Locker Room Access - Virginia

The latest on Thijs de Ridder, some scheduling news, and we dive into Virginia’s class of 2026 recruiting picture in this edition of the LRA Intel Report. 

De Ridder

We’re still waiting on a ruling from the NCAA on whether Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder will be eligible.  According to a UVA source, they expect it to be resolved within the next week or two at most.  De Ridder has privately committed to Virginia, pending the eligibility ruling.  The UVA side seems optimistic that he’ll be cleared to play, but there’s no guarantee.  His case is unique due to his age and past earnings.  

If Virginia does get De Ridder, I think that would be the final piece for the 2025-26 roster.  

Schedule Scoop

The ACC released the list of each team’s conference opponents for the upcoming season.  Switching to the new 18-game schedule, UVA will play Virginia Tech and NC State twice each.  And they won’t play Clemson at all.   That’s the quirk of the new scheduling format.  Teams play their designated rival (UVA-VT) twice, another rotating opponent twice, and each year one team is left off. 

Virginia wants to take advantage of having fewer conference games by adding quality non-conference opponents to give them an opportunity to improve their NCAA Tournament resume. They’re working to add two more games against teams from other power conferences.  I’m told one of those games is probably going to be a February meeting with Ohio State, played at a neutral site in Nashville.  

The non-conference slate already includes a home game with Maryland.  They’ll play in the Greenbrier Tip-Off in November, two games against some combination of Northwestern, South Carolina, and Butler.  There will be a yet unknown SEC opponent on the schedule as part of the ACC-SEC Challenge.  If they add Ohio State and another power conference game, that would be a very solid non-conference schedule.  

2026 Recruiting

With the flurry of scholarship offers following the recent live period, a total of 13 recruits in the 2026 class have now received offers from Virginia.  From that, it’s starting to paint a picture of what Ryan Odom has planned.  

Backcourt

UVA wants to add a pair of off-ball guards. The guy to watch closest right now seems to be Mayde Creek (TX) SG Christian Gibson  Odom and Griff Aldrich eyed him hard over the live weekend, and were quick to extend an offer.  He’s had a huge spring, among the top scorers in the Nike EYBL.  Schools like Houston and Texas Tech have offered, but it’s not yet clear who else will be serious about him.  Texas and Kentucky have both sniffed around without offering yet.  

All signs point to Odom being serious in his pursuit of Paul VI (VA) combo guard Jordan Smith, a top five ranked player in the class.  UVA coaches were around every time he played over the live weekend.  It’s a wide open recruitment, his list of offers includes everyone.  Smith has been terrific this spring. I’d expect the blue bloods, especially Duke, to come hard for him now.   He has an upcoming visit scheduled to Indiana.  And Georgetown is very much in the mix.  It’ll be a marathon recruitment, probably decided in late fall.  

Most likely UVA will add a veteran point guard through the portal again next season, since they already have a young one in Chance Mallory.  But they’d take the right 2026 recruit instead if they can get him. That’s what’s going on with the recruitment of Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey, the only player at that position they’ve offered.  He’s a top 20 ranked player, and has more than lived up to his ranking this spring.  UVA has put some real effort in so far.  We’ll see if that continues throughout the summer.  

Briarcrest (TN) wing Fred Smith is worth watching. Odom had been recruiting him at VCU, then offered shortly after taking the UVA job.  Assistant coaches were around for him all during the live weekend.  Scouts have told me that he is a very underrated player, likely to see his recruitment expand this summer. Memphis and Ole Miss look like the main competition.  

Five-star wing Cameron Holmes (AZ) did mention UVA in a recent interview and Odom watched him over the live period.  Odom’s Utah connections led to UVA recruiting shooting guard Junior County, one of spring’s biggest stock climbers. And versatile Philly area wing Luca Foster came away with a new offer too.  They’re all in the same category, yet to be determined whether UVA will be seriously involved.  

I’d consider St. Michael’s (TX) guard Bo Ogden a longshot.  His dad is on the Texas coaching staff.  It’s probably going to be between them and his dad’s former coach, Rick Barnes at Tennessee.  

Frontcourt

The top prize on the frontcourt list is center Latrell Allmond out of Richmond. UVA coaches visited him at his high school in April and were courtside over the live weekend.  Expect the Hoos to be in the race all the way.  He’s planning to visit Indiana later this month.  Georgetown, Oklahoma State, and Tennessee are among the other contenders so far.  

