Virginia Tech and head coach Mike Young secured a key addition to their basketball program with the commitment of Jailen Bedford, a transfer guard from UNLV, early Wednesday morning, as reported by 247Sports. Bedford, who has one year of college eligibility remaining due to a JUCO waiver passed in December, officially signed with the Hokies later that day, a move confirmed by both the program and the player.
Coach Young expressed excitement about Bedford joining the team, emphasizing the resilience and dynamic qualities the guard brings after a winding path through college basketball. “Jailen really came on strong towards the end of the season for UNLV,” Young noted in a press release, adding that his skill set and leadership would be vital for Virginia Tech in the upcoming season.
Standing at 6-foot-4 and weighing 180 pounds, Bedford played one season with the UNLV Runnin’ Rebels. In 2023-24, he contributed 10.2 points and 4.3 rebounds per game — both the third-highest on the team. He shot 39% from the field and nearly 35% from beyond the arc. While these stats weren’t eye-popping, Bedford improved notably as the season progressed, finding a rhythm in the final stretch of games.
In the last 11 games of the year, Bedford scored in double figures in 10 contests, averaging 11.7 points and 6.1 rebounds during that span. He shot 36.8% overall and 29.5% from three, while converting 73.3% of his free throws. A standout performance came in early December when Bedford scored a season-high 20 points on the road at Creighton. Later that month, he notched an 18-point game against Fresno State.
Originally from Austin, Texas, Bedford stood out statistically within the Mountain West Conference. He ranked 25th in steal rate (2.1%) and 22nd in turnover rate (13.5%), according to Ken Pomeroy’s advanced metrics. He also led the conference in the percentage of his team’s shots taken while on the floor (31.1%) and was fifth in usage rate (26.2%). Defensively, he ranked ninth in the league in defensive rebounding percentage (19.2%), a strength that will complement returning players like Amani Hansberry, Tyler Johnson, Tobi Lawal, and Izaiah Pasha.
Over 33 games last season, Bedford scored in double figures 20 times. While he began the season as a starter for UNLV’s first six games, he came off the bench for the remainder of the year. However, he still logged significant minutes, including multiple 28-plus-minute outings and two postseason starts during the Mountain West tournament.
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