Locker Room Access - Virginia

Summer practices are underway.  Elijah Gertude is looking like his old self, a full participant in practice.  Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder is on grounds for a visit today.  All signs point to him joining the team eventually.  Everything is good.  So let’s get into high school recruiting…

Scholastic Weekends 

The next two weekends are scholastic live periods.  Coaches will be on the road, attending events in which recruits participate with their school teams.  

Unlike AAU weekends, recruits are scattered all over at different events.  Some of the events are very large, while others are quite small.  There are 32 of them this weekend alone.  It’s not a perfect system.  Not every recruit will take part.  It’s out of their hands whether their school participates.  Most of the relevant teams play one weekend, some of them play both weekends, and some not at all.  

The format forces head coaches to make decisions about which recruits to see.  They can’t be everywhere.  That will be the headline for us, learning or confirming which 2026 recruits are most important to UVA right now.  Meanwhile, the assistants do a lot of evaluating to sort through potential recruits.  It gives them a head start on July.  Particularly this is when they’ll start digging deeper into the class of 2027.  

This Weekend’s Hot Spots

Texas

There’s only one event in the state of Texas.  And as you’d expect, it’s huge. Ryan Odom and/or Griff Aldrich are sure to be in attendance this weekend.  The Hoos are pursuing several 2026 recruits who’ll be in action.  And no doubt interested in evaluating others. 

Guard Bo Ogden has reportedly scheduled an official visit to UVA for late September.  His dad is on the Texas coaching staff, so he still figures to be difficult to land.  But a visit at least gives the Hoos a shot.  And I believe UVA is serious in their pursuit of both guard Christian Gibson and newly offered forward Billy White III.  They’ll all be there this weekend.  

North Carolina

You can count on UVA having a presence at the NC private school event in Greensboro, primarily to see Caldwell Academy wing Cole Cloer.  He also has an official visit scheduled, for the home football opener in late August.  UVA has a real shot there, battling with UNC and Florida.  

DC

DMV Live at DeMatha is probably the most popular June event, a lock to attract UVA coaches.  There are several other events in the area.  DC Live at Sidwell.  And separate events for Virginia private and public schools are both in nearby Northern VA.  The UVA staff will likely make stops at all of them.   

Five-star Paul VI (VA) guard Jordan Smith Jr. is doubtful for this weekend.  He recently suffered an ankle injury. Richmond forward Latrell Allmond will be at DC Live.  His recruitment seems to be an uphill fight, but Odom and staff so far are giving it their best swing. 

Davidson Day (NC) with big man William Stevens will be at DeMatha. It’s an opportunity for him to turn the tide a bit.  He hasn’t had a great spring of AAU, so it’s likely that UVA and other power conference schools who’ve offered are thinking of backing off.  

Others

The New England Prep League holds events both weekends.  Whether it’s this weekend or next, I’d expect Odom to be there.  UVA just offered Newman School guard Lucas Morillo.  And his teammate, forward Quinn Costello, could be one to watch.  He was the breakout player at Top 100 Camp.  

UVA will surely have someone in Arizona this weekend for the Section 7 event.  It’s a mega event, with teams from all over the west.  UVA is recruiting Millennium (AZ) guard Cameron Holmes.  He’s probably a bit of a longshot, but he has talked about visiting in the fall.  

The Tennessee event is this weekend in Nashville. UVA is a contender for Briarcrest wing Fred Smith.  He might have something to prove after a lackluster showing at Top 100 Camp.  They’ve also offered Greeneville forward Trey Thompson.  

I think that’s it for the 2026 targets this weekend.  UVA is involved with several players on national prep teams that get left out of these scholastic events.  Link Academy (MO) wing Luca Foster, IMG Academy (FL) forward Cody Peck, Iowa United center Arafan Diane, and Wasatch (UT) guard Junior County.  Newly offered big man Davion Adkins and his team aren’t listed for the Texas event.  And Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr. is with Team USA at the U19 World Cup.  He’s probably a lost cause anyhow after picking up Duke and Kentucky offers.

It was a packed weekend of recruiting news for the Virginia men’s basketball program.  Reports suggest the Hoos are getting closer to adding the final piece to this coming season’s roster.  And there was a flurry of scholarship offers extended to recruits in both the 2026 and 2027 classes, as summer recruiting is about to heat up. 

De Ridder

Thijs de Ridder has withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft, signaling that he expects to be ruled eligible for college. It’s a poorly kept secret that the 22-year old has privately committed to UVA, but first needs to be cleared by the NCAA.  The 6’8” Belgian forward spent the past two years with Bilbao of Liga ACB, the top Spanish pro league.  The combination of his age and high-level pro experience makes his eligibility case one of the most complicated among the growing number of overseas players interested in pursuing the college route. 

Source confirms that Thijs de Ridder has withdrawn from the NBA Draft process, as part of his ongoing approval dialogue with the NCAA.

Looking increasingly likely that he will be heading to Virginia next season. pic.twitter.com/JcpN33InAW

— Nick Kalinowski (@kalidrafts) June 15, 2025

While there’s still no official word, UVA sources have been confident in recent weeks that the Hoos will have De Ridder’s services this coming season.  And as Nick explained in the replies to his post, the main question is how many years of eligibility the NCAA will rule he has left to compete.  

De Ridder would certainly be considered among the top overseas players entering college this year.  He averaged around 10 points and 5 rebounds for Bilbao, in one of the best pro leagues in the world.  

New 2026 Offers

Ryan Odom and his UVA staff were in attendance for the NBPA Top 100 Camp last week in Rock Hill, South Carolina.  As a result of evaluations there, they’ve since extended three new scholarship offers to recruits in the class of 2026. 