Odom was already recruiting Caldwell (NC) combo forward Cole Cloer at VCU.  He now has a UVA offer, following the live period.  UNC seems to be the team to watch with him, but there’s an opportunity for Odom, especially if Hubert Davis lets up in his pursuit at all.  

The new staff was quick to reaffirm UVA’s offer to IMG Academy (FL) center Cody Peck, a Charlotte area product.  Odom checked him out over the live weekend, passing the active recruitment test.  A top 50 ranked player in his class, he was at UVA for an unofficial visit last fall. 

Greeneville (TN) forward Trey Thompson goes in the longshot basket.  Purdue and Tennessee have a big head start in his recruitment, with Kentucky lurking too.  And it’ll be interesting to see if UVA continues to pursue Davidson Day (NC) big man William Stevens.  He has good upside but hasn’t been as productive this spring as you’d like in an ACC recruit.  

What’s Ahead

This is the quiet part of the offseason, a break for coaches after spring recruiting and before players arrive and summer recruiting begins. Other than hopefully good news on the De Ridder front, there probably won’t be much happening for a couple weeks.  But starting in mid-June, high school recruiting heats up. 

The second summer school session starts on Monday June 16th.  Players arrive the weekend before.  Odom will finally have his new team all together, with workouts getting underway that week.  I’m not sure if everyone will be there from the start.  Particularly the overseas players sometimes wait until later.   

And it gets busy with high school recruiting too.  Starting with the NBPA Top 100 Camp, held in Rock Hill, SC.  Coaches can attend for two days, June 11 and 12.  Most of the names mentioned above will be there, so the UVA staff will follow.  Then coaches will be on the road for two scholastic live periods in late June (6/20-22, 6/27-29).  That’s when players participate in events with their high school teams. 

It all builds up to July’s AAU weekends, the main events of the summer. This year’s dates are 7/10-13 and 7/17-20.  That’s Nike Peach Jam and all the shoe circuit championship events.  Most of the 2026 recruiting cycle is still ahead of us but it does get moving soon.  

Recruits can visit in June.  If there are any 2026 visitors, it probably won’t be until after players have arrived though..  The quirks of the recruiting calendar create a strategic aspect to it all. Visits aren’t allowed for most of July and August.  So for the most part, it’s either get visits now or wait until football season.  While UVA is unlikely to get a recruit to commit right now, a June visit at least allows them an opportunity to close the deal ahead of the fall recruiting period in September. 

That’s all for now.  Thanks for subscribing to Locker Room Access.  

At least for a weekend, attention turned to high school recruits in the class of 2026.  It was the spring live evaluation period, one of only three weekends all year when Division-1 college coaches are allowed to attend AAU events.  For Ryan Odom, this was his first live period as Virginia’s head coach.  

The major shoe company-sponsored AAU circuits are where the action is during these live period weekends. Ryan Odom spent Friday at the Adidas 3SSB event in Council Bluffs, Iowa, then moved to Memphis on Saturday for the Nike EYBL. Virginia assistant coaches were reported in both of those locations, as well as the Under Armour Association event in Ohio. 

One Last Piece

While 2026 was the focus this weekend, Virginia’s roster for the upcoming season is still not finished.  Odom and staff are awaiting a verdict from the NCAA on whether Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder will be deemed eligible to compete in college.  The 22-year old plays in the top Spanish pro league, Liga ACB.  Hopes are high that he’ll be cleared but his age and pro experience make it a complicated case.  

De Ridder is one of the top European players interested in pursuing the college route this year.  He averaged over 10 points and 5 rebounds this season in Liga ACB, playing against high level pros.  All signs point to him committing to Virginia, if and when he’s cleared.  

6’8 🇧🇪 Thijs De Ridder has put together a strong season for Bilbao in the ACB

He’s averaging 10.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 54% and 38.3% from 3 on 2.1 attempts per game

The 22-year old, dominated in all Fiba youth competitions, 6’8 with… pic.twitter.com/2UN0WPyV2r

— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) May 7, 2025

In the meantime, UVA is continuing to keep an eye on other available options in case things don’t go as hoped with the Belgian.  There was a report over the weekend that they’ve reached out to Fordham transfer Romad Dean . Italian forward Elisee Assui may still be a possibility as well. Adding another forward is a necessity.  

