Virginia Tech men’s basketball took a step back defensively last year.

After posting two top-60 defenses in the second and third seasons under Mike Young, the Hokies dropped to 139 in adjusted defensive efficiency in 2022-23, according to Ken Pomeroy. They were one of three squads ranked in the top 80 overall with a sub-130 defense, joining NCAA tournament teams Iowa and Missouri.

Injuries, from Rodney Rice (ankle, finger) and Hunter Cattoor (elbow) to MJ Collins (nose), didn’t help the Hokies’ cause. But they were an average defensive team with a number of inconsistencies. As a result, outcomes fluctuated.

Tech had games where it shot the ball well and struggled to defend — at Virginia or at Notre Dame — but also outings where it guarded well and couldn’t put it together offensively — both Clemson games. And then there were the lopsided contests, like vs. Boston College in Cassell Coliseum or vs. NC State in the ACC tournament, where it struggled to stop anything.

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