Former West Virginia Forward Jackson Fields Finds New Home in the ACC

The senior will have one more season of college basketball.

Jackson Fields

When Jackson Fields entered the NCAA transfer portal on April 16th, it was widely known that he would need a medical waiver to gain another year of eligibility to keep playing at the college level.

After just about three weeks in the portal, he landed with the Georgia Tech Yellow Jackets. Fields averaged 4.3 points and 3.4 rebounds per contest during his short stay in Morgantown.

Fields’ stint with the Mountaineers started off rocky, as he missed the start of the season while recovering from wrist surgery. Fields made his Mountaineers debut on November 30th against Mercyhurst. He appeared in just nine games for the Mountaineers before being shut down for the rest of the season.

Mountaineers head coach Ross Hodge spoke on what led to Fields being shut down and his future with the program back in February before he entered the portal.

“He had a legit surgery deep into the summer and wasn’t cleared until very late,” Hodge said. “You may get a little boost of adrenaline coming back, but the grip strength, his ability to lift weights, is what’s significantly impacted. If you’re not feeling great or feeling you can be at your best…a coach’s job and the medical staff, their job is to evaluate all that and put the student-athletes in the best position that they can be in long-term for their health.”

Fields is set to have a big role with Georgia Tech

Fields will be reuniting with his former head coach at Troy, Scott Cross. Fields was a consistent starter down low for a Trojans team that made the NCAA Tournament in 2024. The big man averaged 6.5 points and 4.4 rebounds per game while shooting over 50% from the field throughout the season.

Fields is the most experienced big on Georgia Tech’s roster as of right now, as the Yellowjackets' only other upperclassmen frontcourt player is Fields' former teammate Victor Valdes. If Fields stays healthy, there is no doubt that he will have a major impact on Georgia Tech basketball this upcoming season.

Fields' experience with Cross and familiarity with Cross could lead to an expanded role similar to his sophomore and junior seasons with the Trojans, where he played over 20 minutes per game as a starter. He will join his former teammate in reuniting with their head coach and forming a solid frontcourt duo for what will be Fields' final season of eligibility.