On Wednesday, Hokies guard MJ Collins entered the transfer portal. Jamie Shaw of On3 first reported the news.
A 6-foot-4, 195-pound guard from Clover, S.C., Collins played in 66 games over two seasons at Virginia Tech, starting 44. He averaged 27 minutes per game and was thrust into the fire in 2022-23 when Hunter Cattoor suffered an injury and Darius Maddox took a leave of absence from the team.
Collins averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists per game this year as a full-time starter as a sophomore. Though he struggled early in the season, he hit his stride down the stretch. In the month of March, he averaged 12.3 points, four rebounds and 3.5 assists per game while shooting 45 percent from the field (25-of-55) and 44 percent from 3-point range (11-of-25). That included a 15-point, eight-board performance in the final regular-season game vs. Notre Dame.
He’s the fourth player from this year’s Tech roster to enter the portal, joining Lynn Kidd, John Camden and Sean Pedulla. It also means that all five of Tech’s starters are either in the portal (Pedulla, Collins, Kidd) or are out of eligibility (Cattoor, Robbie Beran).
The Hokies currently have six scholarship players on their roster. Mylyjael Poteat still has the option to return for another season.
If Poteat does not return, the most veteran player on the roster is junior Tyler Nickel, who has played in 58 games with seven starts. Mike Young & Co. have targeted a number of players in the transfer portal, however.
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On a broader note, this is just another “death by a thousand cuts” to American society. Another temptation that puts “Me, Me, Me” and “Now, Now, Now” and “I deserve, deserve, deserve” as the most important things. They aren’t. The most important things are working hard climbing the mountain, learning all the lessons along the way while becoming great, NOT taking a helicopter to the perceived top because guess what, you still aren’t great, and you still haven’t learned anything…and so you are actually further behind than the man you look down on that is climbing up and about to reach the top with a smile on his face.
MJ Collins is making a mistake. I haven’t seen but one out of a hundred where the “grass was actually greener” on the other side. He’s right at the cusp of being something special at VT and he’s got two years to go. Him, Rechsteiner, and Nickel are poised to be an AWESOME 1,2,3. Don’t sleep on Wessler…he just needs some time…and he’ll be here 3 more years. 7 footer. With strength, and with a good front court and a servicable #4 this team could be great. Nobody sees that…and that’s ok. Maybe I’m wrong…but I see it. Great teams from programs that don’t land 5 stars become great because THEY STICK TOGETHER and make it happen.
Rumor is, he was asked to leave… I guess we have a bunch of studs picked out in the portal.
Whoa
Yea they asked a guy who’s game went up another level at the second half of the season to leave
What is the latest NCAA definition of “Amateur Athlete?”
As I have stated over snd over. Fans are the big losers in all this BS.
“nil” literally means nothing which is what you get if you donate to a collective.
VT sports are just competitive in the best of times. So we cheer for “our own.” Now, they are just short term employees. No Sam Rogers. It makes it easy to check out.
Can MY retain any of his players anymore?
It’s not a MY thing. They listen to the wrong people. Money talks and BS walks!
This is all a gift. 2023 group was not good enough (even w Hunter). Same players were gonna get same results. Purge, try again w different roster, best way to proceed IMO, regardless of NIL, other factors. Actually have more hope now than with same team, even if roster TBD.
All sports have been ruined by the NCAA clowns.
They are all testing their value. NIL is nothing like people thought it would be. It is pay to play. In the next 5 years the college sports landscape will de totally changed
Again. I hate NIL and the portal.
But don’t hate the player, hate the game
Hokies what’s going on here??
Same thing that other schools are going through. MY will have a team next year, even though most will come from the portal. Can’t beat’em, join’em!
Jumping ship like rats
Colorado just lost its top 2 players in one hour.
That doesn’t change that we lost 3 starters in 24 hrs. Jumping like rats from a sinking ship is what is happening.
The ship you refer to is the ACC.
They are searching for more NIL. Whether they get it or not remains to be seen.
This is the world of NIL and transfer portal. Don’t cheer for players, cheer for their uniforms.
This
You’re saying we need to get better uniforms?? I’m so confused now!
More expensive uniforms
Maybe some uniforms that have “SEC” on them! We wish.
No, don’t want to go there but it looks like one day it will be forced on us to make that decision.
Just put $$$$$$$$ on the front of them.