Football Recruit
Hokies acquire QB in 2026 class
Virginia Tech has accepted 2026 quarterback Payton Falzone, a 6-foot-5, 200-pound player from Nazareth High School in Pennsylvania.
The junior recently enjoyed a campus visit and also holds offers from Penn State, Syracuse, Kent State and Bucknell, according to 247 Sports. He accepted his scholarship offer during a one-day camp in Blacksburg.
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Professional basketball
Regional players scattered across the TBT roster
No Hampton Roads teams participated in the 64-team, winner-take-all basketball tournament that has become a summer staple, but plenty of familiar names will be in the TBT, which kicks off at various venues on July 19, with the semifinals in Philadelphia on Aug. 2 and the finals on Aug. 4. The winning team will split $1 million, while some players on the other teams will improve their chances of becoming regular pros next season.
The tournament was previously broadcast on an ESPN affiliate, but games have been moved this year. 29 of the 63 games will air on Fox, FS1, FS2 or the Big Ten Network. Instead of a traditional clock at the end of the game, an Elam Ending is featured.
The eight-team regional tournament will be hosted entirely by alumni teams. Rupp Arena in Kentucky and Hinkle Fieldhouse in Butler are new venues this year, with others including Louisville, Pittsburgh, Dayton, Cincinnati, Houston and Wichita State.
One of the new teams this year is Assembly Ball (Indiana Alumni). Former Hoosier forward and Phoebus High School graduate Troy Williams joins the team, along with Oak Hill Academy product Keith Hornsby, who grew up in Williamsburg and played at Louisiana State University. Both players frequently play for professional teams overseas.
Former Hampton Pirates Danny Agbelez plays for the Philadelphia-based Brotherly Love Pro-Am Foundation, Jahvon Pressley is on the Takeover BC team and Ben Stanley plays for Zip ‘Em Up (a Xavier University graduate) – Stanley played at HU, Old Dominion and Xavier.
Former ODU player Randy Haynes is on the Team About Billions roster, and former College of William & Mary star Omar Prewitt, a Kentucky native, will play for Team Ville (a University of Louisville alum), one of eight teams seeded No. 2 in the region.
Many former Virginia Tech players have played for various teams, including Grant Basile of Red Scare (Dayton alum) and Jarell Eddie of Team Diesel. Keve Aluma and Storm Murphy were on WoCo Showtime (Wofford alum) and played for the Terriers and then the Hokies when Mike Young took over as coach.
Virginia has had consistent success, but no former Cavaliers players are immediately on the roster. Kyle Guy, one of Virginia’s 2019 NCAA Championship heroes, organized a team called the “Fail Harders,” but is not on the roster, according to TBT.com.
