Vanderbilt men’s basketball coach Mark Byington added his third transfer to the program late Tuesday, even as another Commodores player entered the NCAA Transfer Portal.
Guard MJ Collins became the second Virginia Tech player to transfer to Vanderbilt in the last week, joining his former teammate, guard/forward Tyler Nickel. Collins made his decision known on social media.
The news came about the same time that freshman guard Malik Presley announced via social media he was entering the portal, becoming the eighth player from last season’s Vanderbilt team to do so. Earlier in the day, another freshman, guard Isaiah West (Goodpasture Christian High), had announced he was transferring.
Collins represents the third transfer with ties to the state of Virginia for Byington, a Salem, Va., native who came to Vanderbilt after four years as head coach at James Madison University in Harrisonburg, Va.
The 6-4, 190-pound Collins played two years at Virginia Tech, last season averaging 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists for the Hokies. He started 28 of 34 games for Virginia Tech (19-15), shooting 34 percent from the field and 28 percent from three-point range.
Collins reached double figures in 11 games for Tech in 2023-24, scoring 15 points in three straight games — against Notre Dame, Florida State and Richmond — near the end of the season. In an NIT first-round game against Richmond, he made a career-high four three-pointers.
Collins joins Nickel and former James Madison forward Jaylen Carey as part of the foundation of Byington’s first Vanderbilt team.
The 6-6, 200-pound Presley played sparingly for Vanderbilt last season, averaging 2.2 points and 1.6 rebounds in just under 12 minutes per game. He started five games. A Texas native, Presley was rated a four-star recruit by ESPN, and a three-star recruit by Rivals and 247.
The list of Vandy portal departures following the end of the 2023-24 season is as follows: forwards Colin Smith, Lee Dort and Carter Lang, as well as guards Tyrin Lawrence, Jason Rivera-Torres, Paul Lewis, West and Presley.
The only returning contributors from last season at this point are forwards Ven-Allen Lubin and JQ Roberts, and guard Jordan Williams.