Everything you need to know as Notre Dame basketball visits Virginia Tech

Residents of Northern Indiana may look out any window this week and think it’s a good time to get out of town. Get out of the snow, get out of the cold, get out of the wind and just go somewhere. Anywhere.

Noie: Could Notre Dame basketball finally figure out an ACC win at home?

Notre Dame basketball might agree.

Deep breaths: Why the process of Notre Dame basketball being better requires patience

The Irish have been good away from home this season, and this weekend takes them to the first of two Atlantic Coast Conference road games in Blacksburg, Virginia, against Virginia Tech. It's been a struggle at home in league play for Notre Dame, which has dropped two straight home ACC games and three straight overall since late December.

A visit to the foothills of the Blue Ridge Mountains for an ACC matinee may be just what the basketball doctor ordered for what ails these Irish.

Notre Dame basketball (10-7 overall; 1-3 ACC)versus Virginia Tech (13-5; 2-3)

Date: Saturday, January 17

Start time: 12 p.m.

Site: Cassell Coliseum (9,275), Blacksburg, Virginia

Tickets: Available.

What channel is Notre Dame basketball versus Virginia Tech on?

TV: ACC Network

Radio: 960 WSBT-AM in South Bend. Also on SiriusXM on ACC Radio and channels 955 and 956. You can also listen live free on Audacy.

Live streaming: https://www.fubo.tv/stream/tv/?

Series history between Notre Dame basketball and Virginia Tech

Virginia Tech leads 12-10 overall, 10-7 as ACC colleagues. The Hokies have won two straight, eight of nine and 10 of 12 dating back to 2019. The teams have played eight times in Blacksburg, with the series tied at four.

The teams met once last season, a 65-63 Virginia Tech win at Purcell Pavilion on February 8, 2025. Markus Burton scored 23 points with four rebounds, while Tae Davis added 18 points and eight rebounds. The Irish led for 34:05 and by as many as 14 before letting go of the lead late. It was Notre Dame’s third straight loss, after leading by double digits.

This is the only meeting of the regular season.

Notre Dame basketball versus Virginia Tech storylines

∎ Virginia Tech is coming off a 77-76 loss on Wednesday, January 14, at SMU. The game featured six ties and 10 lead changes. Five Hokies scored double figures, led by guard Jailen Bedford’s 22 points. After a run of six straight wins, the Hokies have lost three of four, all in ACC play.

∎ The Hokies like playing at home. The Hokies protect their home. Virginia Tech is 10-1 at the Cassell this season, 2-1 in league play. It has home wins over Virginia and Cal. The loss is to Stanford, a team Notre Dame beat, 47-40, on the road to open league play.

∎ The next road win for Notre Dame will match its number of road wins (two) in each of the previous two seasons. This starts a stretch of four of six and five of seven on the road for the Irish. Good teams win at home. Better teams win on the road.

Keep an eye on ... Notre Dame F Garrett Sundra

A trip home, or close to home, may solve the conundrum that continues to be the Irish power forward from Ashburn, Virginia.

Questions abound about the issues for Notre Dame, and many of those center around the 6-foot-11, 20-pound sophomore. Mainly, what can Notre Dame do to get more out of Sundra?

Sundra has played in every game; he’s started all but one. His averages – 3.7 points, 3.5 rebounds, 0.5 assists in 20.0 minutes – are decidedly below average for someone in his spot. Simply put, the Irish need more from their stretch four. That’s a spot that must do a lot in the ACC. In any league. Notre Dame needs more points and rebounds. More impact on a game from someone shooting .400 percent from the field, .297 percent from 3 and .571 percent from the free throw line.

This is a perfect time for Sundra to break loose for his first double-digit scoring and/or rebounding game of the year.

Virginia Tech PG Neoklis Avadalas

There are amazing basketball stories all around the ACC, but nobody’s is more fascinating than that of Avdalas, a 6-foot-9, 215-pound point guard (yep, point guard), from Kalamata, Greece, who has been compared to a young Luka Doncic.

Avdalas, who turned pro in 2021, is the youngest player to score a basket in EuroLeague history, doing so for Panathinaikos at age 15. Last season, he averaged 7.7 points, 2.7 rebounds and 1.4 assists in 18.5 minutes playing professionally in Greece.

Last spring, Avdalas participated in the international portion of the NBA draft combine in Chicago. He played in two games featuring top international talents and averaged 10.5 points, 7.0 rebounds and 4.5 assists. He committed in June to play for Virginia Tech and is averaging 14.2 points, 3.2 rebounds and a team-best 5.0 assists in a team-high 32.6 minutes. Avdalas has already had nine games of six or more assists. He’s considered among the top five international prospects eligible for the 2026 NBA draft.

Notre Dame basketball 2025-26 schedule

Oct. 17 at Butler (W, 77-76) Exhibition

Oct. 24 DEPAUL (L, 69-62) Exhibition

Nov. 3 LIU BROOKLYN (W, 89-67; 1-0)

Nov. 7 DETROIT MERCY (W, 102-70; 2-0)

Nov. 11 EASTERN ILLINOIS, (W, 78-58; 3-0)

Nov. 16 At Ohio State, (L, 64-63; 3-1)

Nov. 19 BELLARMINE (W, 86-79; 4-1)

Nov. 24 vs Kansas (L, 71-61; 4-2)

Nov. 25 vs Rutgers (W, 68-63; 5-2)

Nov. 26 vs. Houston (L, 66-56; 5-3)

Dec. 2 MISSOURI (W 76-71; 6-3)

Dec. 5 At TCU (W, 87-85 OT; 7-3)

Dec. 10 IDAHO, (W, 80-65; 8-3)

Dec. 13 EVANSVILLE, (W, 82-58; 9-3)

Dec. 21 PURDUE FORT WAYNE, (L, 72-69; 9-4)

Dec. 30 At Stanford (W, 47-40; 10-4; 1-0 ACC)

Jan. 2 At California (L, 72-71; 10-5; 1-1 ACC)

Jan. 10 CLEMSON (L, 76-61; 10-6; 1-2)

Jan. 13 MIAMI (Fla.) (L, 81-69; 10-7; 1-3)

Jan. 17 At Virginia Tech, 12 p.m. (ACCN)

Jan. 21 At North Carolina, 7 p.m. (ESPN2)

Jan. 24 BOSTON COLLEGE, 6 p.m. (ACCN)

Jan. 27 VIRGINIA, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/U)

Jan. 31 At Syracuse, 6 p.m., (The CW)

Feb. 4 At Louisville, 7 p.m. (ESPN/U)

Feb. 7 FLORIDA STATE, 4 p.m. (ACCN)

Feb. 10 At SMU, 7 p.m. (ACCN)

Feb. 14 GEORGIA TECH, 12 p.m. (The CW)

Feb. 21 At Pittsburgh, 2 p.m. (ACCN)

Feb. 24 DUKE, 7 p.m. (ESPN2/U)

Feb. 28 NORTH CAROLINA STATE, 12 p.m. (The CW)

March 3 STANFORD, 9 p.m. (ESPNU)

March 7 At Boston College, 12 p.m. (ESPNU)

March 10-14 ACC Tournament (Charlotte) TBD.

Follow South Bend Tribune and NDInsider columnist Tom Noie on X (formerly Twitter): @tnoieNDI. Contact Noie at [email protected]

This article originally appeared on South Bend Tribune: Notre Dame basketball back out on the Atlantic Coast Conference road