On Tuesday morning, Stadium’s Jeff Goodman reported Virginia Tech wing Nahiem Alleyne has entered the transfer portal.
Editor’s Note: As of 10:45 a.m., Tech Sideline can confirm Goodman’s report that Nahiem Alleyne has entered the transfer portal. David Cunningham reported Tech center John Ojiako entering the portal at that time as well. That story can be found here.
A 6’4″ junior from Buford, Ga., Alleyne was a three-year starter for the Hokies. One of Mike Young’s first-ever commits at Virginia Tech in June 2019, he started 84 games in 90 appearances over three seasons, including all 36 of Tech’s games in 2021-22. He started 50 straight games over the last two years.
Alleyne averaged 9.7 points per game in his career and scored 11.1 per game back in 2020-21. He shot 38.6% from the floor, 38.7% from beyond the arc and 80.7% from the free throw line, and he averaged 2.6 rebounds per game.
One of the highlights of his career was the 2021 NCAA Tournament vs. Florida. Alleyne carried the Hokies in the game, dropping 28 points, and hit a clutch 3-pointer at the end of regulation to send the game to overtime.
His playing time increased each season he was with the Hokies, peaking at 31.1 minutes per game in 2021-22. However, there were questions about how Young would split playing time in the upcoming year on the wing.
Darius Maddox emerged as a solid option throughout the season, while Rodney Rice and MJ Collins are incoming recruits. Three-year starter and ACC Tournament MVP Hunter Cattoor also remains. There was going to be a logjam at those two wing positions, but Alleyne’s departure opens up a spot for Maddox to start. It also creates an open scholarship spot.
On Monday night, Tech forward Justyn Mutts announced he is entering the NBA Draft while maintaining his extra year of college eligibility. He has until June 1 to decide if he’ll commit to the draft or return from school, and Keve Aluma has to make the same decision.
His departure, combined with that of Ojiako, means Virginia Tech has two open scholarships heading into 2022-23. Essentially, two other scholarships are behind held for the duo of Mutts and Aluma in case they choose to come back. If the two decide not to return, the Hokies will have four open roster spots. If one stays and the other goes, there will be three spots. Both have to make a decision by June 1.
With the departure of Ojiako and Alleyne, only Cattoor remains from Young’s 2019 recruiting class. Former guard Jalen Cone transferred to Northern Arizona last offseason.
Print
😣
thanks NA! you made some great plays, obviously won us a couple games, and played some outstanding D. i think all Hokies join me in thanking you for being on our team and representing us so well, on and off the court. wherever you decide to go, have great success!
i hope you’ll have a change of heart and come back.
. . . .
i figured the wing position was crowded and we might lose someone from there because of the playing time thing. i was hoping NA would stay.
Round and round the portal goes and where it stops nobody knows. Here today and gone tomorrow…………….sometimes for the better and sometimes for the worst. College gambling at it’s worst!!!!!
Do you mean 1, 2, 3?
As of now, there is two open scholarship on Tech’s 2021-22 roster if Mutts and Aluma return. If one of the two comes back, there are two open spots. Both departing would now leave three open scholarships after Alleyne’s decision.
I’ve fixed the wording so hopefully it makes more sense now.
Best move for all parties. CMY now has two openings to fill for others who may be better or to fill gaps (bigs?). My guess is CMY had a couple of tough but honest conversations with them. AND my guess is CMY is working on a couple of possibilities pretty hard!
NA made ACC All Academic Team for 3rd year in a row with (or close to) a degree. The move allows him to go play somewhere else w/ more playing time hopefully and learning under a new system and further his education which is important to him obviously.
Same for JO as far as PT and development.
Thanks for the memories guys and you will always be Hokies.
We will miss his defense and quiet leadership. I hope he is transferring with his degree.
Good luck, hate to lose a good, solid player. Proactive though, everyone may be better off deciding this now.
Questions about how playing time will be split should not lead to transfers. And freshmen coming in…. often can’t take over someone’s spot
Transfers are almost always about playing time.
Best wishes brother Hokie.
Agree, all the best for your future!
Thanks Nahiem.
Not expected, but not a shock either. It is reasonable to assume his minutes would decrease next year and, with the growth of Maddox, he might be relegated to a bench role. This opens up a spot for a big from the portal and means we don’t have to wait until Aluma and Mutts make their decisions regarding returning to sign someone. Although I hate to see Alleyne leave, it may be an overall net positive as we seem pretty well stocked at the wing position and very thin at the 4 and 5 if Mutts does not return (I hope I am wrong, but I think Aluma leaves).
Regardless, he is a Hokie who gave his all. We should all thank him for his contributions and wish him well in his future endeavors. I certainly do.
In theory you could start recruiting hard for four positions given that prospect won’t all show up and sign on the same day sort of a statistical game to be played but again, allowing VT to recruit hard now two players who they may or may not eventually have spaces for.
Interesting, I thought he would stick it out with the Hokies even if that meant reduced minutes.
I wouldn’t. He’s going somewhere he is needed and will get more PT.
Hes smart enough to figure out the deal.
WTF
Good luck Nahiem and best of luck in your future. Thank You for being a Hokie!
Highly agree. Best of luck and many thanks.
We wish nothing but success moving forward.