Last spring, there was a mass exodus through the transfer portal for the Virginia Tech men’s basketball team. That left head coach Mike Young and his staff scrambling to assemble a 2024-25 season roster. They added some transfers through the portal, and they all made an impact as the Hokies hit the midway point of the season. At 7-9 heading into Wednesday night’s ACC contest at home against North Carolina State, they have played well recently during their latest ACC stretch.
It’s time to hand out some grades for the Virginia Tech transfers this season. They did lose one transfer back in October when Temple transfer Hysier Miller was dismissed from the team for a prior situation at his former school.
Grading Virginia Tech men's basketball transfers
In May, Duke transfer Jaden Schutt committed to the Hokies after dealing with injuries during his time in Durham. This season he has slotted into the starting lineup for Young and he comes to Virginia Tech as a shooter, something that has been streaky, to say the least. If Schutt can get consistency with his shot, that opens up the offense for the Tech. His shooting will be key in the second half of the season, as the Hokies have visions of making it to the ACC Tournament in March.
On Saturday night, Rodney Brown, Jr. made his return to Cal with the Hokies in their 71-68 victory. He split time with Brandon Rechsteiner at point guard for the injured Ben Hammond. He has been a jolt of energy off the bench for Young this season and his two best games this season were against North Carolina A&T (13 points and six rebounds) and Navy (11 points, four rebounds, and three assists). He is one of the better defenders and rebounding guards on the roster.
One of the first portal commitments last spring was College of Charleston transfer Ben Burnham. He shot the ball very well for the Cougars and has shown flashes this season for the Hokies. He scored 18 points at Stanford last week after going 4-for-5 from behind the arc. He has been able to score getting to the basket at times as well from behind the 3-point line. A little more scoring was expected from him and that is something that would be key going forward.
Without a doubt, VCU transfer Tobi Lawal has been the Hokies best transfer and it’s not close. He is one of the more exciting athletes to come through the program. His athletic ability is off the charts and every time he goes in for a dunk, it’s highlight reel-worthy. Lawal has shot the 3-point ball well at 42% and he is a matchup nightmare for opposing teams. Young MUST find a way to keep in in Blacksburg for 2025-26 and avoid him entering the transfer portal.