Landers Nolley To Enter Transfer Portal

Redshirt freshman Landers Nolley II has decided to transfer according to national basketball writer Jeff Goodman, and the reports were confirmed by media who cover Virginia Tech basketball.

Updated: a Virginia Tech source confirmed the news.

After originally entering the transfer portal after Buzz Williams left for Texas A&M, Nolley elected to remain in Blacksburg for Mike Young’s first season.  Before the season began, Young said he preferred Nolley at small forward, but would play him at power forward out of necessity. 

Nolley was expected to see more time at small forward as a redshirt sophomore with Wofford transfer Keve Aluma becoming eligible and the Hokies expected to add at least one big man to their roster this spring.  However, based on the comments of Nolley’s father back in January, professional basketball is his obvious goal, and perhaps he sees an easier path to that goal elsewhere.

 

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  1. I figured he’d be gone after next year anyway. A friend who knows basketball told me he doesn’t play defense. He started hot, then cooled off and never got his groove back. When his shot disappeared, he didn’t adjust, find other ways to contribute. He made poor last-second decisions vs. Syracuse and BC which MY never (publicly) criticized him for. …meddlesome father looking for a meal ticket, never helpful.

  2. He was a very good player, whom due to unfortunate circumstances, was forced to play center when he’s really more of a guard. I’m sorry he did not have the patience to see that next year he would get a opportunity to be a wing player with the arrival of Aluma, but that’s how it goes sometimes.

  3. Wow! Can’t say that I’m surprised by Nolley’s decision, or by the reactions on this board. The kid has a huge upside but he needs to learn discipline, defense and poise. He is nowhere near NBA ready. Get somebody else on the squad who wants to be here and is ready to go

  4. Good riddance. No d and a turnover machine. Good rebounder however. I have never seen a player so deserted by his shot. Dr Jekyll/Mr Hyde

  5. a scholly just got freed up…i’m hoping for another big. we only have two. a third big would be nice…

  6. Roll on without him. He and especially his Dad think he is guaranteed a spot on an NBA roster.
    I watch him alot this year and I don’t see it. He is lazy without the ball, plays very LITTLE defense.
    When you ca score like that you need to move around to get your shot. Too much standing around for me.
    Next level is loaded with guys willing to work.

  7. Interesting, not one comment about it being Mike Young’s responsibility for Nolley’s loss. I happen to agree that it is not his responsibility, I just would like to see this idea transferred to all the other sports. In this case, I believe it is bad advise from home, but he does have the right to make his own decisions. The transfer portal is a disaster

  8. It really irritates me that we have a constantly revolving door with out basketball team. I think Nolley is potentially a great player but since January, he’s been awful. Good luck, big guy. Your welcome, I guess.

  9. Is this guy for real? If he EVER gets drafted in the NBA then my opinion of the NBA has been over rated. Has he sat down and looked at film on his last ten games? And what ever happened to COMMITMENT? If he said he was leaving because he wanted to be coached by Buzz (who recruited him) then I would understand him leaving for A&M.

  10. You may say he had a 4 year scholarship. But, they have to sign their scholarship each year

  11. Can’t believe the hate for a college BB player deciding to move on. It’s his choice & he’s doing what he thinks is best for him. Not really up to us to decide whether it’s the right choice or not. I’m sure we have all made choices in our lives that we wondered whether it was the right choice or not. Life is to short to worry about someone else’s decision with regards to our life. I really don’t think that this will effect anyone’s life outside of his & his family. I wish him good luck.

      1. I say don’t let the door hit you in the butt and maybe coach should tell him that Blacksburg is home, just not his!!

    1. I’m sorry you are wrong in this case. See post below about getting him in school and off to a good academic start. College is supposed to be about getting an education, not a stepping stone or training ground to professional sports.

  12. bamahokie: I understand you being a bit ticked, but I don’t think calling him SAT cheating is valid or fair…lets be civil, its a free country

    1. He cheated… thats why he was held out a year. NCAA knew it statistically based on his ridiculous improvement, just couldn’t prove it.

      1. Did he cheat to make the all-ACC Academic Team? Seems apparent that he had the ability to make a significant improvement on the SAT if he applied himself.

  13. What a shit show college athletics has become. Take your egocentric SAT cheating self and go throw bricks somewhat else.

  14. Incoming freshmen are going to get more playing time…they have to be excited …we will get a better transfer than Nolley….wish him well but overhype as a player …we will be just fine and better next year 🌈

  15. landers head got too big in January when his Dad said, VA TECH should enjoy him now, because he will be going into the draft this year and play in NBA next year. HIS HEAD did a number on him. That was the beginning of his failure as a shooter !

  16. Bye Landers, we’re REALLY going to miss your 5 made 3 pointers out of your last 40 regular season attempts.

  17. Nolley is a low effort guy who just wants to run up and down the court and fire away. At 6’7”, he should be playing closer to the basket but that won’t fit into his NBA desires.

    He’s a weak ball handler, passer and defender. Hey…he just might be a good fit in the NBA!!

    1. I don’t think you get the # of rebounds as he did by being a “low effort guy”.

      Look something was obviously off mentally with him. I’m not sure what it was. But I think it’s a shame we couldn’t salvage him. Probably mostly on him, although I hope this isn’t an indication that CMY can’t handle big egos because you can’t win in the ACC without some bigtime guys and big egos goes with that territory in a lot of cases.

