Virginia Tech Forward P.J. Horne Enters Transfer Portal
Virginia Tech rising senior forward P.J. Horne has entered the transfer portal, a source confirmed to Sports Illustrated's AllHokies.com on Saturday. The news was first reported by Dan McDonald of Rivals on Friday night.
Horne, who is coming off his best season of his career, averaged 7.6 points and 4.2 rebounds per game as a junior for the Hokies, and was an instrumental part of the roster in Mike Young's first season in Blacksburg. Horne will be a graduate transfer, and will be immediately eligible with one season of collegiate eligibility remaining.
The Hokies will now be left with three seniors on next year's roster, with guard Wabissa Bede being the lone return member from this past season's team. Tech has also added transfer guard Cartier Diarra and forward Cordell Pemsl, who will both have one season of eligibility remaining.
Virginia Tech remains thin in the frontcourt next season, and Horne's impending transfer only further emphasizes the need for the Hokies to continue to find depth down low. While Tech welcomes Pemsl into the program from Iowa, forwards John Ojiako and Keve Aluma now represent the only two proven frontcourt players at the Division I level on the Hokies roster.
Coach Mike Young has thought highly of Horne and his play, and his importance to the chemistry on the roster.
"He’s old, and I always gravitate to those guys who have been around and done it. P.J.’s so critical on both ends of the floor, specifically on the offensive end, where he can step out, reverse the ball. He’s got an incredible understanding of what we’re looking for,” Young said in a press conference back in January.
While his stat line doesn't jump off the page, Horne has been an important part of Tech's roster over his three seasons in Blacksburg. It will be interesting to see how Tech plans to replace him, and where he lands should he elect to leave the program in the portal as planned.
Stay with us at AllHokies.com for more information as this story develops.
