To say the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team has experienced an offseason of change would be an understatement. After losing in the second round of the NIT to Ohio State in late March, head coach Mike Young saw a mass exodus from Blacksburg in the transfer portal.
Those who left the Hokies were Sean Pedula (Mississippi State), Tyler Nickell and MJ Collins (Vanderbilt), and Lynn Kidd (Miami), and Maylijael Poteet entered the portal but left and was replaced by Young. He is set to return in the 2024-25 season. All of these departures have left big holes on the roster, but Young is doing just that by rebuilding and building a team that is theoretically very fun to watch next winter.
Young has one roster spot available, which was left open a few weeks ago when Jordan Ivey-Curry decommitted from Virginia Tech and transferred from UTSA to Central Florida. Young brings in an athletic group that includes several ball handlers and shooters.
College of Charleston’s Ben Burnham is a player who can stretch the floor, Temple’s Heijer Miller is a speedy ball handler, and VCU’s Tobi Lawal is very athletic and can crash the boards. can. California’s Rodney Brown Jr. is also a guard. good defender. Virginia Tech also received a commitment from four-star high school guard Ben Hammond after he released his commitment to Rhode Island. And on Saturday night, the Hokies acquired a contract from Jaden Schutt, who transferred to Duke. He can shoot the ball well from the outside and would be a great fit in the system.
Kidd had a good but at times shaky 2023-24 season, being a big factor in many games but disappearing in others. After Rodney Rice left the program just before the start of the season, Pedula was left with the bulk of the ball-handling duties and struggled at times. He made a big impact on offense in the second half of the season, getting closer to the basket and shooting from the outside.
Things looked grim just a month ago, but Young and his staff have put together a roster for next season that will be different than last season, making it fun to watch the 2024-25 season unfold. Should be in Blacksburg.
