Former University of Virginia center Mike Tobey has signed with the Charlotte Hornets, Hornets General Manager Rich Cho announced. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.
“We really liked what we saw in Mike during mini-camp and he continued to impress throughout Summer League,” Cho said in this press release. “He is a talented young big man with a lot of potential and we look forward to seeing what he can do moving forward.”
In four seasons and 138 games with the Cavaliers, Tobey averaged 6.8 points and 4.0 rebounds in 16.3 minutes per game. The 7’0″ center was named ACC Sixth Man of the Year in 2014/2015, when Virginia posted a 30-4 overall record. The Cavaliers’ 2015/2016 campaign included an undefeated record at the John Paul Jones Arena, capped off by a regular season ending win over Louisville in which Tobey scored 15 points and had 20 rebounds. Tobey averaged 7.3 points on 62.2-percent shooting this past season.
After going undrafted in the 2016 NBA Draft, Tobey impressed in NBA Summer League action. Playing for the Hornets, he averaged 10.0 points, 6.8 rebounds, and 1.6 block per game in five games in the Southwest Airlines Orlando Pro Summer League.
UVA has seen two members of its 2015/2016 senior class sign professional basketball contracts this month, with Tobey joining power forward Anthony Gill, who signed with MHP Riesen Ludwigsburg of Germany’s Basketball Bundesliga. Additionally, 2015/2016 ACC Player of the Year Malcolm Brogdon was drafted 36th overall (2nd round) by the Milwaukee Bucks in the 2016 NBA Draft.
