Virginia Tech point guard Brandon Rechsteiner has confirmed on Instagram that he plans to enter the transfer portal, leaving him with two years of eligibility remaining. He becomes the fourth Hokies player to enter the portal in just three days, joining guards Rodney Brown Jr., Jaydon Young, and center Patrick Wessler.
Rechsteiner, a 6-1, 190-pound guard from Acworth, Georgia, played in 58 games over two seasons with the Hokies, starting 17 of them. This past season, he averaged 7.0 points per game, leading the team with 91 assists (to 71 turnovers). His sophomore year included nine double-figure scoring games, highlighted by two strong performances at the end of the season—11 points at Clemson and a career-high 19 points against Cal, including a clutch 3-pointer to force overtime in that game.
Despite his flashes of promise, Rechsteiner struggled with ball security, as did the Hokies as a team, who ranked 336th in turnover percentage. Rechsteiner had the team’s second-highest turnover rate at 26.4%, behind freshman Ben Hammond (27.5%). In ACC games, Rechsteiner and Hammond combined for 93 assists and 70 turnovers.
Rechsteiner’s season was marked by inconsistency. Although he shot poorly from beyond the arc (40-of-139, 29.9%), he did show improvement in January (11-of-22, 50%) after a tough December (3-of-25, 12%). He had an impressive 18-point, 6-of-10 game against Louisville, but followed it with a poor stretch, going 0-of-9 with two assists and three turnovers over the next two games. After starting 14 of the first 17 games, Rechsteiner moved to a bench role behind Hammond.
As a freshman in 2023-24, Rechsteiner appeared in 26 games, mostly as a backup to Sean Pedulla. He started twice when Pedulla was injured but saw his playing time diminish after January. His role expanded slightly after Rodney Rice’s departure just before the season, and with a lack of experienced backup point guards on the roster.
Following Virginia Tech’s loss to Cal in the ACC Tournament, head coach Mike Young acknowledged the need for improvement, saying, “A lot was missing [this year]. … We’ve got to get more talented, and we’re going to, quick. … I’m not living through that again.” The recent player departures mark just the beginning, as the men’s basketball transfer portal opens on March 24.
With Rechsteiner’s departure, Hammond is now the only point guard left on the Hokies’ roster. Hammond, a freshman, averaged 5.6 points per game and started 17 games, sharing the point guard duties with Rechsteiner after Hysier Miller was released from the program in October.