Established Recruits

Ryan Odom was seated on the baseline to watch Richmond big man Latrell Allmond Friday night in Iowa.  Allmond is a very popular top 50 ranked recruit who was already offered by Tony Bennett.  UVA should be more of a factor in Allmond’s recruitment now.  Odom and his staff have a strong relationship with his Team Loaded AAU program. Competition for his services is stiff, but UVA clearly intends to be in the race. 

Staying in-state, activity this weekend suggests that the new staff plans to devote real effort in the recruitment of five-star Paul VI guard Jordan Smith. Odom was on hand to watch his Team Takeover squad Saturday in Memphis, and associate head coach Griff Aldrich kept tabs all weekend long.  Duke, Indiana, and Georgetown seem to be the other top contenders for Smith. 

One of Odom’s first games of the weekend was to see Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr, another very popular top 20 ranked recruit.  UVA recently offered.  And shortly after, Odom checked on IMG Academy (FL) big man Cody Peck. He was one of the first players offered by the new staff.  UVA seems to be serious in their intent to pursue both of them. 

UVA is trying to get a visit from Brewster Academy (NH) forward Sebastian Wilkins. He’s recently been to Duke and Maryland, and is considering a possible reclass to 2025.  Odom saw him on Friday.  And in Memphis, recently offered Davidson Day (NC) center Williams Stevens had Odom courtside on Saturday.  

Multiple UVA assistants were around at the Under Armour Association event in Ohio.  They were spotted watching Fred Smith Jr. the lone current target there. Odom was already recruiting the Memphis wing to VCU, and has since extended a UVA offer.  

New Offers

An already clear distinction between Odom and former coach Tony Bennett is that Odom will hand out scholarship offers quickly.  Three players announced theirs on Saturday, all of them major spring stock climbers. 

First was Mayde Creek (TX) guard Christian Gibson. Odom and Griff Aldrich were courtside for his 28-point outburst Saturday morning.  The offer came a few hours later.   He’s been on a tear this spring, currently averaging 22 points in EYBL games.  The new staff, particularly Aldrich, is very well-connected in the state of Texas. UVA will likely do a lot of recruiting there, especially the Houston area, moving forward.  Gibson’s other current offers include Houston, Texas Tech, and Ole Miss. 

St. Michael’s (TX) guard Bo Ogden is among the top scorers on the Adidas 3SSB circuit.  Odom saw him play Saturday night against Latrell Allmond’s Team Loaded.  The next day, he had a new Virginia offer.  The Hoos join a list that includes Texas, Tennessee, and Purdue in offering Ogden. 

And Greeneville (TN) forward Trey Thompson was offered on Saturday.  UVA coaches were reported at his games multiple times over the weekend in Iowa.  One of the best players on the Adidas circuit, his recruitment is about to skyrocket.  Purdue and Tennessee seem to be the top early contenders.  

Other Names of Interest 

This weekend seemed to be more about evaluating new recruits than showing up to be seen by players Virginia is already recruiting.  There will probably be more offers to trickle out in the days ahead. 

Virginia coaches, including Odom, were courtside multiple times to see the Utah Prospects, most likely for wing Dean Rueckert.  Combo forward Billy White III, an AAU teammate of Bo Ogden from Texas, has had a great spring.  It wouldn’t be surprising if UVA throws their hat in that race too.  

Bishop O’Connell (VA) point guard Darius Bivins has really raised his stock this spring.  Odom took a peek at him in Iowa.  And the UVA head coach was courtside for a Wildcat Select game, perhaps interested in top 20 ranked point guard Tay Kinney out of Kentucky. 

Jordan Smith surely isn’t the only player of interest on Team Takeover. UVA is eyeing prized wing Qayden Samuels and combo guard Prince-Alexander Moody, teammates at Bishop McNamara (MD). And Odom watched the CP3 squad in Memphis, led by Caldwell Academy (NC) wing Cole Cloer and fast rising Moravian Prep (NC) guard Kohl Rosario.  

Takeaways

There were noticeable differences in Odom’s approach to the live period weekend, and perhaps high school recruiting in general, in comparison to what UVA fans were accustomed to under Tony Bennett. 

