In the world of college basketball, recruiting and commitments can change at any moment. Big changes happen when the coaching carousel picks up in March and April, and that was the case for one West Virginia men's basketball commit.
When former Mountaineers' coach Darian DeVires left Morgantown for Indiana, four-star Class of 2025 commit Braydon Hawthorne de-committed from West Virginia and reopened his commitment. Virginia Tech coach Mike Young made an addition to his coaching staff, bringing back Chester Frazier to his staff, and the veteran has been a key recruiter at every stop he's been at.
With Frazier in the fold, the Hokies got into the mix for Hawthorne, but so did bluebloods Duke and Kentucky, mong others. After taking several visits to different schools, Hawthorne announced his decision on Tuesday night live on a 247Sports stream. The 33rd overall recruit in his class picked Kentucky and Mark Pope.
Virginia Tech picks up commitment in the Class of 2025 despite losing out on Hawthorne
Moments before losing out on Hawthorne, Young picked up another commitment in the Class of 2025 when Brett Freeman, a 6-foot-4, guard from Charlotte committed to the Hokies. He was the conference player of the year at Ardrey Kell High School.
Freeman also had offers from Florida State and Florida International University and he was a Mr. North Carolina Basketball finalist this past season. The roster for Young and the Hokies is becoming more clear for 2025-26.
Virginia Tech loses to softball players to the transfer portal
On Sunday night, the Hokies softball team was eliminated from the NCAA Tournament in the finals of the Alabama Regional to end their season short of their goals. Less than 48 hours after being eliminated, two Virginia Tech players hit the transfer portal on Tuesday.
Freshman Jayden Jones announced that she was entering the portal after appearing in 26 games with four home runs and 12 RBIs. She was expected to be a big part of the program going forward, but she's clearly looking for a fresh start somewhere else.
Jones wasn't the only player to hit the portal, as Emily LeGette also announced she was entering the portal after she became a big part of the lineup after Michelle Chatfield went down with an injury against Florida State a couple of weeks ago. LeGette finished the season with four home runs and 15 RBIs.