      1. He’s not a team guy. I’ll give him the 6 rebounds a game. Not bad. Low effort on the defensive end.

  18. Well this “clears the air.” If we have others interested in going to the portal, hope they do it quickly.
    Now CMY must improve our overall recruiting or we will continue to be a 4-7 game winner in the ACC.
    This year’s team exceeded my expectations, but same results in 20-21 won’t be good enough.

    Hope Nolley finds what he is looking for as did Blackshear and Chris Clarke.
    GO HOKIES!!!

  19. Not sweating it too much. If he can’t play for MY who can he play for? Had one good game after Christmas and didn’t shoot well then. With the guys coming in and maybe another big, we will be fine.
    Good luck Mr Nolley II

  20. See Jalen Hudson. Similar comments out of family before transfer. Jalen had great games at UF. He also had games where he saw 7-10 minutes.

  21. Now CMY and his staff have another open scholarship spot for a quality legitimate ACC caliber player . Maybe a big 6’8” or taller that is a power forward type, maybe a point guard that can score, defend and rebound and maybe another swing at least 6’7” that can make the 3 pointer, score inside, rebound and defend.
    I also wouldn’t count out 1 or 2 more transferring out fairly soon.

  22. Wish Nolley well in his future endeavors and offer thanks for his time at VT. But I have to say I think this decision and many others like it are what’s wrong with college sports and the world in general. It’s become all about the individual players and the coach’s job opportunities. Well what about the University, the donors, the fans and the students. Coaches like Buzz can leave for his benefit, causing the basketball team to be set back by years, having only to pay a small fee to VT because of a one sided contract and we are all suppose to just suck it up. Sorry but things need to change! Coaches contracts should have comparable buyouts on both sides and students need to be reminded they are signing with a college not a coach. If they are awarded a 4 year scholarship and they leave after 2 years to play elsewhere maybe they should have to pay the university back for their first 2 years. And if the coach who recruits them leaves, tough! Unless the coach paid their tuition their allegiance should be with the school not the coach.

    1. I understand your frustration, but any player who has a legit shot at eventually making the pros is not obligated to put school and coach ahead of his long-term future. That is not to say that Nolley is making a smart decision here, simply to say that if he and his family think this is what is best for him as it relates to his long term goals, then he should make the move. The economics of college hoops are skewed heavily away from players lean strongly to benefit coaches and schools, They’ll be fine. Fans certainly lose to some extent, but what does Nolley owe VT fans? Until there is a clearer economic argument for top players to stay at a school and play more years before going pro, there is no reason to think it will happen unless the NBA gets involved and refuses to sign underclassmen. Which would be nuts and will never happen. Go Hokies!

  23. Hope Coach Young knows that there is no education after the 2nd kick of the mule. Have a hard time calling Nolley a Hokie, ever. Hope he and his father do better elsewhere.

  24. I wish him well, I sincerely do.

    But I think this is a maturity issue, and LN is going to learn some important life lessons from this. The grass is rarely greener elsewhere, and it will be incumbent upon LN and LN alone to drive his personal growth and development.

    Losing a talent like LN almost certainly lowers our ceiling as a program next year. But we may actually have a better chance to achieve our slightly diminished potential with improved chemistry and less coddling on the part of CMY.

  25. Good Luck Landers – get healthy and play well!
    We’ll be fine and you will too.
    Go Hokies!

  26. I’m probably one of the few who is glad to hear this. We will miss his scoring flurries occasionally next season, but with him seemingly having the one foot out the door mentality since day 1 of this past season combined now with him basically stuck in college due to poor play of late and declining NBA interest, I think this actually helps MY and our team cohesiveness moving forward. Between improvement from our current players plus adding two highly touted 4 star shooting guards in Bamisille and Maddox I think we will be more than fine without Nolley.

    1. Agree, fine. he can get his act together somewhere else. And I’m sure he will, we’ll be watching him at Kentucky on a national championship team in a couple years. Oh one other thing: he owes Virginia Tech for standing by him on whatever went on with his not qualifying for the NCAA. Something happened, I don’t believe Buzz and VT were involved with that, perhaps someone back at his high school, maybe his dad knows something. But VT enrolled him anyway and took care of him, got him off to a good academic career. The lowest rung of hell is for those that betray their benefactors.

  27. I’ve said all along since his father said he was intent on the NBA that I don’t see Nolley as NBA ready. I’m not even sure he is pro material at all without some serious improvement in his shooting and his rebounding. Look at NAW and look at Nolley. NAW IS back and forth between G league and the Pelicans, and Nolley is no NAW. I don’t think a new school is going to provide the improvement he needs. What he needs is patience and hard work. I remember Erick Green spending all off season in the gym before he became the nation’s leading scorer.

  28. He was not good in ACC play. Took bad shot after bad shot and missed most of them. This isn’t going to hurt us much if at all (especially in the long run).

  29. Well, I didn’t see that coming. All the predictions about how much better we will be next year could be tempered. Not good to lose your leading scorer. All the best Landers – hope you land in a good spot!

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