If there is one underrated Virginia Tech men’s basketball player with the most to prove this season, I think that junior guard Tyler Johnson feels like the right answer.
That is not necessarily because Johnson was bad last year. In fact, when he was available, the 6-foot-5 guard gave Virginia Tech a useful blend of activity and efficiency. He averaged 8.0 points, 4.5 rebounds and 1.6 assists per game while shooting 53.3% from the field.
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The issue is that Johnson’s 2025-26 season never really had the chance to become whole. He appeared in 17 games, started 13 of them and averaged 26.1 minutes per contest, but a lower-body injury sidelined him for the first 15 games of ACC play. That matters because it left Johnson stuck between two labels. He was too productive to be forgotten, but not available enough to become one of the defining pieces of Virginia Tech’s season.
That makes 2026-27 especially important, since Virginia Tech has once again rebuilt its roster – particularly in the backcourt. Ben Hammond is back after becoming one of the Hokies’ clearest offensive engines. The Hokies also added more perimeter talent through the portal in weapons such as Kuol Atak (Oklahoma) and Ethan Copeland (Stetson), which means Johnson’s path to a major role is not automatic. He will have to earn it. Atak poses a significant test for Johnson en route to a starter spot, given that the redshirt sophomore stands at 6-foot-9, 192-pounds and he shot 41.3% from long range in his redshirt freshman year with the Sooners.
However, that competition is also what makes Johnson intriguing. Johnson does not have to become Virginia Tech’s leading scorer to validate his season. His value may be found in the connective areas: defending multiple spots, rebounding from the guard position, cutting well, finishing efficiently and giving the Hokies another physical perimeter option.
On a roster that has several players who can handle or shoot, Johnson’s case may come down to whether he can become one of the team’s most dependable two-way pieces. After all, head coach Mike Young referred to Johnson last season as the team’s “glue guy” in response to a student journalist.
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Johnson has already shown flashes of being more than a complementary player. He was a regular starter as a freshman, then remained in the rotation when healthy as a sophomore. Now, entering his junior season, the question is whether he can retain that week-to-week reliability.
For Virginia Tech, that could be the difference between Johnson being a nice piece and Johnson being a necessary one. That is why, among the Hokies’ returners, I think that he may have the most to prove.
This article was originally published on www.si.com/college/virginiatech as The Underrated Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball Player with The Most to Prove This Season.
