Former Virginia Tech wing transfer Tyler Nickel commits to SEC school

Two weeks ago, the Virginia Tech men's basketball team saw a mass exodus from their 2023-24 roster into the transfer portal. Sean Pedulla, Lynn Kidd, MJ Collins, Mylyjael Poteat, and Tyler Nickel entered the portal. Poteeat, three days after entering the portal, Poteat announced he was returning to Blacksburg for next season.

Everyone else? Likely gone and that is the case for Nickel.

Tyler Nickel announces that he'll play next season at Vanderbilt

Nickel on Wednesday night became the second player who entered the portal from Virginia Tech to announce his new home for next season when he announced he going to play at Vanderbilt. Kidd also committed from the portal, committing to Miami to stay in the ACC next season.

This past season for the Hokies, Nickel averaged 8.8 points a game, 2.2 rebounds and 1.3 assists. He shot nearly 40% from beyond the arc off the bench averging 24 minutes a night in 33 games. He reached double figures in 17 games and scored a career-high 24 points in a win at home against Clemson. He had 18 points in Virginia Tech's ACC Tournaemnt loss in the second round to Florida State.

After that game, he was quoted as saying he loved the school, team, and coaches, however, two weeks after making that comment, he entered the portal for the second time and spent just one season in Blacksburg. He spent his first college season in 2022-23 at North Carolina.

It's somewhat surprising that Nickel entered the portal as he could have been considered a key piece off the bench next season and he would have had a chance to even find a starting role depending on what happens with the roster this offseason at Tech, but in this day and age of college sports has become like free agency in college sports with players changing schools.