« Men’s Basketball 2020-21

Wabissa Bede

School
Virginia Tech University
Position
Guard
Major
agricultural & life sciences - leadership studies

Classroom

Bede earned his bachelor’s degree from Virginia Tech in three years, becoming the first in his family to earn a college degree.

In his tenure at Virginia Tech, Bede has received ACC Honor Roll, Athletic Director’s Honor Roll, and Dean’s List honors while graduating with a +3.0 GPA. Bede currently owns a 3.75 GPA in graduate school.

Bede is now working towards earning his Master’s Degree in Agriculture and Life Sciences, with a concentration in Leadership Studies, and hopes to earn his degree this summer. Bede has begun his graduate research project and will be studying “The Recruitment of Student-Athletes: Building Trust Between Coaches and Players.”

Character

Bede is known for being the first one in the gym and the last one out, and has been a stellar representation of what the coaching staff and school embody. Focusing on his master’s degree in leadership, Bede has been able to take what he has learned in the classroom and apply it to his everyday life. Bede is a lead-by-example person and showcases his leadership by pulling teammates asside during practice and coaching them up.

Bede, the starting point guard, is the leader of the Virginia Tech team when tough times surface. During the COVID-19 pandemic, Bede made sure his teammates were practicing and taking care of their bodies. Bede also leads the players group chat and holds his teammates accountable.

Community

Bede has spent his free time by being a role model to those in the Virginia Tech community. One of the most vocal leaders on the team, Bede has read children’s books to local elementary schools. With COVID-19 taking that opportunity away, Bede managed to continue this tradition with the children via Zoom.

Bede has also assisted with showcasing various drills at Hokies, Hoops and Heels events. Bede shows women that are interested in basketball some tricks.

Head Coach Mike Young recently created a non-profit organization called My Turn, and Bede has talked with local elementary school kids this fall about bullying and how to prevent it via Zoom.

Competition

As of January 4, 2021, Wabissa Bede has started in 47 consecutive games and ranks sixth in the country and first in the ACC in assists-to-turnover ratio, with a 3.34 average during the 2019-20 season. Bede dished out 177 assists, the third-most in a single season in school history, and also led the team with steals with 33.

Bede has played in 104 games in his four-year career and owns an average of 4.0 points, 3.0 assists, and 2.4 rebounds per game and is a career 39.8% shooter.