Mount St. Mary's vs Virginia Tech prediction: Ben Hammond's hands could turn Mount St. Mary's giveaways into a rout
Virginia Tech's rebuilt backcourt opened by taking the ball away, and Mount St. Mary's arrives with a ball-security problem it carried over from last season.
- Expect Virginia Tech's pressure to pile up live-ball turnovers and early runs against a Mount offense that has struggled to score in the half court.
- Ben Hammond against Redd Thompson Jr.: the opener's thief against a high-usage transfer guard who went 1-of-14 at Xavier.
- No line is posted yet. Tech covered 31.5 against Coppin State; Mount failed to cover 26.5 at Xavier, and both openers went under.
Turnovers decide this early
Virginia Tech's opener was a clinic in taking the ball away. The Hokies forced turnovers on 33.3% of Coppin State's possessions, 10th of 348 Division I teams, and Ben Hammond did most of it himself. His seven steals were one shy of the school record, part of a 20-point, eight-assist night.
That pressure now gets an opponent that gives the ball away without much help. Mount St. Mary's turned it over on 23.8% of its possessions at Xavier, 292nd nationally. This isn't a one-game blip. Last season the Mountaineers ranked 362nd of 365 in turnover rate.
Mount can gamble back. It forced turnovers at a 21.2% rate against Xavier, and Anthony Arrington Jr. had four steals. But a team that can't score in the half court can't afford to trade turnovers with a team that can.
Mount St. Mary's vs Virginia Tech: quick answers
When is Mount St. Mary's vs Virginia Tech?
Friday, November 13, 2026 at 7:00 PM ET.