NASHVILLE, Tenn. — Former Virginia Tech guard MJ Collins has transferred to Vanderbilt for the 2024-25 season, men’s basketball head coach Mark Byington announced Tuesday.
“MJ is the perfect player for our style and our system,” said Byington. “Versatility is his major strength and I believe you will see him play multiple positions and play all over the floor. He is an experienced player who contributed major minutes in the ACC. He’s known as an elite defender, but I know he is capable of more on the offensive end.”
As a sophomore in 2023-24, Collins started in 28 of 34 games for the Hokies. He averaged 7.4 points, 2.8 rebounds and 2.7 assists in just under 30 minutes per game. The 6-foot-4 guard scored in double figures 11 times on the season including a career-high 20 points against Louisville on Dec. 3.
Collins scored in double figures in five-straight games to open the month of March, shooting 50 percent (24-of-48) from the floor and 47.8 percent (11-of-23) from three during the stretch. The run included three-consecutive games with 15 points against Notre Dame, Florida State and Richmond. He also averaged 3.6 assists per contest in the five-game streak.
The guard also had 18 games of three-plus assists this season. Collins registered a career-high seven assists against Clemson on Jan. 10.
As a freshman in 2022-23, he made 16 starts while playing in all 34 games. He averaged 4.1 points and 2.4 rebounds in his inaugural campaign.
A native of Clover, South Carolina, Collins finished his prep career at Combine Academy where he helped the program to a 25-5 record, state championship and No. 20 national ranking in 2021-22. A four-star recruit, Collins was ranked among the top 200 players nationally and the second-best player in South Carolina.
Collins comes to Vanderbilt as a junior for the 2024-25 season with two years of eligibility remaining.
