Virginia Tech men’s basketball center Patrick Wessler announced on Monday that he is entering the transfer portal. He has two years of eligibility left.
Virginia Tech center Patrick Wessler became the Hokies’ third player to enter the transfer portal on Monday, joining guards Jaydon Young and Rodney Brown Jr. Wessler spent three seasons in Blacksburg, redshirting during the 2022-23 season before playing in 13 games last year. This past season, he appeared in 31 of the team’s 32 games, starting once against Louisville. He averaged 3.9 points and 2.9 rebounds per game, shooting an impressive 62.5% (50-of-80) from the field.
Wessler provided a boost for Tech down the stretch after starting forward Mylyjael Poteat was injured during a game against Miami on February 22. Standing 7 feet tall and weighing 250 pounds, Wessler stepped up with significant minutes in games against Miami, Louisville, Syracuse, North Carolina, and Clemson. Over that span, he averaged 7.4 points and 4.0 rebounds per game, hitting 18 of his 22 field goal attempts (81.8%), and blocking four shots.
One of his standout plays of the season came in the regular-season finale at Clemson’s Littlejohn Coliseum, where he scored a right-handed hook shot over Viktor Lakhin, the 6-11 All-ACC Honorable Mention center. Wessler finished the game 3-of-3 from the floor, recording five rebounds and two blocks.
A Matthews, N.C. native, Patrick Wessler posted a team-high effective field goal percentage of 63.1% this season, according to Ken Pomeroy. The next highest on the team was Tobi Lawal, with a solid 60.9%, which ranked 70th nationally, though Wessler had a clear advantage in playing time.
Following Tech’s loss to Cal in the ACC Tournament last week, head coach Mike Young acknowledged that the team was lacking in key areas, stating, “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 departures of Brown Jr., Young, and Wessler seem to be just the beginning of the team’s changes, with the transfer portal officially opening on Monday, March 24.
For now, redshirt freshman Ryan Jones Jr., a former top-75 recruit who medically redshirted, and incoming four-star freshman Christian Gurdak are the only bigs on the roster.
