September 6, 2014. The day Virginia Tech beat what would be the 2015 NCAA Champions of the gridiron in the Ohio State Buckeyes. Almost to the day a year later, the Hokies now host Urban Meyer and his squad Monday evening for what should be another primetime contest between the Big 10 and ACC program. However, I’m not trying to be Lee Corso here but rather establish the scope of the atmosphere this evening in Blacksburg and with how the basketball program could use it for recruiting purposes.

The past few days have brought in a plethora of high-level visitors to campuses across the nation, primarily because basketball programs use an event like a college football outing in displaying the immense amount of fan support that can be given to a school’s athletic teams. Monday evening, Buzz Williams and his staff will do just that.

They welcome in three 2016 class members and while they aren’t as viable of a threat for Mario Kegler, where it seems Arizona State and Mississippi State are out in front for his services, it is Doup Reath and Khadim Sy that are capable Hokies next year. More so with Sy as the Hokies have been the perceived leaders for the big man’s services for some time now and while none of these visits are in the official variety, it wouldn’t be surprising to see a commitment out of the Senegalese center at any time.

With the bevy of talent within the area come 2017 and 2018, Williams’ staff have done a great job of bringing in some of the better younger recruits where a number of visitors attending Monday night’s game have already been to the campus numerous times and tonight should allow for each of the prospects to see just what it is like when Blacksburg is under the microscope of a national audience. However, getting Jay Jay Chandler on campus, who recently visited Ohio State, Kentucky, Vanderbilt, and Memphis, is a major coup where the native of the Lone Star State is one of the quickest risers in the 2017 class.

While the Hokies may not lead at the moment with any of the 2017 and 2018 prospects, getting such premier talent like Alexander, Simms, Chandler, Coleman, Obinna, Wigginton, Black, and Bolton on campus should only further its standing with each of the top shelf talent in the future classes.

2016 CLASS

• Mario Kegler – 6-foot-6 forward – Oak Hill Academy (Mississippi)
• Duop Reath – 6-foot-9 center – Lee College (Australia)  
• Khadim Sy – 6-foot-9 center – Oak Hill Academy (Senegal)

2017 CLASS

• Ty-Shon Alexander – 6-foot-4 guard – Oak Hill Academy (North Carolina)
• Jay Jay Chandler – 6-foot-3 guard – Cinco Ranch High School (Texas)
• Matt Coleman – 6-foot-1 guard – Oak Hill Academy (Virginia)
• Dajour Dickens – 6-foot-11 center – The Miller School (Virginia)
• Ejike Obinna – 6-foot-9 center – Virginia Academy (Nigeria)
• Aamir Simms – 6-foot-7 forward – Blue Ridge School (Virginia)
• Aaron Thompson – 6-foot-1 guard – Paul VI Catholic High School (Virginia)
• Lindell Wigginton – 6-foot-1 guard – Oak Hill Academy (Canada)

2018 CLASS

• Rechon Black – 6-foot-4 guard – Concord High School (North Carolina)
• Rasir Bolton – 6-foot guard – Benedictine College Prep (Virginia)