It was a great week for the Virginia Tech basketball program. While the women’s team loses in the NCAA Tournament and then watches as head coach Kenny Brooks departs for what he believes will be greener pastures in Kentucky, the men’s team is in the midst of a mass exodus.
Center Lynn Kidd, forwards John Camden and Maylijael Poteet, and guards MJ Collins and Sean Pedulla entered the NCAA transfer portal this week. Thursday brought another unexpected entry. Sophomore wing Tyler Nickell also entered the portal.
Nickel joining the portal means VT’s top eight players from last season will either graduate or leave via the transfer portal. Pedula said he is strongly considering returning, but that it is unlikely.
Nickell, a 6-foot-7, 220-pound sophomore from Harrisonburg, committed to the Hokies last offseason after spending his freshman season at North Carolina. Nickell played in 33 games and started seven for the Hokies, ranking fourth on the team in scoring, averaging 8.8 points per game. Nickel shot 39.9% from beyond the arc in 2023-2024.
Can Nickel come back? That’s true, but it seems unlikely at this point. Like most portal entries these days, this one is probably his NIL-related. Virginia Tech’s resources have been in the spotlight since Brooks left this week, and this will likely be another case of a player determining his value on the open market.
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