Could Hokies Forward Tobi Lawal Be A Second-Round 2026 NBA Draft Pick?

Lawal averaged 12.3 points per game last season with the Hokies.

Feb 28, 2026; Chapel Hill, N.C; Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal (1) scores in the first half at Dean E. Smith Center. | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Virginia Tech men's basketball has one prospect from its 2025-26 season that could end up being one of the 60 prospects drafted in the 2026 NBA Draft, which will be held June 23-24 in Brooklyn, New York: forward Tobi Lawal.

The four-year college forward, who played in 116 games and averaged 8.4 points over two years with VCU and two more with Virginia Tech, is shaping up to potentially be a late-second round selection in two weeks' time.

Chase your dreams, Tobi 🫡 pic.twitter.com/mw8cD3nsJ0

— Virginia Tech Men's Basketball (@HokiesMBB) June 9, 2026

CBS Sports' Adam Finkelstein released his two-round 2026 NBA Mock Draft Tuesday, listing Lawal as the No. 55 draft pick to the New York Knicks. Lawal ranked as the No. 14 power forward in the 2026 draft class and the third in the ACC, trailing only Memphis' Cameron Boozer (No. 3 to Memphis Grizzlies) and North Carolina's Caleb Wilson (No. 4 to Chicago Bulls).

"Lawal is a truly elite athlete who will be able to simplify his game at the NBA level in hopes of finding a sustainable niche," Finkelstein wrote. "The Knicks have minimal frontcourt depth locked in for next year, so he could have an opportunity."

Lawal initially declared for the 2025 NBA Draft, but he then opted to return to Blacksburg for his senior season. Though he missed nine games with an ankle injury that necessitated surgery, he still totaled 12.3 points per game in 23 games (17 starts). He also averaged a team-high 8.5 rebounds and posted 1.1 blocks per game.At VCU, Lawal recorded a 49.5-inch vertical in the 2023 preseason.

In his final game with Virginia Tech, Lawal went 4-for-8 against Wake Forest in the first round of the ACC Tournament March 10, scoring 12 points in a 95-89 overtime loss to the Demon Deacons. Lawal shot over 50% in all four years of collegiate ball, and he finished with a 66.7% mark from the field in his sophomore year at VCU.

Lawal posted a 18-point, 15-rebound, three-block performance against Charlotte Nov. 16, and three days later, he finished with a 18-point (7-for-10 from field), 13-rebound outing against Bryant. Lawal also scored 22 points and hauled in 11 rebounds against Notre Dame Jan. 17, a game in which he also went 14-for-18 from the free-throw line.

Now-former Virginia Tech guard Neoklis Avdalas was mocked as a late first-round NBA Draft pick early in the season, though he slipped down draft boards as the season went on. Avdalas will return to college, though not with Virginia Tech. Avdalas transferred to North Carolina earlier this spring.

Back to Lawal: I think he has a legitimate chance to hear his name called, though the second round of the NBA Draft can be especially unpredictable. Team needs, roster construction and long-term development plans often influence selections just as much as talent. That, and each team's selections are directly influenced by what other teams ahead of it choose.