As a high school senior, the 6-foot-7, 230-pound Nolley was named Georgia’s high school basketball player of the year (for all classifications) by both the Atlanta Journal-Constitution and USA Today. He averaged 31 points and eight rebounds for Langston Hughes High School in Fairburn, Georgia, in the 2017-18 season, when he helped Langston Hughes win its second straight state title. He was named the No. 93 player in the nation in the 2017-18 recruiting class by ESPN.

“Landers’ announcement … was a significant one,” Young said. “He really enjoys Virginia Tech. He likes being a student here. He likes the people that surround him here across campus.