In the ever-changing world of college basketball, there’s more to the transfer portal than meets the eye. The transfer portal opens after the second round of the NCAA Tournament, but new transfer opportunities may arise during head coaching changes such as firings or resignations.
One of those portals opened just 18 days before the end of the season, as longtime Virginia head coach Tony Bennett announced he would retire from coaching basketball at just 55 years old.
Virginia Cavalier basketball senior guard Jalen Worley will redshirt in the 2024-2025 season as he prepares to search for a new school, becoming the first Virginia player to enter the portal. Worley previously transferred from Florida State, but is considering returning to Virginia to look for a college.
Before committing to Virginia, Worley narrowed his final list of schools to six, which also included the Virginia Tech Hokies. Worley’s final six schools were Virginia, Clemson, Miami, Tennessee, Villanova and Virginia Tech.
Wally is a very strong exterior defender and will be an important addition to the Hokies’ backcourt. In his third year at Florida State, he averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 assists, 2.6 rebounds and 1.3 steals per game. He is an above-average playmaker at 6’7″ and handles the ball well on offense.
Worley has some athleticism and room to improve from beyond the arc, but Mike Young would be thrilled to acquire an elite top-50 prospect like Blacksburg’s Jalen Worley.
Here are the draft notes on Wally from the NBA Draft Room:
Additional links:
Virginia Tech basketball: Temple transfer Heijer Miller removed from program
Connor Sarven’s journey through the tricky portal that led him to his Blacksburg home
ACC Basketball Preseason Poll: Virginia Tech picked 14th in ACC
