BLACKSBURG — Virginia Tech senior Hunter Cattoor announced Tuesday night he will be returning to the Hokies for his fifth year in 2023-24.
With Cattoor returning, Tech retains a prolific 3-point shooter and lock-down defender for next season that will include a backcourt of Sean Pedulla, Rodney Rice, MJ Collins, and incoming freshmen Brandon Rechsteiner and Jaydon Young.
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Fans can also order NIL apparel featuring Cattoor and other select Tech student-athletes through the HokieSports Shop.
"We fully supported Hunter and his family throughout this process, and man, am I glad he's coming back for another year," head coach Mike Young expressed. "He impacts winning, he's a leader and one of the smartest players I've had the privilege of coaching. Hunter is a terrific representative of our program and Virginia Tech, and I'm thrilled I get to coach that young man one more year."
If there's any indication to how vital of a member Cattoor was to the Hokies this past season, it was during the four-game stretch he missed after suffering an arm injury at Boston College on Dec. 21. Tech entered that game 11-1 overall, 1-0 in the ACC and ranked No. 21 in the AP poll. From that point forward, the Hokies struggled to regain their form pre-Cattoor injury and finished the season 19-15.
"I want to thank my coaches, teammates and Hokie Nation for the support they've given me," Cattoor said. "Since our season ended, I've spent a lot of time in prayer and weighing all my options. In the end, my heart was leading me back to a place that's given so much to me. It's an honor to play for Virginia Tech, and I look forward to what next season has in store for us."
He enters his fifth season at Tech fifth all-time in career 3-pointers made in program history with 251. A.D. Vassallo (2005-09) holds the record of 267, playing 133 games. Cattoor has only played 119 career games.
Eclipsing the 40% mark each of his previous four seasons from beyond the arc, Cattoor led the ACC as a senior in 3-point percentage at 42.4% (78-184). He is currently third all-time in program history for career 3-point percentage at 41.8%.
Cattoor averaged a career-best 10.8 points per game in 2022-23, scoring double figures 17 times. He became the program's 50th 1,000-point scorer vs. Miami on Feb. 21.
Adding to the excitement of his return, the Orlando, Fla., native will be able to play in his hometown over Thanksgiving when the Hokies compete in the ESPN Events Invitational at Walt Disney World.
As a junior, Cattoor averaged 10 points per game, connected on 83 3-pointers (the highest single-season mark of his career) and earned the 2022 Everett Case Award given to the ACC Tournament's most valuable player. His 31-point performance in the championship game vs. Duke propelled Tech to its first-ever ACC title in program history.