How Every Transfer Departure Will Affect Virginia Tech Basketball

This offseason is panning out to be a replication of 2024 for Virginia Tech. After one of the most productive offseasons, the Hokies left 2026 with nothing to show for. The team's decision to sit out of the NIT was a sign that change was to come. While the Hokies cited health and draft preparation, it has proven to be more than meets the eye.

Mike Young built a solid foundation of youth backed by veteran leadership for the 2025-26 season. Now, the bulk of that foundation is departing. Four Hokies have entered the portal so far. Izaiah Pasha, Neoklis Avdalas, and Christian Gurdak were all looked at as building blocks for the future. The only exception would be Avdalas, since he was projected to be drafted this year. The loss of a veteran piece in Jaden Schutt signals that no one can be ruled out.

Virginia Tech remains committed to building off the success of this season. They'll have some major holes to fill in the portal with a lack of traction among recruits. Here's how the effect of every departure ranks amongst each other.

1, C Christian Gurdak

Gurdak took strides late in the season to become the Hokies' lead man in the paint. Throughout the season, they were without one of their top glass cleaners. Tobi Lawal and Tyler Johnson had little time playing on the court together this season. They were the top rebounders in 2024 and left a lot of production down low when they exited with injury. Gurdak took that step up later than needed, but still flashed in some of the more important games of the season.

He was a four-star prospect in last year's recruiting class and has been recruited by Young long before his senior campaign. So the loss of what looked like a pure-bred Hokie means trouble for the team. The team had a leap in funds during the last offseason, but that trend doesn't seem to be carrying over. They had a solid pitch to keep Gurdak in Blacksburg with the playing time he earned. Sadly for the Hokies, college basketball is a business now, and Gurdak may have played his way out of their budget.

2. Neoklis Avdalas

The Greek phenomenon that came to Blacksburg didn't translate the way most anticipated. The praises have been sung about Avdalas's ceiling, but he never quite reached it with Virginia Tech. The catch with this situation is that if he had panned out like anticipated, it still would've only lasted one year.

He's the most talented player to come through Blacksburg in a while, and that can't be denied. The one thing many didn't expect was his diverse skill set to not fit with Mike Young's system. He made Avdalas into one of the most talked-about names in the preseason with how he described his IQ. The thing with Avdalas was that he's more than that. He took way too many shots from beyond the arc and slowly lost his confidence everywhere else on the floor. His elite slashing ability and strong rebounding were absent for the bulk of the season.

Virginia Tech had a rare opportunity to run it back, but they tried to buy low on an international prospect while they could. Programs with bigger pockets will take a chance on a player like Avdalas, with how poor the next wave of recruits is in comparison to this year's. This project will come back to haunt Young if he goes to a new environment and flourishes.

3, Isaiah Pasha

The Delaware transfer had a ton of promise as a freshman. He was the CAA's Freshman of the Year and had the profile on the wing that flourishes in Young's system. The problem with Pasha specifically was that he never got the playing time to show off that potential. Jailen Bedford filled the starting role that Pasha was supposed to be competing for.

They were both good scorers at all three levels and had the size to move between guard and forward. Things just never quite clicked on the court between him and the Hokies. Every time he got into the game, he showcased his confidence in creating his own shot, but wasn't able to do so at the right time, unlike at Delaware. All of these factors made this change of scenery one that was written on the walls.

4. Jaden Schutt

Schutt was most known for the moments he created. The big three late in the game. A hot streak of buckets forcing the other team to burn a timeout. He was a microwave off the bench that could jolt the offense back to life. The issue with him was that it just didn't happen at the rate Young needed it. Schutt's archetype is a carbon copy of Hunter Cattoor's, hence why so many thought he fit with the Hokies. The fit itself was good, but like many other components of this year's team, it just never worked out at the rate the team needed it to.