Locker Room Access - Virginia

Virginia’s recruiting hot streak continued Friday.  UC-Irvine transfer Devin Tillis announced his commitment to play for the Wahoos,  The 6’7” forward from Los Angeles was a second-team All-Big West selection this season, while averaging 13.7 points and 7.8 rebounds.  He’s a graduate transfer with just one year left to play in Charlottesville. 

GO HOOS!!! #commited pic.twitter.com/7sOL48Zkg9

— Devin Tillis (@devin_tillis) April 11, 2025

Tillis is Virginia's fifth transfer addition in a span of six days.  He joins former Toledo wing Sam Lewis, North Dakota State transfer guard Jacari White, VCU freshman forward Martin Carrere, and former BYU point guard Dallin Hall.  Virginia also lost a commitment today from Oklahoma transfer guard Duke Miles.  

About Devin Tillis

Devin Tillis will be a sixth-year senior.  He began his college career at UNLV in 2020-21, the season that was later ruled as the free covid year.  Tillis transferred to UC-Irvine and redshirted the following season, then played the last three for the Anteaters.  Leaving him with the one extra year still available for the 2025-26 season.  

He’s a very skilled inside-out scorer at the power forward position.  Most of his damage is done on the interior.  He’s also a really good three-point shooter, knocking down just under 40% of his attempts this season.  His offensive game fits really well into Ryan Odom’s analytic-friendly style, as nearly all of Tillis’s scoring comes either from long range or at the rim.  

Tillis played for head coach Russ Turner at UC-Irvine.  Turner and Virginia coach Ryan Odom are both graduates of Hampden-Sydney and good friends. No doubt that connection helped get Tillis to Charlottesville.  Turner’s UC-Irvine teams are known for their tough defense.  So, Tillis comes from a culture that expects great effort on both ends of the floor.  

Another very quick quiet recruitment, and commitment before visiting.  Tillis has only been in the transfer portal since Monday.  There were no reports of which teams he was considering.  Again, it’s the same pattern we’ve seen with other recent Virginia commits.  

He’s obviously a very important addition for Odom and staff.  Virginia has assembled a nice collection of veteran guard transfers.  Now, they have a starting-caliber piece in the frontcourt.  

Virginia’s Recruiting Going Forward

With the addition of Devin Tillis and today’s de-commitment from Oklahoma transfer guard Duke Miles, Virginia has nine projected players on the 2025-26 roster.  They’ll probably add at least four more before it’s over. 

The so-called dead period ended today, meaning recruits can visit again.  Kansas transfer wing Rakease Passmore is expected at UVA this weekend.  He’s a former highly rated recruit out of Combine Academy (NC).  Definitely one to watch.  

There’s been a lot of smoke surrounding San Francisco grad transfer guard Malik Thomas, one of the best pure scorers in the portal. We’ll see if anything comes of that.  

VCU transfer big man Luke Bamgboye still hasn’t decided.  He visited before the dead period.  It seems to be between UVA or staying at VCU. 

Virginia is interested in Houston transfer forward Terrance Arceneaux.  They’re after Alabama transfer forward Jarin Stevenson too.  

Now that the dead period is lifted, there should be other visitors on Grounds.  And as we’ve seen, commitments can happen without visits too.  

The Wrap

UVA badly needed a dependable veteran piece in the frontcourt, particularly a scoring presence.  Devin Tillis checks that box.  Odom continues to assemble  a rotation of quality players out of the transfer portal.  He’s not just trying to rebuild, he wants to compete at the top of the ACC right away.  Still lots of work left to do.  

Stay tuned to Locker Room Access for full coverage of Virginia Basketball recruiting.  We’ll have portal season covered every step of the way.  And please take the time to check out our partner Fan Fund, the credit card that gives back to your favorite student-athletes.  

(Featured Image Credit: UC-Irvine)

The last week has been a blur, just an absolute flurry of transfer commitments for Ryan Odom and Virginia.  All of them during a recruiting dead period without visits taking place.  I’ll recap and then get into what’s ahead. 

New Commitments

It started with Toledo wing Sam Lewis on Saturday, almost out of nowhere. There was at least a mention of UVA interest reported in his case.  He’s a 6’6” wing with two years left to play, averaged 16.2 points and shot 44% from deep this season.  Toledo often used him as a small-ball power forward.  We’ll see what happens with the rest of the roster, but it’s not unthinkable that Odom may use him there at times too.  

Sunday brought a major surprise, North Dakota State transfer guard Jacari White.  He had already named finalists, which did not include UVA.  So, pretty wild out of nowhere commitment.  I’ve seen him described as a 3 & D guard.  He averaged 17.1 points, hitting 39% from three this year.  One year to play.  

It was Duke Mies on Monday, the Oklahoma grad transfer.  He averaged 9.4 points and 2.0 assists this season at Oklahoma, shooting 43% from long range.  Before coming to Oklahoma, he played a season at High Point.  That’s where UVA Associate Head Coach Griff Aldrich became familiar.  His role at Oklahoma was different, playing more off the ball, whereas at High Point he was the primary point guard.  

