No More Kidding Around

As if Hokie fans had not been buzzing enough after the hiring of Associate Head Coach Mike Jones, Mike Young and the crew have landed Lynn Kidd, a 6'10 transfer from Clemson .

Kidd had been penciled in as a member of the 2021 class but reclassified to 2020 and played seven games with the Tigers last season, totaling 33 minutes in the process.

A former four-star recruit from IMG Academy, Lynn was once an ESPN Top-100 prospect and has immense natural ability: a soft touch on his shot, ferocity on the boards and swift footwork are all tools possessed by the young center.

The Hokies had been left reeling after Michael Durr, a 7-foot transfer from South Florida, announced last week that he would no longer be joining the Hokies and was reopening his commitment (he has since committed to Indiana University). Now, concerns about a lack of size and power inside have been eased.

Although Kidd struggled to see the floor last season, he should find it with greater regularity in Blacksburg: Mike Young had been searching for options at the backup center position despite his starting center in Keve Aluma being more of a power forward himself, and he seems to have found an answer. Kidd will now be in competition with David N'Guessan for minutes with the second unit.

An exciting bonus for Hokie fans is that Kidd is not a traditional brute five— instead, he is able to step out and knock down some jumpers while still possessing an internal drive to man the boards and play tough inside. He will need to tack on some pounds to be a true force on the defensive glass, though he is not undersized as is.

Kidd will join incoming freshman Jalen Haynes as new members of a retooled and resized Hokie front court that could cause opposing defenses serious problems next season.

Mike Young said that he wanted to add size this offseason and he has done just that.