Tobi Lawal is returning to the Virginia Tech men's basketball team.
Virginia Tech announced Tuesday that the power forward has withdrawn from next month's NBA Draft and will return to the Hokies for his senior season.
The 6-foot-8 Lawal announced last month that he would be entering the draft while maintaining his college eligibility. He tweeted at the time that if he returned to college basketball, he would remain with the Hokies.
By entering the draft, Lawal was able to be evaluated by an NBA advisory committee. He was also eligible to be invited to the NBA G League Elite Camp and the NBA Draft Combine. But he was not invited early this month to either showcase, so it became a safe bet that he would return to the Hokies.
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Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal is returning to the Hokies for his senior season. He entered the NBA Draft last month. The Roanoke Times, File January
The England native had until 11:59 p.m. Wednesday to withdraw from the draft and keep his college eligibility.
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“I’m thankful for the opportunity to explore the draft and learn from the experience,” Lawal said Tuesday in a Tech news release. “It gave me a clear view of the areas I need to keep improving — fine-tuning my all-around game, gaining experience from more game reps and challenging myself to guard the opponent's best player every night. I’m excited to be back at Virginia Tech with my teammates and coaches to keep chasing our goals.”
Lawal's return is good news for the Hokies. He led the team in scoring (12.4 ppg) and rebounding (7.0 rpg) as a junior last season. It was his first season at Virginia Tech after transferring from Virginia Commonwealth.
“We’re excited to have Tobi back in the maroon and orange,” Tech coach Mike Young said in the news release. “He approached the draft process the right way — with maturity, determination and an eagerness to grow. The feedback he received will only elevate his game, and we’re thrilled about what’s ahead for him and for our program.”
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Virginia Tech forward Tobi Lawal, who led the Hokies in scoring and rebounding last season, has withdrawn from the NBA Draft and will rejoin the Hokies. The Roanoke Times, File February
Lawal is one of four returning scholarship players who will be on next season's roster, along with Tyler Johnson, Ben Hammond and Jaden Schutt.
Young added three players from the transfer portal last month — former West Virginia forward Amani Hansberry, former Delaware point guard Izaiah Pasha and ex-UNLV guard Jailen Bedford.
Young also added four high school recruits. Christian Gurdak and Sin’Cere Jones signed last fall, while Solomon Davis and Brett Freeman committed to Tech earlier this month.
Virginia Tech also added Antonio Dorn, a 21-year-old center from Germany, last month.
Young also added Antonio Dorn, a 21-year-old center from Germany, last month.
Mark Berman (540) 981-3125
mark.berman@roanoke.com
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