BLACKSBURG — For Virginia Tech men's basketball, November will be about more than simply getting off to a winning start.

After another season that left the Hokies searching for answers, head coach Mike Young enters the 2026-27 campaign with an opportunity to establish whether his program has addressed the inconsistencies that have prevented Virginia Tech from returning to the NCAA Tournament.

The concerns are familiar: defensive consistency, rebounding, offensive execution, and the ability to finish games against quality competition. While roster changes offer an opportunity for improvement, the Hokies must demonstrate that those improvements translate to the court.

Virginia Tech's eight-game November schedule provides several opportunities to do exactly that, including three matchups against Power Four opponents and a pair of challenging in-state contests.

Here are five games that could reveal whether the Hokies have taken a meaningful step forward.

No. 1: Iowa (Nov.…