Virginia Tech Men’s Basketball announced today that Temple transfer point guard Hysier Miller, an expected starter for the Hokies this fall, has been “permanently released” from the program.
Virginia Tech released the following statement on the matter.
“Temple transfer point guard Hysier Miller has been permanently released from the Virginia Tech men’s basketball program due to circumstances prior to his enrolment at Virginia Tech. There will be no further comment made by the university on this matter.”
According to a report from Sports Illustrated’s Pat Forde, this is related the ongoing gambling inquiry into the Temple Men’s Basketball program that became public this past March.
Miller was a valued addition to the Hokies roster due to his ability to score the ball and create plays on offense. The 6’1” guard averaged 15.9 points, 4.0 assists, and 3.6 rebounds per game in his previous season with the Owls.
With Miller's loss, head coach Mike Young will need to rely on his younger guards to fill the vacancy at point guard. Sophomore Brandon Rechsteiner and freshman Ben Hammond will likely fill the role left by Miller.
Rechsteiner captured a season-high 12 points in his freshman year against Coppin State, knocking down three shots from beyond the arc on 75% shooting, and distributed a season-high 11 assists against American. Overall, Rechsteiner had a limited role, playing sparingly in ACC play on his way to averaging 1.8 points and 1.3 assists in 9.2 minutes per game over the course of 26 games.
Hammond is fresh out of powerhouse Paul VI High School in Fairfax, Virginia, where he averaged 14 points, 6.7 assists, 4.5 rebounds, and 3.4 steals per game as a senior. His play on the court earned him First-Team All-Met honors and a No. 2 ranking in the country by ESPN for point guards.
Due primarily to his brief college experience, Rechsteiner will likely start in Tech’s season opener. However, expect significant minutes from Hammond off the bench for the maroon and orange early on as the Hokies figure out who the right option is for them at point guard.
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