Two more on Wednesday, starting with VCU transfer Martin Carrere.  A 6’8” combo forward from France, he redshirted this season, still four years left to play.  Essentially, he becomes part of the 2025 recruiting class.  He’s a young guy, only 18, with good size who shoots the ball really well.  VCU sources told me that Odom was really really high on Carrere’s potential, so it’s not surprising that he wanted to bring the sharpshooter along. 

Then Wednesday night came BYU guard Dallin Hall, with one year to play.  He was the starting point guard for BYU his first two years, then his role dipped a little this year.  Pure floor general, averaged over 5 assists last season.  And he shoots the three-ball well, 36%, a common theme here.  Interestingly, Hall is a rising senior who hasn’t yet graduated.  Everyone else above either has multiple years or is a graduate already.  It’s often been difficult for UVA to get transfers like Hall because of the rule that 60 credit hours must be completed at UVA in order to graduate.  So, Hall’s commitment shows it’s not impossible to get those players.  

Everything that’s happened in the last week has been very unusual.  The timing is related to the coming changes in the NIL landscape.  Transfers are being encouraged to get deals done before the NCAA’s final approval of the revenue sharing changes and potential restrictions on outside NIL deals that goes with it.  

The UVA staff is clearly leveraging that to get commitments.  It’s safe to say they’ve overpaid for some of these transfers, coming in with heavy offers that quickly altered their recruitments.  But that’s going on all around college basketball.  There are “strange” commitments happening everywhere.  And in UVA’s case, because they have so many spots to fill, it’s been worth paying a bonus for players they really want so they could move on to the next one. 

The analytics firm that’s been hired to advise, led by UVA alum Michael Schwimer, has been involved in decision-making.  Associate Head Coach Griff Aldrich seems to be the chief deal maker.  He has his hands in everything. But it’s a team effort. The new staff is very much in their element when it comes to portal recruiting.  

Resetting the Roster

Virginia now has nine players on the 2025-26 roster.  They still have a lot of work to do in the frontcourt. We’re probably looking at five more additions total before it’s over, four at minimum.  

Recruiting Period Opens

It seems weird to say that recruiting opens back up Friday, considering all that’s taken place during the so-called dead period.  Recruits can visit again this weekend. I’ve heard UVA is expecting quite a few, six or seven total.  That’s the good news.  The bad news is I don’t know most of their identities. But stay tuned to the forum, that’ll probably get sorted out.  Some of them will be from the list above who’ve already committed.  

We do know that Kansas transfer wing Rakease Passmore is planning to visit, beginning Friday.  The freshman was a former prized recruit out of Combine Academy (NC). Tony Bennett tried to recruit him.  Rakease didn’t play much at Kansas, so he’s looking for a fresh start.  From what I’ve heard UVA is the heavy favorite here.  He played for Team Loaded AAU, where Virginia’s new Director of Recruiting Ahmad Thomas used to help coach. That relationship has the Hoos well-positioned with Passmore. 

There is a lot of smoke surrounding San Francisco grad transfer guard Malik Thomas, the West Coast Conference leading scorer this season (19.9 PPG).  UVA came in with a big offer like they did with most of the other recent commits.  When word of that got out, fans noticed that he and people close to him began following UVA accounts on social media.  The assumption was that a deal got done as it did with the others.  But so far, no announcement.  He’s a complicated recruit because he’ll need a waiver, and is also testing the NBA Draft.  So hopefully it’s just a temporary hold up.  We’ll be monitoring the situation closely for sure.  Unless or until we see signs of other teams involved again, it looks good.  But as we know, that can happen quickly.   

We’re still waiting on a verdict from VCU freshman center Luke Bamgboye (3.8 PPG).  He visited before the dead period.  VCU sources believe the odds slightly favor him deciding to stay there, as teammate Brandon Jennings did.  It could go either way though.  Virginia needs several frontcourt pieces, and Bamgboye would be a nice start if he chooses to follow Odom.  

New portal entry Terrance Arceneaux (6.5 PPG) from Houston is one to watch for sure.  He’s a 6’6” combo forward, predominantly used as a power forward at Houston this season.  UVA’s Griff Aldrich has connections to people around him, from his days in the Houston area.  The Hoos will be going after him. Two years left to play. 

Florida State transfer center Malique Ewin (14.2 PPG) included Virginia in his top five, announced Thursday.  There’s been noise tying him to Arkansas the past week.  He hasn’t committed yet, so we’ll see.  So while I do believe Arkansas is the favorite, it’s not over and UVA might actually be the leading alternative. The other finalists are Auburn, Mississippi State, and Kansas.  

A familiar name is in the portal, Alabama forward Jarin Stevenson (5.4 PPG). Virginia has been reported as one of the teams involved.  And according to a good source, the Hoos are in full pursuit.  He’s from the Raleigh area.  NC State is probably the main competition, maybe North Carolina.  UNC may not have room if they get another transfer that’s expected to commit there  

After that, it’s a lot of maybes and reports of interest.  

