Virginia Tech men's basketball in the mix for Top 50 Class of 2026 rising star

The Hokies are in the mix for a four-star West Virginia de-commit.
Mar 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA;  Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Mike Young during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images
Mar 4, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies head coach Mike Young during the second half against the North Carolina Tar Heels at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

So far in the Class of 2025, Virginia Tech men's basketball coach Mike Young has commitments from four-star forward Sin'Cere Jones from Portsmouth, Va., and four-star center Christian Gurdak from Washington, DC. Both players committed to the Hokies last summer.

They are expected to be part of the future in Blacksburg and could even step in and contribute next season like forward Tyler Johnson and point guard Ben Hammond did this season as freshmen. You can make the case that Young and his staff need them to come in and contribute right away.

On Tuesday, Virginia Tech announced the hiring of assistant coach Chester Frazier back to Blacksburg after he left to spend three years ay Illinois and one at West Virginia. When Mountaineers coach Darren DeVries left to take the job at Indiana, some of his commitments in Morgantown de-committed and re-opened their recruiting. One of them is a four-star who has taken an unofficial visit to Virginia Tech, and the Hokies are clearly in the mix. However, do they now have the chance to get over the top with the hiring of Frazier?

Virginia Tech in the mix for four-star West Virginia de-commit Braydon Hawthorne

Since de-committing after DeVries left West Virginia, four-star wing Braydon Hawthorne, who is a Top 50 player in the Class of 2025 according to On3, has been hearing from a number of schools, and one of those schools is Virginia Tech. He told On3 that he took an unofficial visit to Blacksburg and that he is in no rush to decide with a ton of schools after him.

Ranked No. 48 by On3, Hawthrorne is an athletic forward who can handle the ball and the 6-foot-8 wing has a 7-foot-3 wingspan. According on On3, he is a late bloomer and his best basketaball is still in front of him.

Virginia Tech hopes that will be in Blacksburg, and with Frazier joining Young's staff, you have to think that keeps the Hokies in the mix as Frazier is known as a very good recruiter, and being at West Virginia when Hawthorne committed helps Virginia Tech.

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