Virginia Tech Basketball: Mike Young is full steam ahead on recruiting trail

Head coach Mike Young and Virginia Tech Basketball have been busy this summer. Here’s a look at their latest recruiting endeavors.

Virginia Tech Basketball entered the offseason with a depleted roster but head coach Mike Young has been hard at work on the recruiting trail to bridge the gap. He earned his first commitment of the 2019 class with the pledge of 6-foot-1 point guard Hunter Cattoor, but Young is just getting started.

Young earned the commitment of Keve Aluma, a 6-foot-9, 230-pound forward, who transferred to Virginia Tech after spending last season at Wofford. Aluma started 31 of 32 games in 2018-19, producing 6.9 points and 6.8 rebounds per game. Though he’ll have to sit a year, his addition bolsters a frontcourt that only featured P.J. Horne at the moment.

There are a few more recruiting targets that Young has on his radar, giving them the option to reclass into this year’s recruiting class. One target is point guard Jalen Cone. Cone recently announced his decision to re-classify into the 2019 recruiting class and is set to announce his college decision on Thursday afternoon. He’s down to a final six of Virginia Tech, Texas A&M, NC State, Wake Forest, Tennessee and Boston College.

Young has been heavily recruiting Cone and has already had him on campus for an official visit as well as an in-home visit. He would certainly be a huge addition to their backcourt and could challenge for the starting point guard position given his ability.

John Ojiako is another prospect that’s flown under the radar with his recruitment. Ojiako is a 6-foot-10 big man that makes his presence known on the interior. He’s currently a member of the 2020 class but he’s been extended offers already with the option to move into the 2019 class. His addition to the Hokies frontcourt would be huge as he’d bring size and defense on the interior right away.

Samari Curtis and Jeremiah Davenport could join their 2019 recruiting class too. Curtis was recently released from his NLI from Cincinnati since the departure of head coach Mick Cronin. He received an offer from Virginia Tech shortly after his release.

Davenport is a 6-foot-7 wing that spent a prep year at Hargrave Military Academy this past season. He’s got offers from East Carolina, Duquesne and St. Bonaventure as well.

2020 recruiting is heating up already

Mike Young hasn’t hesitated at all with recruiting for next season, either. So far, the Hokies have extended 36 offers out to the 2020 class. It could be a blessing in disguise or it could backfire, but for now, Young is showing he isn’t afraid to recruit his own way.

Guard Earl Timberlake, guard Gabe Madsen, forward Justin Lewis and guard Shakeel Moore have been some top targets for the Hokies in the 2020 class.

Young hasn’t been shy at all about extending offers and getting some teeth on the recruiting trail. Timberlake is a 6-foot-6 combo guard with tons of athleticism and ability. He can get to the rim and finish above it as well as play on the perimeter. He’s one player who stock continues to grow, including with a recent offer from Virginia Tech.

Lewis is another high-level forward that can play on the wing and in the post. He’s producing 13.0 points, 11.3 rebounds, 2.7 assists and 1.7 blocks per game for Team Melo on the EYBL Circuit.

Madsen is a Wisconsin native who recently earned an offer for his play on the Under Armour Circuit with Wisconsin Playground. He’s averaging 12.2 points, 3.0 rebounds, 2.8 assists on 43 percent shooting from 3-point range through 12 games.

Moore is an underrated 6-foot-1 athletic lead guard from North Carolina. He’s currently playing on the EYBL circuit with Team CP3 and is producing 18.8 points, 2.5 assists and 2.2 steals per game so far for them.

The Virginia Tech Hokies coaching staff hasn’t been shy about their quest to build their roster from scratch. They’ve done their work early and hopefully, it pays off with a top-recruit or two.