I've always enjoyed watching PJ and IMHO, he was the ultimate team player.

Mark Berman of the Roanoke Times followed up with PJ on the reason for his transfer in this morning's Roanoke Times and my respect for PJ has grown even more. I also respect the fact that Coach Young elected not to share this yesterday and instead let PJ decide if and when to share.

From the story linked below:

“Being closer to home, being three hours away instead of 8 1/2 hours away from home, [matters],” Horne said Wednesday in a phone interview from his Georgia home. “This pandemic has made it very tough on me and my family. I just thought it was the best decision to come back this way.”

He said his great aunt has died from COVID-19, while his aunt (his mother’s sister) and a great uncle are recovering from COVID-19.

“Being around my family and seeing the pandemic and how much it affects everyone,” he said, made him want to leave Tech.

Horne said that prior to the coronavirus pandemic, he had not been thinking about transferring.

“Having family members that had COVID kind of opened my eyes a bit — and [seeing] my parents, how worried they were,” Horne said. “It gave me a different perspective.

“I needed to be able to get up and go if I needed.”

The 6-foot-6, 225-pound Horne started 30 games last season. He averaged 7.6 points. He scored in double figures in eight games, including five ACC games and the Maui Invitational upset of Michigan State.

He ranked third on Tech in both minutes (28.0 mpg) and rebounds (4.2 rpg). He sank 45 3-pointers, up from one the previous year. Tech nominated him for the ACC’s most improved player of the year award.

Tech will have more frontcourt depth and taller options inside next season, so Horne would not have been a lock to get the same amount of playing time as he did last season. But he said playing time is not why he is transferring.

“It didn’t have anything to do with basketball,” he said. “I love everything about Virginia Tech from the coaches down to the players. I had my own personal family there.

“This pandemic came and just made it tough on me.”