More time was spent evaluating younger prospects in the classes of 2027 and 2028, signaling Odom’s intention to get a head start in future high school recruiting.  As mentioned, the process of offering scholarships seems to be much less formal than before.  And an interesting twist, the UVA staff rotated over the weekend.  Only four coaches are allowed out at a time, so they took turns day-by-day. I've never noticed that done before. 

Overall, it was a nice break to get back to normal high school recruiting for a weekend.  We’re starting to learn a little about Odom’s habits and his recruiting plans. He no doubt wants to make his first full recruiting class at UVA a really good one.  This weekend was the first step.  Stay tuned to Locker Room Access.  We’ll have Virginia recruiting covered all offseason long, every step of the way.  

With the huge addition of Malik Thomas, the Hoos nearly have next season’s roster finished.  All eyes on Europe now, as Ryan Odom tries to close on another top overseas prize.  But for this weekend, attention turns back to high school recruiting for the class of 2026.  

Worth the Wait

Virginia coaches couldn’t hide their excitement when they received the news that San Francisco grad transfer Malik Thomas had finally been granted a waiver for another season of eligibility. Word quickly spread, aided by vague celebratory tweets from members of the staff.  And there was no doubt where Thomas was headed.  No second thoughts, no reopening of his recruitment.  He was committed to Virginia 100%. 

According to a couple Virginia sources, they really did not expect Thomas to receive a waiver.  As evidenced by Odom beginning to pursue other guards such as USC transfer Desmond Claude in recent weeks.  Then the NCAA handed out a few waivers, and hope grew from there. 

Thomas was the West Coast Conference leading scorer last season at 19.9 PPG.  He gives them the go-to scorer they were missing.  It’s just a huge deal for next year’s team. to add a player of his caliber, especially when it looked like it wasn’t going to happen for a while. 

Eyes on Europe

All attention now is on Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder. From what I’ve heard, Virginia is very much in the driver’s seat.  All that’s left is for him to be deemed eligible by the NCAA.  He’s not the normal college recruit.  He’s already 22 years old, and has earned significant income playing professionally.  Odds are he’ll be cleared, but it’s not a slam dunk.  The NCAA’s amateurism rules have gotten to be a little subjective in cases like his.  

De Ridder would potentially be another major addition. He would arguably be the best European player coming over to college this year.  Certainly a starter, maybe a star.  He’s already a standout in the Spanish Liga ACB, one of the best leagues in the world, averaging better than 10 points and 5 rebounds against very high level pros.  

The price tag on De Ridder is over $2M, according to multiple sources  Virginia already has what’s sure to be one of the highest payrolls in the ACC.  My estimate is around $12M total as it stands.  If he does join the Wahoos, I believe De Ridder would be the third player to top the $2M salary mark. Joining Malik Thomas and German center Johann Grünloh.

Italian wing Elisee Assui is still a strong possibility as well.  Even if Virginia lands De Ridder, the door would still be open to Assui from what I understand.  Louisville and a few other teams are in the mix, but it looks like UVA is the team to beat right now. Odom is making a major imprint on the European recruiting front this cycle.  

2026 Recruiting Plan

The class of 2026 will be Ryan Odom’s first full recruiting cycle at Virginia. He no doubt wants to bring in a good group to set the tone going forward. I’m not sure what to expect.  Early indications are that Odom likes to make more scholarship offers than we were used to under Bennett.  We’ll have more noise to cipher through. It’ll take time to get a hang of his style. 

Virginia is playing catch up. Other teams have been at this, actively recruiting for 2026, since last fall.  That’s a big part of the reason the coaching staff has been attentive to high school recruits in recent weeks, trying to build relationships and identify potential recruits to evaluate.  We’ll probably need patience. If UVA gets a 2026 commitment before September, that would be an upset. Right now, it’s about figuring out which players they’re going to invest their energy toward recruiting over the summer.  

Odom will probably aim for four recruits in the class. Maybe more, maybe less, depending how things go.  He'll want a pair of guards. There are only two underclassmen guards on the roster, so they badly need to restock the future backcourt.  He’ll want a big man, a power forward or center.  UVA will have an immediate opportunity for the right big man, giving them a recruiting advantage.  And they’ll be after something in the range of a wing, the exact type may depend on how they finish out next season’s roster.  

