For the fifth time this month, Virginia Tech men’s basketball coach Mike Young has plucked a player out of the transfer portal.
Former Virginia Commonwealth forward Toibu “Tobi” Lawal announced Friday on Instagram that he has committed to the Hokies.
The 6-foot-8, 200-pound Lawal averaged 7.7 points, 18.9 minutes and a team-high 6.0 rebounds as a VCU sophomore backup this year. He played in all 38 games for VCU, which advanced to the NIT.
He shot 66.7% from the field and blocked 34 shots.
Lawal, who has a knack for dunks, has a 49.5-inch vertical leap.
He had 12 points and 10 rebounds in 17 minutes against Radford in November. He had 14 points and nine rebounds in 26 minutes against Boise State.
He scored 11 points in 24 minutes against Penn State. He had 16 points and eight rebounds in 20 minutes against Memphis. He had 14 points and 10 rebounds in 16 minutes against Gardner-Webb.
In Atlantic 10 play this year, he had 13 points against Davidson, Richmond and Fordham. He had 16 points and 10 rebounds in 24 minutes against St. Joseph’s. He scored 11 points in 21 minutes against Duquesne.
The London native had eight points and 10 rebounds in 22 minutes in an NIT win over Villanova. He had 10 points in 19 minutes in an NIT win over South Florida.
This was VCU’s first season under coach Ryan Odom. He replaced Mike Rhoades, who left for Penn State.
Lawal was a VCU freshman during the 2022-23 season, when J.D. Byers was one of Rhoades’ assistant coaches. After that season, Byers joined Young’s staff at Virginia Tech.
Lawal averaged 1.3 points, 1.1 rebounds and 5.5 minutes in 25 games as a VCU freshman.
