Virginia Tech transfer Tyler Nickel receiving a lot of interest in the portal

A few weeks ago, it certainly sounded like Tyler Nickel was going to return to Blacksburg for next season. After Virginia Tech was bounced from the ACC Tournament in Washington, D.C. on March 13, 86-76, at the hands of Florida State, Nickel sounded like a player who was looking forward to Year 2 under Mike Young as a Hokie.

All of sudden, two weeks later, he had a change of heart and entered the transfer portal. He joined a long list of fellow teammates to enter, including Lynn Kidd, John Camden, Sean Pedulla, and Mylyjael Poteat. Saturday, Poteat withdrew from the portal and announced that he's returning to Virginia Tech for next season, but it certainly seems like Nickel is gone.

Tyler Nickel has received a ton of interest in the transfer portal

Monday, it was reported that Kentucky had reached out to Nickel and Pedulla, which would be interesting if either lands there after Kenny Brooks left Blacksburg to take over the women's program in Lexington.

Tuesday, it was reported that a half dozen schools have actually reached out to Nickel. Providence, Virginia, Vanderbilt, Saint Mary's, and Stanford have reached out to him as well as Kentucky. The Virginia native will have an interesting decision whether or not to remain in his home state and play for the rival Cavaliers or head elsewhere.

Nickel would be a good addition to any program as a shooter off the bench, a role that he filled well for head coach Mike Young this past season. He averaged 8.8 points a game while shooting 43% from the field and 39% from behind the 3-point line.

It would have been nice for Young and his staff to have Nickel back for 2024-25 as it seemed like he was getting more and more comfortable as the season went along, but he had a change of heart between the ACC Tournament loss and losing at Ohio State in the second round of the NIT. Not surprising in the current state of the transfer portal.