Live Weekend

This weekend is the spring live evaluation period.  Coaches will be on the road attending AAU events, from Friday evening through Sunday afternoon. There are only three of these weekends a year, this one in May and two in July.  So, coaches really make the most of their time. They have two purposes, to see and be seen.  First, to evaluate players, to determine whether to recruit them. And secondly, to show up and be seen at the games of the players that they’re already recruiting.  

Along the way, we’ll learn a bit about what their plans are and which recruits are important to them. And there will no doubt be additional scholarship offers handed out in the days that follow.  

Hot Spots

Coaches will spend most if not all of their time at the four major shoe company-sponsored AAU circuit events.  They’re all sprinkled around the Midwest this weekend.  The Nike EYBL tour will be in Memphis, the Adidas 3SSB circuit event takes place near Omaha, the Under Armour Association is just outside of Cincinnati, and the Puma Pro16 event is being held in Wichita.  

Expect UVA to have coaches in all those locations. We’ll probably see Ryan Odom stick to the Nike and/or Adidas events though, since that’s where most of the players of interest will be in action.  

Adidas-Council Bluffs, IA

Several 2026 recruits who already hold UVA offers play on Adidas teams. Starting with John Marshall (VA) big man Latrell Allmond and his Team Loaded squad.  A Virginia assistant was by to see Allmond recently, and he’s talked about visiting again.  Odom and the staff have close ties to his AAU program. 

A pair of highly rated recruits with fresh UVA offers will be there. They’re working to get a visit from Brewster Academy (NH) forward Sebastian Wilkins.  And signs suggest that Odom is serious about pursuing prized Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr.  And I’ll include IMG Academy (FL) power forward Cody Peck, a Charlotte area native.  The new staff was quick to reaffirm his UVA offer.  It’ll be interesting to see how much attention those guys receive this weekend. 

Four stock climbers that I expect UVA to evaluate this weekend  The staff is already familiar with Berean Baptist (NC) power forward Justin Caldwell. They were recruiting him at VCU.  Forward Trey Thompson (TN) may be the most underrated recruit in the class.  He recently mentioned Virginia interest.  And a pair of teammates from Texas, wing Bo Ogden has been a major spring breakout player and combo forward Billy White III should get a look this weekend too.  

Nike-Memphis, TN

The EYBL is loaded with top talent as always.  There are only three players with current UVA offers.  Davidson Day (NC) center Will Stevens has had a quiet spring so far, but Odom has offered.  The other two are probably longshots, five-star Paul VI (VA) guard Jordan Smith and wing Cameron Holmes from Arizona.  

There are a lot of players of interest there to evaluate, however.  Starting with a local product, Blue Ridge School forward Dreylan Creasy.. He’s picked up a few high major offers recently, and UVA coaches have been by to see him. And Bishop McNamara (MD) teammates Qayden Samuels and Prince-Alexander Moody held offers from VCU under Odom.  We’ll see if he continues recruiting them at UVA.  

Wing Luca Foster (PA) is a fast rising recruit who’s mentioned UVA interest.  So has Bergen Catholic (NJ) forward Julius Avent. Chambers (NC) guard Markus Kerr is another former VCU target of interest, as is sharpshooting Caldwell (NC) wing Cole Cloer.  

Odom has some connections to Timpview (UT) wing Dean Rueckert from his time out there.  Brooklyn guard Jahda Swann looks like a breakout candidate.  There’s interest in highly rated Sunrise Christian (KS) wing Chidi Nwigwe.  And another pair of Texans, guard Christian Gibson from Houston and wing Elijah Williams out of San Antonio.  

Others

Briarcrest (TN) wing Fred Smith Jr recently picked up a UVA offer.  His team will be in Ohio at the Under Armour event.  He’s the only current target who isn’t on either the Adidas or EYBL circuits.  

As I said above, I would expect UVA to have a presence there as well as in Wichita for the Puma Pro16 event.  No specific other names jump out right now though.  We’ll see what comes up this weekend. 

Hopefully, we’ll get another commitment or two soon to wrap up next season’s roster with a bang.  I’m looking forward to getting back into old fashioned high school recruiting again.  This weekend should be fun. Thanks for sticking with us on Locker Room Access!