Since taking over at Virginia Tech, men's basketball coach Mike Young has seen some good players come and go. Unfortunately, when NIL became a big part of college sports, it ended up costing Young and the Hokies some good players to the Transfer Portal.
Some of those losses were about money, and some of them were about getting a bigger and better role somewhere else. Regardless, some players left, and you wonder what might have happened had they stayed in Blacksburg. Here are three players who left Virginia Tech to find success elsewhere, who ended up being tough losses for Young.
3 most painful Mike Young transfer portal losses at Virginia Tech
Rodney Rice
This one was bizarre. The Maryland native has played at three schools in four years after he left Blacksburg right before the 2023-24 season began. In his freshman season of 2022-23, he played in eight games and averaged 19 minutes a game and 7.4 points a night.
Rice ended up going to Maryland for a year in 2024-25 and averaged 13.8 points per game before transferring to USC. He played in just six games for the Trojans last season and averaged 20.3 points and six assists in those six games. A four-star out of high school, Rice will always be considered one who got away.
Sean Pedulla
Following the 2023-24 season, there was a mass exodus out of Blacksburg through the portal. One of those players who left was Sean Pedulla. The Oklahoma native was a three-star out of high school and became a big contributor for the Hokies as a freshman and over three years.
He averaged 16.4 points per game, 4.6 assists per game, and 4.3 rebounds per game in 2023-24 as a junior, all of which were career highs. He announced he was entering the portal but left the door open to return to Virginia Tech. He ended up going to Ole Miss and made a big impact by averaging 15.4 points per game. Young went with rookie Ben Hammond and returner Brandon Rechsteiner after Pedulla left the following year.
Tyler Nickel
When sharpshooter Tyler Nickel transferred to Virginia Tech from North Carolina, he had a good 2023-24 season with the Hokies. After barely seeing the court with the Tar Heels, he again didn't see enough time in Blacksburg. In his one season with Tech, he averaged 8.8 points in 33 games and shot 40% from behind the arc. He was a game-changer when he was shooting the ball well.
He ended up being part of the portal class with Pedulla, and Nickel ended up at Vanderbilt. In his two seasons in Nashville, he averaged 12 points per game in 69 games and shot 40% from behind the arc. The Commodores made the NCAA Tournament in both of his seasons there, and he was drafted in the second round of the 2026 NBA Draft by the New York Knicks. Another one that got away.
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