When push came to shove with the current men’s basketball transfer portal cycle, it could be considered a win for Mike Young and Virginia Tech. The Hokies last season lost several key players to the portal, but this year, yes, there were some defections in the portal, but not to the extent as last season in terms of key players returning.
Coming back are Ben Hammond, Jaden Schutt, and Tyler Johnson. Factor in two portal commits already, Amani Hansberry and Izaiah Pasha, along with incoming freshmen Sin’Cere Jones and Christian Gurdak, and things are setting up nicely for Virginia Tech in 2025-26. On Monday, Tobi Lawal announced on Instagram that he is going to enter the NBA Draft while maintaining his college eligibility. He also announced that if he comes back to college, he would play his senior year in Blacksburg, which is a huge win.
Despite that, Young has a handful of scholarships available to hand out through the portal, and it would be wise if the veteran coach planned for the potential loss of Lawal.
Virginia Tech coach Mike Young must plan for a potential loss of Tobi Lawal
While they’re off to a good start with the portal commitments, it would be wise of Young to play for a potential loss of Lawal. Now, behind closed doors he may know what to expect and whether or not there is a real chance that the VCU transfer jumps to the NBA or not. Adding another player at his position would be the move to make with one of the remaining scholarships Young has available.
Again, Young might have an idea of just what the chances are that Lawal does indeed leave or not, but it’s going to depend on the feedback he gets from NBA scouts. You don’t blame Lawal for going this route, but leaving the door open on a possible return to Virginia Tech is big, but now everyone is in a waiting game. Lawal has until May 28 to make his final decision, something that will likely be made before that date.