Purging the Portal: An Answer Inside

Georgetown big man Qudus Wahab announced that he would be entering the transfer portal Thursday afternoon, joining many talented players in seeking a new home.

The 6’11, 237-pound center is originally from Lagos, Nigeria, but went to high school at Flint Hill Academy in Ashburn, Virginia. Wahab was a three-star recruit and the 24th-ranked center in America in the class of 2019.

Although he ultimately ended up heading to Georgetown, Wahab named Virginia Tech in his possible final five destinations during the recruiting process, along with UConn and fellow Atlantic Coast Conference members Syracuse and Pittsburgh.

Wahab is coming off of an impressive sophomore campaign in which he averaged 12.7 points, 8.2 rebounds and 1.6 blocks per game while shooting 59.1% from open play. The physical force benefitted from receiving nearly twice as many minutes as he did in his freshman season and paid back coach Patrick Ewing’s trust in him.

Although the Hoyas finished with an uninspiring 13-13 record this season, they managed to put together a late-in-the-calendar storm that culminated in a Big East Tournament Final victory over the Creighton Blue Jays, 73-48. Wahab was a starter in the championship bout and recorded a double-double with 11 points and 12 rebounds.

Now that the Nigerian-born center has entered the portal, the chance for him to end up in maroon and orange appears to be picking up steam.

Hokies’ Head Coach Mike Young openly told reporters after a first round NCAA Tournament exit “I’d like to have another post player; I’d like to move Keve [Aluma] to the four. I think that’s very important.”

At the time, many wondered if this remark was tongue-in-cheek, or if there was a secret masterplan going on behind the scenes. Young did, after all, do an excellent job ducking the Storm Murphy speculation before his plan to transfer was announced.

Virginia Tech recently cleared a space on the roster after freshman Joe Bamisile announced that he would be leaving the university in pursuit of a greater role on another team. Bamisile appeared in 13 of a possible 22 games and averaged 8.9 minutes in those appearances.

It is important to note that nothing has been reported as of yet: but the opportunity appears to be presenting itself for a new, dominant post player in Blacksburg.

Wahab would likely slot into the starting lineup as the tallest member of the roster and would provide exceptional height and strength inside, rounding out an otherwise extremely sound outfit.

Could Wahab be the Hokies' missing piece?