Two Tech players selected in NFL Draft
Tech football players Corey Fuller and Vinston Painter were selected in the sixth round of the 2013 NFL Draft held April 25-27 at Radio City Music Hall in New York City.
Fuller, a receiver from Baltimore, Md., went to the Detroit Lions, who selected him with the third pick in the round (No. 171 overall). He played in 13 games this past season, starting eight of them, and he caught 43 passes for 814 yards and six touchdowns.
Painter, an offensive tackle from Norfolk, Va., went to the Denver Broncos, who took him with the fifth pick in the round (No. 173 overall). He started all 13 games at right tackle this season for Tech.
The two became the 87th and 88th Tech players to be drafted in head coach Frank Beamer’s tenure.
Several other Tech players signed free-agent deals. Offensive tackle Nick Becton signed with the San Diego Chargers, while receiver Marcus Davis and whip linebacker Alonzo Tweedy inked with the New York Giants. Linebacker Bruce Taylor joined the Cincinnati Bengals, and Antoine Hopkins signed with the Pittsburgh Steelers.
Johnson adds two more recruits
Tech basketball coach James Johnson added two more recruits in the spring signing period to this year’s recruiting class, bringing the total haul to six as he and his staff replenished the roster.
The two recruits are Malik Mueller, a guard from Frankfurt, Germany, and Devin Wilson, a guard from McKees Rock, Pa.
Mueller, a 6-foot-3 combination guard, chose the Hokies over Utah, Evansville and Tennessee Tech. The 19 year old won the MVP award at the 2010 Jordan Brand Classic International Game at Madison Square Garden after scoring 21 points and hitting four 3-pointers in the game.
He also played in the Arby’s Classic, a tournament in Bristol, Tenn., each of the past three years. His club team, Urspring, won the Arby’s championship in December, becoming the first foreign team to win the tournament. He was named the tournament MVP after averaging 17.8 points per game, as Urspring went 5-0 in the tournament.
Wilson, a 6-4 point guard, chose Tech over George Mason and St. Joseph’s. He was named the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette player of the year after a senior season in which he averaged 16.7 points per game for Montour High School. He led his high school to the WPIAL (Western Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic League) Class AAA championship and an appearance in the PIAA (Pennsylvania Interscholastic Athletic Association) semifinals. In one game this season, he recorded a triple-double, scoring 24 points, grabbing 10 rebounds and dishing out 10 assists.
Wolff inks three for the women’s program
Tech basketball coach Dennis Wolff added guards Vanessa Panousis and Serafina Maulupe and center Tara Nahodil during the spring signing period, bringing the total of this year’s recruiting class to five members.
Panousis, a 5-7 point guard from Sydney, Australia, has competed on the international stage as a member of the 2012 Australian U17 World Championship team that finished fifth in the FIBA event. She averaged 11 points per game, as the Australian team finished with a 5-3 record. She also grabbed 5.5 rebounds and handed out 2.0 assists per game.
Maulupe, a 5-8 combo guard from Vista Murrieta High School in Murrieta, Calif., finished her career with 1,617 points. During her senior season, Maulupe averaged 21 points, 4.5 rebounds and 3.3 steals per game.
Nahodil, a 6-4 center from Pine Grove, Pa., is ranked the No. 20 post player in the country by ESPN HoopGurlz. During her senior campaign at Tri-Valley High School, Nahodil helped the team to the Pennsylvania Class A state title. She finished her career with more than 1,700 points and 1,000 rebounds.