College of Charleston big man Ante Brzovic (18.4 PPG)  included Virginia in his list of interested parties. He’s currently suing the NCAA to be granted another year of eligibility.  He’ll probably get it in the end, but it’s a complicated situation.  Even more so for Syracuse big man Eddie Lampkin (11.5 PPG0 is a lot less likely to be granted another year. 

High Point center Juslin Bodo Bodo (5.3 PPG) is a possibility. His coach was just hired as an assistant at Creighton though, so it wouldn’t be surprising if he followed.  Texas A&M-Corpus Christi forward Gerry Clark (14.9 PPG) mentioned UVA.  I believe Virginia has at least contacted Robert Morris big man Alvaro Folgueiras (14.1 PPG), a very popular recruit. 

Back to a little bit of a normalized process this week with visits allowed again.  We’ll see who the coaching staff is able to get on Grounds and what other news may break.  Be sure to check the forum for updates, as things move quickly.  Thanks for subscribing to Locker Room Access.  

Ryan Odom and Virginia have landed their fifth transfer recruit in as many days.  Former BYU guard Dallin Hall announced his decision to transfer to Virginia on Wednesday.  The 6’4” junior from Utah was a three-year contributor in Provo, averaging 6.8 points and 4.2 assists this past season.  On3Sports ranks him as this year’s 145th best transfer.  He’ll have one year left to play at Virginia.  

BYU transfer Dallin Hall has committed to Virginia, he announced on IG.

6'4" point guard with 1 year to play. pic.twitter.com/BuvhDBXlVD

— Hooz Got Next (@HoozGotNext) April 9, 2025

About Dallin Hall

Dallin Hall is an older college player, having completed a two-year church mission before beginning college.  He graduated high school in the class of 2020.  Staying home at BYU, he’s been a mainstay in the Cougar lineup for three seasons.  He’s a true floor general, leading the team in assists in each of his first two years there.  Combined with good size at 6’4” and excellent shooting ability, he’s a versatile backcourt piece.  

The graduate of Fremont High in Utah led BYU in assists in each of his two seasons, topping out at 5.1 per game during the 2023-24 campaign.  This season, his role was reduced, but he still played a major part for the Sweet 16 team.  Hall carries a sterling 2.5-to-1 assist-to-turnover ratio, and is a career 36% three-point shooter.  

It’s an interesting addition for Virginia . Ryan Odom has focused on the backcourt so far in transfer recruiting.  Hall will be the most experienced of the group, certainly at the high major level anyhow. He brings a different skillset, more of a true floor general. 

Another quick quiet recruitment without a visit yet.  That's been the theme for all of Virginia's transfer commits so far.  Some of them are expected to come for their official visits this weekend, once the dead period lifts.  

Expect him to have a major role next season for the new look Cavaliers.  Odom and staff clearly intend to assemble a team capable of competing at the top of the ACC right away.  They’ll have more work to do, but the moves so far are a great start.  

Virginia’s Recruiting Going Forward

With the addition of Dallin Hall, Virginia is up to nine projected players for the 2025-26 season.  Odom will still need to add at least three more, more likely four or five before it’s over.  

If you’ve lost track, guards have been the theme of Virginia’s portal activity.  Dallin Hall joins former Oklahoma point guard Duke MIles, North Dakota State transfer Jacari White, and Toledo wing Sam Lewis in the remade Wahoo backcourt rotation.  The other two recent additions have been young players in the frontcourt.  VCU freshman forward Martin Carrere and class of 2025 power forward Silas Barksdale.  And don’t forget 2025 re-commit, point guard Chance Mallory. 

We’re waiting on a verdict from another VCU transfer, freshman center Luke Bangboye.  He visited before the dead period began  And there’s another visitor expected this weekend, Kansas transfer wing Rakease Passmore.  There’s been heavy rumors linking Virginia to San Francisco transfer guard Malik Thomas as well, so they may not be finished with backcourt additions.  

Expect UVA to bring in a couple veteran transfers to fill in the frontline.  They’ve been connected with Charleston transfer Ante Brzovic.  High Point big man Juslin Bodo Bodo has mentioned UVA involvement. But we’ll wait and see what develops.  With the dead period ending Friday, there can be visitors again.  So there may be recruiting activity of the more traditional variety coming up.  

The Wrap

Hall is a nice solid veteran addition for Virginia.  He’s been a key part of winning teams at BYU, competing in a power conference.  His experience will be invaluable next season.  The roster is becoming guard heavy.  It’ll be interesting to see how the rest of the roster shakes out, perhaps revealing the style of play Ryan Odom plans to deploy in Charlottesville.  

Say tuned to Locker Room Access.  Portal season is in full swing to say the least, as Virginia looks to continue reloading the roster.  We’ll have it covered every step of the way.  And please take the time to learn about our partner Fan Fund, the credit card that gives back to your favorite student-athletes.  

(Featured Image Credit: BYU Athletics)