Game Info: Wednesday, November 12, 2025 - 7:00 p.m.
Location: Cassell Coliseum - Blacksburg, Va.
TV: ACCNX | Listen: sjuhawks.com | Live Stats: sjuhawks.com | Saint Joseph's Game Notes | Virginia Tech Game Notes

Social Media
Twitter/X: @sjuhawks_mbb | Instagram: @sjuhawks_mbb

Opening Tip
The Saint Joseph's men's basketball team plays its first road game of the season, traveling to Virginia Tech on Wednesday, November 12. Tipoff from Cassell Coliseum is at 7:00 p.m. with the game airing on ACCNX.

Jones-ing For More    
After a slow start in his St. Joe's debut on November 3 against Lafayette, Deuce Jones II more than made up for it against Drexel on Saturday. The sophomore and reigning A-10 Rookie of the Year scored a career-high 29 points against the Dragons. He shot 7-for-11 from the floor, including 3-for-3 from beyond the arc. The Trenton, N.J., native was also 12-for-13 at the free throw line. His previous personal best actually came against Saint Joseph's last season, as a member of the La Salle Explorers, when he tallied 27 points in the regular season finale on March 8, 2025.

Lucky Number 7 (Part I)    
The first two games of the season for SJU have been marked by both impressive, but inconsistent performances. One player who has maintained his level of play through both games is Dasear Haskins. The redshirt sophomore scored 14 in the opener against Lafayette and then tied a career-high with 15 points against Drexel. He also has at least four rebounds in each game and is 11-for-19 (57.9 percent) from the floor.

Lucky Number Seven (Part II)    
With Saturday's win against Drexel, the Hawks remain undefeated in Philadelphia Big 5 play since the format was adjusted in 2023. St. Joe's is 7-0 in Big 5 games including back-to-back Big 5 Classic championships. Among its seven victories are wins against Villanova (2), Penn (2), Drexel (1), La Salle (1) and Temple (1). Saint Joseph's can secure its spot in a third consecutive Big 5 Classic championship game with a win against Penn on November 17.

Line It Up    
Signaling a shift in their style of play from previous seasons, the Hawks have gone to the free throw line 52 times in their first two games of the season. It is the most trips to the charity stripe in the opening pair of games of the year since 2015-16 when SJU shot 60 free throws against Drexel (39) and Niagara (21). St. Joe's isn't just getting to the line; they're making their attempts as well, going 45-for-52. The 86.5 percent clip is ninth in NCAA Division I.

Valuing The Ball    
Saint Joseph's is holding onto the ball this season with only 17 turnovers in the first two games of the season. The 8.5 turnovers per game are 24th best nationally and second in the A-10 behind Dayton's 6.5 a contest. Last season, SJU averaged 11.3 turnovers an outing.

Home Sweet Hagan    
Playing at home has been a positive thing for St. Joe's throughout the building's history with a .634 winning percentage. The games have been particularly good since the beginning of the 2023-24 season with the Hawks going 29-8 (.784). The 27 victories from 2023-25 are the most in a two-year stretch since the building was renovated and renamed Hagan Arena in 2009.

Scouting Report    
Virginia Tech enters play 2-0 following a 107-101 overtime thriller against Providence on Saturday. The Hokies have outpaced early expectations, receiving votes in this week's AP poll after being picked 12th out of 18 teams in the ACC Preseason Poll.

Five players are averaging double figures for Virginia Tech, topped by freshman Neoklis Avdalas at 20.5 points per game, which includes a 33-point effort versus Providence. Amani Hansbury and Tobi Lawal are each averaging double-doubles with Hansbury at 18.0 points and 12.0 rebounds per game and Lawal at 13.5 points and 12.5 boards a contest. Jailen Bedford (15.5) and Tyler Johnson (10.5) round out the double-digit scorers.

By putting up 107 points against Providence and tallying 98 in its opener against Charleston Southern, the Hokies are 20th nationally in the early going, averaging 102.5 points per game. They have shot the ball well, connecting on 48.4 percent overall and 37.5 percent from beyond the arc.

Virginia Tech has struggled, somewhat, defensively, allowing teams to score 84.0 points per game and giving up 11 three-pointers a contest on average.

Mike Young is in his seventh season at the helm of the Hokies with a record of 107-85 in Blacksburg. In 24 years overall as a collegiate head coach, he has more than 400 wins, a mark that includes a 30-win season at Wofford in 2018-19 and has guided his teams to seven NCAA Tournaments.

All-Time Series    
Saint Joseph's holds a 4-3 series lead against Virginia Tech in a series that began in the 1996-97 season. The Hawks have won two in a row against the Hokies, marking the first time in the series that a team has won consecutive games. Virginia Tech has won all three games played at Cassell Coliseum.

Last Time Against Virginia Tech    
Saint Joseph's broke open a close game with a 50-point second-half output as the Hawks downed the Hokies, 82-62, at the Holiday Hoop Fest on Saturday, December 21, 2024. Erik Reynolds II led SJU with 25 points and moved into fifth place all-time on the St. Joe's scoring list. Derek Simpson and Rasheer Fleming each scored 18. Anthony Finkley had 13 points and six assists. After Virginia Tech tied the game at 32-32 on a pair of free throws 16 seconds past halftime, St. Joe's went on a 15-2 run in the next four minutes to take control of the contest.

It's What He Does    
For the third time in his four stops, Steve Donahue won his first game at a new school. Previously, he defeated Saint Francis Brooklyn with Boston College and Robert Morris with Penn. His only loss in his first game in a new place was at Cornell, when the Big Red fell to the defending national champions, No. 3 Michigan State.

For Starters    
The Hawks are 84-29 in season-opening games. St. Joe's has won its last three openers, against Lafayette (2023, 2025) and Navy (2024). SJU won 32 consecutive games to start its season from 1950 through 1982.

Towering Over The Competition...    
With Justice Ajogbor (6'10"), Jaden Smith (6'11") and Steven Solano (7'0"), the Hawks' roster is loaded with height. Only eight opponents for St. Joe's have three or more players who are 6'10" or taller, led by five on Duquesne's roster. Three teams – Princeton, Coppin State and Rutgers-Camden – do not have a player on their squad that is taller than 6'9".

We Love The 80s    
St. Joe's dropped 85 points on Lafayette on November 3. It is the 13th time the program has scored 85 or more against a Division I team in the opener. The highest total is 103, accomplished twice, against Morgan State on December 4, 1992 and versus Western Carolina on November 17, 2000. Saint Joseph's posted its highest scoring output in a season opener since recording 91 points in a 96-91 overtime loss at Auburn on November 26, 2020. The team scored 80+ in a game 11 times last year, going 10-1 in those contests.

Next Up    
Saint Joseph's completes Big 5 pod play, going into University City to face Penn on Monday, November 17. Tipoff at The Palestra is scheduled for 7:00 p.m. with the game to air on NBC Sports Philadelphia and ESPN+