The pieces are slowly coming together for Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Mike Young. After losing several players to the transfer portal, the Hokies' veteran coach has been adding pieces through the portal, and it’s been a busy last week.
Earlier this month, Virginia Tech added West Virginia transfer Amani Hansberry, then picked up a commitment from Delaware transfer Izaiah Pasha. Over the weekend, Antonio Dorn from Germany committed to Virginia Tech, giving them an inside presence. On Tuesday morning, Young picked up another portal commitment with UNLV’s Jailen Bedofrd.
UNLV wing Jailen Bedford commits to Virginia Tech
UNLV graduate transfer Jailen Bedford started eight games for the Rebels last season and primarily came off the bench. He still averaged 10.2 points a game, 4.3 rebounds, and 1.2 assists, while shooting 38% from the field.
That shooting number is somewhat concerning, but Bedford should come in and compete for a bigger role with the Hokies than he got at UNLV. He will come in and push some of the younger players, and maybe even push for a starting role. A combo guard, he also played at the JUCO level and at Oral Roberts.
The roster is rounding into form, but there is still work to do. The portal additions are nice, and the returning players, Jaden Schutt, Tyler Johnson, and Ben Hammond, are pieces to build around with Dorn, Christian Gurdak, and Sincere Jones. Currently, Young has four open scholarship roster spots for next season. There is also a chance that Tobi Lawal returns despite entering his name for the NBA Draft. If he withdraws, he has said he’ll play for the Hokies.
At 6-foot-4, Bedford has good size and is a solid rebounder. His shooting numbers will need to improve, but he can use his athletic ability to get to the basket and finish. Defensively, he should be a good addition as well.