Spend a few minutes chatting with Robbie Beran and two things stand out: his passion for the game of basketball and his love for dogs.

A 6-foot-9, 215-pound forward from Richmond, Beran (pronounced ber-en) spent four seasons playing for Chris Collins at Northwestern. But after helping the Wildcats to the second round of the NCAA tournament in March, he wanted a new challenge.

Along came Mike Young and Virginia Tech. The Hokies offered a unique experience, with a chance to grow as a starter in the ACC and play a different style of basketball, in a place that felt like home. It also had to fit Beran’s two dogs — Smokey, a six-year-old Chihuahua, and Stella, a Labrador retriever/mutt mix whom he’s had for about two years — along with his girlfriend’s golden retriever, Ivy.

With his U-Haul full of belongings, Beran trekked from Northwestern through Pittsburgh — where his girlfriend, Erin, lives — to Blacksburg in late April. His Southwest Virginia experience started at the Montgomery County Animal Care and Adoption Center in Christiansburg where he met up with his sister, Annemarie, a VCOM student.

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