Virginia Tech Basketball: Why Hysier Miller is the most important team transfer for 2024-25

After some recent success for the program, Virginia Tech had something of a disappointing year, finishing just .500 in the ACC and missing out on the Big Dance. The Hokies were a talented team and won a few big games but simply didn’t do enough down the stretch or in league play. What’s unfortunate for Mike Young and his staff is that things get no easier moving forward, and we’re not talking about the new members added to the ACC.

Virtually everyone from last year’s squad is gone. Top scorer Sean Pedulla is now at Ole Miss while Hunter Cattoor’s eligibility came to an end. Important pieces like MJ Collins, Lynn Kidd, and Tyler Nickel also hightailed out of town via the Transfer Portal, leaving immense holes in the Hokies’ future plans. Senior forward Mylyjael Poteat is the one significant returning player and you can bet his role will be far increased in his final season.

It’ll be a slew of new faces in this Hokies lineup, with five players added from the Portal. Virginia Tech adds a pair of power forwards in Tobi Lawal from VCU and Ben Burnham out of Charleston, while also nabbing Cal guard Rodney Brown. Former Duke shooting guard Jaden Schutt could be a steal if he develops now with significant playing time for the Hokies. There’s one other offseason addition that should be the actual steal for Virginia Tech.

Hysier Miller is a 6’1 guard finally leaving his hometown of Philadelphia to head down to Blacksburg. Miller spent his first three seasons at Temple and has quickly developed into a very prolific point guard with the Owls. While the program itself hasn’t been in ideal shape, Miller is coming off a productive junior year in which he averaged 15.9 points, 3.6 rebounds, and 4.0 assists per game, becoming Temple’s leading scorer and top ball distributor.

The efficiency numbers have room for improvement, as Miller made just 29% of his 3-pointers and put up big numbers due to increased opportunities with the Owls. He’ll have that same chance to run the show as the Hokies’ point guard, though the hope is that his game will take another step forward. Miller’s junior season did end with phenomenal play during Temple’s crazy run at the AAC Tournament, including a 32-point performance in the title game against UAB, and he’ll hope to build on that this season.

No matter how you slice it, things will be different in Virginia Tech and that will probably not be a good thing right away. This team is going to struggle and it’s going to be a transition in the season ahead. Having Miller leading the charge is a fantastic asset, but the Hokies are going to need someone like Schutt or Poteat to make major strides in the months ahead. Miller is simply the most established player in this lineup, even if it came with an Owls program dealing with their own struggles.

Going along with what we’ve already said, many people aren’t going to expect much from Virginia Tech this season, especially with nearly their entire lineup replaced in the offseason. However, the Hokies have a chance to be successful if Miller blossoms into a star and some of the other pieces can develop. Do they have enough talent to compete in this ACC? Can we expect a fluid transition for Miller after three years playing in the AAC?