Virginia Tech Basketball: Landers Nolley enters the transfer portal

In unfortunate, but not unexpected news, Landers Nolley has entered the transfer portal for next season. He led the Hokies in scoring during Mike Young’s first season in Blacksburg, and made the All-ACC Freshman team. On Monday Jeff Goodman broke the news that Nolley was looking elsewhere for the chance to play on the wing.

Of the current players in the transfer portal Landers is the third highest prospect, according to 247Sports. A 4-star player with a .9752 rating. The top transfer, Charles O’Bannon Jr., has already declared for TCU, pushing Nolley up the number two talent available at the moment. As schools look ahead to the 2020-21 season, most will be excited at the idea of adding the 6’7” player who has a year’s worth of experience in the ACC.

One factor that plays into Virginia Tech’s favor is that Landers would be forced to sit out a season if he transferred, based on the current rules. The NCAA has been considering allowing all athletes a one-time transfer without having to sit out, but that has yet to go into effect. Thus, if Nolley transferred, he would be missing two seasons of basketball from a three year period after red-shirting last season.

Nolley was recruited by Buzz Williams and may feel like he wants to jump to a team where he has more upperclassmen talent around him immediately. However, without a NCAA rule change, it seems odd he would want to spend two seasons on the bench from his first three in college. If he feels like he can play professionally one day, playing and starting for Virginia Tech in the ACC again next year is a pretty good spot to be in. Of course family decisions and exactly how he got along with Mike Young are important factors that we can only guess at.

More on Landers Nolley and his future as it develops.