Wednesday started with some difficult news for the Virginia Tech men's basketball team. Junior guard Sean Pedulla, who led the Hokies in scoring with over 16 points per game this season, announced he will enter his name into the NCAA transfer portal.
Pedulla announced that he is still considering a return to Blacksburg, but that is highly unlikely.
Late Wednesday, sophomore guard MJ Collins entered the transfer portal. The 6-foot-4 Collins, a native of Clover, South Carolina, played in 32 games and started 28 this season. On average he played about 30 minutes per game, and per game he scored 7.4 points. Collins scored in double figures several times and played a key role in some of Virginia Tech's victories.
Although he struggled from the field (34% in each of his two seasons), he had the talent to make some big shots for the Hokies. Collins' defense is a strength, giving Tech another ball handler to go along with Pedula and Hunter Kattore.
Collins' entry into the portal is a surprise and means he has two years of eligibility remaining.
Senior forward Maylijael Poteet also entered the portal Wednesday night. Poteet, a 6-foot-9, 265-pound senior from Reidsville, North Carolina, spent the first two seasons of his college career at Rice University before transferring to Virginia Tech two years ago.
Poteat played in all 34 games for the Hokies during the 2022-23 season, averaging 3.4 points per game while coming off the bench and playing approximately nine minutes per game. He took another step forward in 2023-24, playing every game again and averaging 6.4 points and 3.5 rebounds per game.
Pot-Eat often energized the Hokies off the bench and showed tremendous growth each season.
With the departures of Pedula, Poteat and Collins, the Hokies will need to replace their entire starting lineup, one of their top bench players (Poteat) and a backup (John Camden). Kattore and forward Robbie Beran were ineligible. Head coach Mike Young has his hands full heading into an important offseason.
After these departures, the Hokies have at least seven scholarships open for next season. They have two freshmen (Ryan Jones and Tyler Johnson) and Tyler Nickell will be Tech's top returning player. Nickel was VT's fourth leading scorer last season, scoring about nine points per game.
NEWS: Virginia Tech forward Mairijael Poteet says he will enter the transfer portal.
Poteat, a native of Reidsville, North Carolina, began his career at Rice University for two seasons and spent his final two seasons at Virginia Tech.
He averaged 6.4 PPG and 3.5 RPG on 64.4%… pic.twitter.com/wEfUr4Iw9q
— 24/7 High School Hoops (@247HSHoops) March 27, 2024
How strong of a class can Young put together in the transfer portal? After missing the NCAA Tournament the past two seasons, the Hokies need to win in 2024-25. We've seen teams whose fortunes change dramatically by acquiring a strong class in the transfer portal. Look no further than the Virginia Tech football team. However, much of Virginia Tech's success in the portal will depend on how competitive it can be in the NIL world.
Good luck.
Is there any good news after two days of tough matches?
