Virginia Tech’s Wabissa Bede and Chris Clarke To Enter The Transfer Portal

Virginia Tech
Wabissa Bede will enter the transfer portal, though he could still return to Virginia Tech. (Photo by Ivan Morozov)

Virginia Tech men’s basketball players Wabissa Bede and Chris Clarke will enter the transfer portal, per Mike Barber of the Richmond Times-Dispatch. 

Bede is a rising junior guard who started 26 games this past season.  He averaged 3.8 points per game and dished out 82 assists while shooting 35.4% from three-point range.

Clarke played in 79 games in his Virginia Tech career, averaging 9.2 points and 6.5 rebounds.  However, he was indefinitely suspended from the team this past October and did not play in 2018-19.  He will graduate in May and be eligible to play immediately.  Returning to Virginia Tech is not an option for Clarke.

However, returning to Tech is an option for Bede, and it’s not unprecedented for players to enter the transfer portal and then withdraw from it later.  Tech quarterback Hendon Hooker did so earlier this offseason, and Alabama guard John Petty recently withdrew from the portal after entering it when head coach Avery Johnson was fired.

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  1. I just feel like these guys we’re not all in anyway. These kids don’t understand that the reason college sports is so big is because generations of families have gone to the schools. We want these players to be committed to Virginia Tech not just their own agenda. That USED TO BE The difference between college and pro. Bede was average at best Clark obviously has bigger issues. You can sort of understand why recruits might flip as they had built a relationship with Buzz. The good news is basketball really only takes a few really good players to turn it all around Football is a different story Go Hokies

  2. we can do better the Bede. he was so inconsistent. In almost every game, he would make an outstanding play and on the other he would make one play so terrible that you wonder what he was thinking of. Glad to see him go, if he has no loyalty to Tech wanting to leave.

  3. I kind of feel like the sky is falling. Head coach gone. Roster depleted. Guys transferring. Signed recruits bailing. 2019/2020 looks like a tough season. Hope Whit gets a coach who can stop the bleeding and fast. I wonder if there are coaches who won’t take the job because they don’t want to deal with this situation.

  4. Meh on his defense this year (was better last year). More often than not, others had to have help side D on his man. More often than not, the helping defender’s man ended up scoring because they had to help Bede.

    In terms of his offense, he was suspect. He would have 1 good game offensively for every 5 bad games. He did improve when JRob was out, however I still don’t view him as an ACC caliber guard. He tripled his minutes per game as a sophomore and went up a whopping 1.3 points. Coaches weren’t worried about him scoring or his shooting. Case and point for how wide open they left him during the season and most of the tourney. He can’t shoot and especially when defended up close.

  5. I really thought Bede improved moreso than any player I’ve ever watched at Virginia Tech (MBB). Granted, he was thrust into a starting role prematurely, but I thought his development occurred exponentially. I love watching him play defense and I was really hoping he wouldn’t transfer. But, everyone needs to do what’s best for them. I wasn’t mad that we were ousted from the tournament when we were, I was mad that I’ll never get to see THIS TEAM ever play again. I really really really loved this brand of basketball and this group of players.

    1. Interesting how guys improve a lot when they’re the main man, Thinking both Bede and KBJr stepped up a lot in JRob’s absence, don’t know how a coach could work that though, that is, pulling your main guy out to help other’s develop plus it really does need to be crisis that focuses them more.

      1. Makes me woonder about some of our QB’s who never really got a chance to be the main man, yet, all to many of our fans judged them to be inferior even though they never got the chance to be the main man for a while. Who knows, they could’ve really developed. You can’t judge a QB by one 1-2 games.

        1. I think of some schools that have bad luck, first three guys go down, one more, and darned if that last guy doesn’t end up being pretty good, Maryland seems to do that a lot and, of course, Willis would never had seen the field if the year had gone according to Hoyle.

          Life I guess, be ready for that big break.

  6. Low levels of commitment anymore to the school by many coaches abd players, similar for employees in corporate America. It is what it is. Get accustomed to it and just relax. This will not be unique to VT. Our new coach may get a better player from another school who is similarly not committed to his school and the educational portion. Very low % will make a living playing basketball vs getting a long term skill. Makes no sense to me for 98% of college kids.

  7. Many things are going to happen in the next few weeks before we have any idea where we are and where are we going!

      1. otoh, I guess he’s set himself up, makes it easier for the new coach to decide w/o being the villain. More of a “I’m good with that, good luck to him” rather than being seen as a weeding out process, still Bede’s chosen to get more info on the wider basketball world.

  8. Bede’s transfer options and/or eventual destination (assuming he ultimately transfers) will be interesting.

      1. Why? The vast majority of those posting on TSL are very understanding of Buzz’s decision to leave. He’s been congratulated, thanked, and wished well ad nauseum. Yet I read this article and see several posts critical of Bede. Why not the same level of understanding for him? Buzz started this mess, not Bede.

  9. Bede isn’t an ACC caliber starting point guard but he’s all we have so hope he changes his mind.

      1. Defensive specialist but very limited offensively. Maybe if he were “the man” instead of 5 he would step up.

  10. I was wondering about all of that. so if you didn’t play at all during the season like CC are you really a redshirt Junior for all intents and purposes? Or do you have to somehow “apply” for redshirt status? Also, if he had waited until after the season is over would he have lost his privilege to go somewhere else? I think I’ve answered my own question, it’s simple math, 4 to play 5, no “official” designation, that someone is listed as r-Fr/Soph/Jr/Sr is mearly as a convenient notation for reader’s information.

    The “not an option” is of course, somewhat eumphemistic for the door got (or will be) slammed behind you. The past is the past, good luck to both those guys. If Bede returns, I’m OK with that, not a world beater but we would probably need him in some capacity near term.

    1. I think that Bede would be a huge loss for us. He’s a proven, experienced point guard. Bede showed much improvement after Robinson went down with injury. I can see him making a similar leap that 5 made in his junior year. His outside shot is similar to 5’s at the same point and his defense is arguably better. His handle isn’t nearly as good as Robinson’s, nor is his court vision, BUT those were the areas in which he showed the most growth after 5 went down with injury and he was forced into increased playing time.

      I would hope that we have a new coach soon and he puts on the full court press to keep Bede.

      1. well, again, did CC need to enter the portal by the end of the school year? or is it simply an end date etched in stone? could someone pick him up, say a couple months before the expiration date?

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