he spotted Lawal with a mismatch down low and overthrew an incredibly difficult pass over his shoulder.
Avdalas is shooting a porous 30% in
ACC play while making just nine of his 52 threes (17%). His struggles seemed to reach a boiling point Saturday, when the Cassell crowd responded to his stumbling with boos — and only cheered for him when he was subbed out.
“I think the crowd booed him today, I’m not sure why — I thought he played good today,” Hansberry said. “I tell him every game I love him. I got his back when he’s down. I make sure I pick him up, but I always remind him when he’s up, never too high, never too low. He’s still a kid, he’s still
growing up, but he’s a really talented kid, and I think by the end of the season, he’s gonna be a completely different player than what he was coming into the fall.”
Though they couldn’t churn out an upset against Duke, major opportunities lie ahead for the Hokies’ NCAA tournament résumé, beginning with NC State (16-6, 7-2 ACC) Saturday, Feb. 7, at 1:30 pm.
DAVID SUITER / COLLEGIATE TIMES