Virginia Tech guard Darius Maddox entered the transfer portal on Friday. ESPN’s Jeff Borzello first reported the news; Tech Sideline can confirm his report.
A 6-5, 180-pound product of Bowie, Md., Maddox spent three seasons in Blacksburg. He blossomed in the second half of the 2021-22 season and was a key reason the Hokies won 13 of their final 16 games. His game-winning shot in Tech’s 76-75 overtime victory over Clemson in the ACC Tournament was historic.
Maddox called game. #Hokies pic.twitter.com/T2borJQHx3
— David Cunningham (@therealdcunna) March 10, 2022
Maddox played in Tech’s first 20 games of the 2022-23 season, starting 19, before taking a leave of absence from the team. Head coach Mike Young informed the media in late January that he was away due to a family emergency. Though he returned to Blacksburg, he never rejoined the program.
On Wednesday, his mother, Stephanie, tweeted that Darius’s father, Shawn, returned from medical leave.
Thank you @HokiesMBB for your support over the last few months! Hubby returned from medical leave 🙌🏽🙌🏽 last week. We appreciate the “family first” culture and respecting our privacy during a time of uncertainty. It meant the world to us♥️♥️#Grateful#Godstimenotours!
— StephMaddox (@Maddoxfan13) March 22, 2023
Maddox averaged 8.5 points and 3.2 rebounds per game this year. His best outing of the season came against NC State, where he had 16 points and was 4-of-6 from behind the arc. As for his future, he has two years of eligibility remaining, which includes an optional COVID year.
Maddox is the second Tech player to enter the transfer portal this offseason, joining Darren Buchanan Jr. Assuming the two depart, the Hokies will have four open scholarships for the 2023-24 season, a number that does not include Grant Basile and Hunter Cattoor, who have the option to return.
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Best thing for both Tech and Maddox. He likely needs a change of scenery. IMO, Padulla, Cattour, Rice and Collins make up a nice backcourt. It appears Tech wants to use a more traditional wing next season (not another shooting guard playing the 3), so I’m not sure where he would fit in.
Later
I knew we would never see him in a VT uniform again when left the team! Best of luck!
Another transfer and it is not even offseason. Too many players are transferring. It was eerie watching both D’Guesson and Alleyne playing key roles for K State and UConn in their wins on Thursday night. Both came off the bench to score in double digits. If neither are starting, then why did they transfer? CMY is losing too many capable players, and then argues about his lack of depth off the bench. The fact is VT is 19-21 the past two seasons in ACC play. Take out the magic run to win the ACC, and there would be more questions about the state of VT’s mens BB program.
+1
Once he returned to Blacksburg and didn’t rejoin the team, that was it for me.
I was hoping he would stay but he’s doing what’s best for him. That’s the new way for college basketball and fans will have to get used to it. But, the door swings both ways, and it’s also an opportunity to get better if we backfill with the right players, and right now this roster and team needs to get a lot better defensively, so that is an opportunity for CMY and staff.
Always a Hokie and always remembered. Best wishes to family.
Sorry to see you go but wish you the best wherever you decide to play.
It’s the way of the world. I hated it at first, but it presents some opportunities. VT has benefitted at least as much as we’ve been hurt.
I thought Maddox was going to have a huge year this year. Just couldn’t find his shot. And then the leave to help his mom w dad. I hate to see him go; I wish him well. He sparked the awesome end to 2022 season. Good luck Hokie brother.
Another great player leaving Blacksburg. Why does this happen every season, even before the transfer portal. We have lost top notch players who have gone on to teams that won the national championship at Louisville, and other players who went to Florida. Look at Guessan who left for K-State and they are in the Elite 8. The players that leave us were starters with us, and go elsewhere and start or off the bench quickly. I just don’t understand why a player who is receiving playing time and even starting leave our programs, this is also a huge issue with our football team and has been for the last several years. Buchanon was redshirted and couldn’t even wait to this coming season. Crazy how college athletics have changed in my opinion for the worse.
Hope you don’t lose any sleep over this transfer. It happens to every program in this day & age.
Exactly. It’s not just us. Happens everywhere now
EXACTLY!!! It happens – and some folks who aren’t paying attention read too much into a mutually exclusive event.
it’s definitely a net negative here though. it’s not like that at most ACC schools
Poke,
TBH I look at this way, trying to figure out the “why” a 18-22 year old male does almost anything (other than the obvious) is a mystery of universal proportions. Not saying it hasn’t happened, but I don’t remember any current full time starting players leaving in the recent past few seasons. (Maddox had lost his starting role) and very few really blossomed with another program. Truth is not everyone wants to be a Hokie, they want a lot of other things, but wearing a Hokie uniform is for certain not at the top of the list. In basketball or any other sport. Players have a LOT of options available to them now, and I suspect many of them have a higher opinion of their value to the team than that of the coaching staff. Portal transfers are the NOW, don’t have to like it, but I think it is a folly to look on it as a sign of internal issues with the program. It is the business, and make no mistake….college sports is Big TIME Business.
Note that Kansas St gained N’Guessan and lost Nigel Pack. Not exactly an even trade, yet K St somehow made it work.
Transfers are part of the game now. All three big men on VT were transfers (Basile, Kidd, Poteat), Mutts was a transfer, Camden was a transfer, and Cattoor was effectively a transfer. Storm Murphy and Keve Aluma were last yr. Either accept it or not, but it’s not going anywhere. The key is to make it a net positive. I’d say CMY and VT have gotten the long end of that stick, but there’s still work to be done.
I smell the change at Georgetown has a hand
Ya think?
Maybe needs to get closer to home for Dad’s sake?
That’s what I was thinking too
It makes sense also I think Buchanan Jr. may of gotten homesick or just didn’t find in, and both are moving close to home.
Dang- last year my son named him “the man that doesn’t miss”. Thanks for the memories Maddox!
Dagnabbit. That’s 2 players from the DC Metro area to portal out (Buchanan the other). I wish Maddox well.