Virginia Tech men's basketball player Manny Atkins has decided to transfer and has been granted a release from his scholarship, the school announced Monday.
Atkins, a 6-foot-7, 200-pound wing player, was a sophomore sixth man this past season. He averaged 4.9 points and two rebounds in 13.3 minutes. As a freshman, he averaged 2.2 points and 1.3 rebounds in 8.6 minutes.
"The only reason I am transferring is to find a school where I can be more of a focal point in the offense," he said in a press release.
Atkins' release is unconditional, meaning he can transfer wherever he wants without extra restrictions, said Tech coach Seth Greenberg. It leaves Tech with 12 scholarship players for next season, one shy of the NCAA maximum. Greenberg would not say if he wants to make a late addition to his incoming freshman class of four players.
The Hokies' starting wing last season was senior Terrell Bell. Even with Atkins' departure, they still have two highly regarded wing recruits who will compete to replace Bell: rising sophomore Jarell Eddie and incoming freshman Dorian Finney-Smith.
Eddie was the 70th-best recruit in his class, according to Rivals.com. Last season, he averaged 2.9 points and 2.2 rebounds in 10.9 minutes — the second-most for a reserve.
But he was suspended for the final six games after a misdemeanor marijuana possession arrest. He received community service and will be with the team next season, but might miss the beginning of it because Tech must re-certify his eligibility. The school suspended him after the ACC tournament. He can re-enroll this summer.
Finney-Smith, of Portsmouth, is ranked 31st in his class and is the highest-rated recruit Greenberg has signed since coming to Tech in 2003.
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