*All rankings are from the On3 industry average.  

Virginia coaches eyed Billy White III during the spring AAU period, then pulled the trigger on an offer after watching him shine in Rock Hill last week.  The 6’7” combo forward out of Corpus Christi, Texas had a great spring on the Adidas circuit, averaging over 14 points and 6 boards.  Ranked as the number 50 player in the class, White has already scheduled an official visit to SMU for the fall.  Texas, Maryland, and Tennessee are among the other teams involved. 

2026 Billy White III is one of the more intriguing long term prospects from the class of 2026. Known for his length and deep shooting, his ability to pass the ball has stood out this morning @TheNBPA Top 100 Camp. @_proinsight

— Houston Wilson (@houston_wilson1) June 12, 2025

Next up was another Texan, 6’9” PF/C’ Davion Adkins out of the Dallas area.  One of the best shot blockers in the class, he’s ranked as the 26th overall player by On3.  Odom and his staff are well-connected in Texas, and they’re clearly trying to establish inroads there for UVA.  Houston, Texas, and LSU look like the top competition for Adkins so far. 

Davion Adkins was a force defensively @TheNBPA Top 100 Camp as he led the camp in blocks per game w 3.3. The competition he was doing that against is what stood out the most with that production. @_proinsight

— Houston Wilson (@houston_wilson1) June 13, 2025

On Sunday, Newman School (MA) guard Lucas Morillo claimed his offer.  Versatility is his calling card.  At 6’7’, he can line up at several positions.  He’s stuffed the stat sheet this spring. Marquette just had him on an early official visit.  Morillo is ranked 158th, but that will soon rise. Georgetown, Stanford, and UCLA are some of the other teams involved.  

Nike EYBL Session II: 17U All-Circuit Awards 🏆

Breakout MVP 🚀

Lucas Morillo | City Rocks (NY) | 2026

16.0 PPG, 8.0 RPG, 4.5 APG, 1.5 SPG

Full Awards ⤵️https://t.co/rzkd6xmEW6@_lucasmorillo @TheCityRocks @NikeEYB @athleteaiapp 🎥 @kyleclarkmedia pic.twitter.com/sW3hFizbfw

— The Circuit (@TheCircuit) May 21, 2025

Virginia has offered a total of 16 players in the 2026 class, half of them guards.  Mayde Creek (TX) guard Christian Gibson is one of the top scorers in the EYBL.  The Hoos are trying their best for five-star Paul VI (VA) combo guard Jordan Smith Jr.  Philly wing Luca Foster raised his stock at Top 100 camp.  Kentucky jumped in the race this week for Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr.  Wasatch (UT) guard Junior County has been one of the spring’s hottest recruits.  Arizona wing Cameron Holmes and high-scoring Austin (TX) guard Bo Ogden round out the backcourt targets. 

Caldwell Academy (NC) combo forward Cole Cloer is planning to visit UVA for the home football opener in late August.  In-state prize Latrell Allmond, a 6’8” power forward from Richmond, picked up a new offer from Alabama this week.  Athletic big man Cody Peck out of the Charlotte area would fit UVA’s style.  Odom got a head start recruiting Briarcrest (TN) combo forward Fred Smith at VCU.  Greeneville (TN) forward Trey Thompson and Davidson Day (NC) center William Stevens are the other frontcourt players offered so far.  

2027 Cycle Begins

Sunday marked June 15th, the first day college coaches are allowed to directly contact rising juniors. The UVA staff wasted no time handing out a few scholarship offers along with reaching out to many other potential recruits. You can scroll through all the reports in our 2027 recruiting thread on the forum. 

Lincolnton (NC) guard LJ Smith, ranked 47th in his class, has a new Virginia offer.  He’s been turning heads this spring, playing up in age division on the Nike EYBL circuit.   Already with an impressive offer list that includes Kansas and Tennessee, and with the in-state blue bloods lurking, landing him would be an achievement.  But Odom will recruit North Carolina, especially the Charlotte vicinity that he knows so well.

Norcross (GA) point guard Nasir Anderson was a popular attraction on Sunday.  He picked up 11 new offers, including one from the Hoos.  Florida, Kansas, and Indiana among the others.  Ranked as the 40th player in the class, he’s averaging over 18 points this spring on the Adidas circuit. 

Point guard Cayden Daughtry, the 23rd ranked recruit out of Calvary Christian (FL), rolled in the new offers as well.  Virginia joined the early list alongside Villanova, Michigan, and Miami.  He’s been sensational in AAU play, averaging over 20 points in the EYBL, and boosted his stock further at Top 100 Camp. 

And just in case you didn’t think Odom was aiming high enough, he offered the 4th ranked player in the class, Prolific Prep (FL) center Obinna Ekezie Jr.  I think Odom knows people around him that may give the Hoos a fighting chance.  But the competition is stiff as you’d imagine.  He already has offers from Kentucky, Kansas, and Alabama.

It’s just a starting point for 2027.  As the coaches continue to evaluate this summer, there will be more offers.  By fall, they begin to sort through which ones will be serious targets. 

What’s Ahead

We’re about to enter a busy time on the recruiting calendar. Coaches will be on the road each of the next two weekends for live evaluation periods, attending so-called scholastic events where players play with their school teams.  Then in July, there are two more AAU weekends.  It’s the heart of the 2026 recruiting cycle, leading into the commitment season this fall.  

With next season’s roster hopefully finalized soon, high school recruiting becomes the main focus as Ryan Odom looks to assemble his first full recruiting class at UVA. 

As summer recruiting heats up, there's no better time to become a Locker Room Access VIP member.  From recruiting to summer practice tidbits, all the way to the opening tip, the best in-depth Virginia Basketball coverage on the web.  

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. 

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