Taking a Closer Look At How Oklahoma State Transfer Jaylen Curry Fits At Virginia Tech

Oklahoma State transfer guard Jaylen Curry became the fifth transfer portal acquisition for Virginia Tech men's basketball upon his commitment yesterday. Curry, a 6-foot-1, 175-pound prospect from Charlotte, N.C., has one year of eligibility remaining — though the NCAA's proposed new five-in-five rules could grant Curry a second year of eligibility.

At minimum, Virginia Tech receives another stopgap that can contribute this season. Curry averaged a solid 10.1 points per game last season at Oklahoma State, punctuated by a 30-point, 10-assist outburst against Nicholls on Nov. 22.

Curry is now the fifth guard on the roster, joining returnees Ben Hammond and Tyler Johnson, Florida Atlantic transfer Isaiah Elohim and Elon transfer Ned Hull. Hull profiles more as a ninth to 10th man based on his production with the Phoenix, meaning that the route to serious playing time is between the four other guards.

Hammond likely is pencilled in as the starting point guard based off his experience with the offense and his stellar play against ACC competition in 2025-26. There is also a route towards playing Johnson as a small-ball lineup, but I think Johnson comes off the bench for now. My two cents for the current starting lineup:

Guards: Ben Hammond, Isaiah Elohim
Forwards: Kuol Atak, Amani Hansberry
Center: Miles Heide

I think that Curry settles into a change-of-pace sixth or seventh man that can be used interchangeably with Johnson as an option on the second team. His best strengths come in distribution and disrupting the passing lanes.

In each of his three seasons (two at UMass, one at Oklahoma State), Curry finished top-16 in his conference in assist rate. Last season saw his highest clip; the then-junior guard finished with a 23.5% assist rate (No. 15 in the Big 12) in conference play, per Ken Pomeroy's metrics. This past season, he also emerged as a defensive factor. His steal rate of 3.2% in league play ranked sixth in the Big 12, an increase of 1.2% from the season prior.

A front seven of Hammond, Elohim, Atak, Hansberry, Heide, Curry and Johnson is a solid one, though it may not match the peak production of the 2025-26 team. The floor may be more stable, however. Curry is a solid, undazzling prospect from the field, too. Last year, he shot 41.8% from the field and 31.6% from three-point range, solid marks. If he can increase his three-point volume — he took 2.4 three-pointers per game last season and made two or more in seven games — the Hokies should be in line for a solid rotational piece.

Barring a breakout senior season, Curry is unlikely to emerge as a transformative option. Still, given how Virginia Tech’s offseason has unfolded, he is the latest in a string of solid backcourt additions that should help the Hokies field a competitive unit.

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