In one of the more unsurprising decisions this offseason, Virginia Tech men’s basketball forward Tobi Lawal withdrew from the NBA Draft and is returning to Blacksburg for next season. The Hokies are getting their athletic matchup problem for other teams back, and one of their top scorers.
This was a huge decision for head coach Mike Young, as it brings back a key starter who changes the way Virginia Tech plays. With that said, here are three thoughts on Lawal’s return for the 2025-26 season.
It shouldn’t be surprising that Tobi Lawal returned
In the overall big picture, it’s not surprising whatsoever that Lawal is coming back, and it’s the right decision. The process that he went through was very valuable for him, and he got the feedback that he was hoping for as he plans for the 2026 Draft.
“I’m thankful for the opportunity to explore the draft and learn from the experience,” Lawal said. “It gave me a clear view of the areas I need to keep improving–fine-tuning my all-around game, gaining experience from more game reps and challenging myself to guard the opponent's best player every night. I’m excited to be back at Virginia Tech with my teammates and coaches to keep chasing our goals.”
Mike Young works some Mike Young magic
When Lawal announced he was going to enter the NBA Draft but keep his eligibility for his senior year, he said that if he did return to college, it would be Virginia Tech. That was a rather big piece of his announcement, as some players who have entered the draft only to return to college have hit the portal.
Whatever discussions Young had with Lawal were enough to convince him to come back to the Hokies for his final season. You can bet that another year of college basketball will be beneficial for Lawal and the NBA Draft next season.
Virginia Tech will be better than last season
I know, the bar isn’t high when it comes to this, but there is always room for things to go up, and that is the case here. Jaden Schutt, Tyler Johnson, and Ben Hammond coming back is huge, as are some of the transfer portal additions and incoming freshmen. Now, adding Lawal back to that group is a big addition.
Improving on 13 wins next season is something Virginia Tech should certainly do, and they are going to need Lawal back, given how much better the ACC is going to be. There is a lot of work to do, but the returns so far are very promising.