Locker Room Access - Virginia

Ryan Odom is eyeing another European recruit to help round out his roster rebuild.  And with new scholarship offers being extended recently,, attention will soon swing back toward high school recruiting.  

Italy Trip

More high level players from overseas are coming to college than ever before, thanks to NIL and the loosening of amateurism rules.  With the transfer portal starting to dry up a bit, college coaches are turning their attention elsewhere to find available talent.  Virginia already struck big overseas once by landing prized German prospect Johann Grünloh.  And they might not be finished dipping into Europe this cycle.  

Virginia head coach Ryan Odom was spotted recruiting in Italy last week.  He reportedly saw Elisèe Assui, a 19-year old wing forward currently playing for Varese in the top Italian division.  Assui is the youngest player in that league, competing against high level pros  

We’ll call Assui a combo forward. He’s listed anywhere between 6’5” and 6’7” with a husky build.  Since seeing a big uptick in playing time for Varese over the last 8 games, Assui is averaging 5.4 points and 4.1 rebounds in 25 minutes per contest.  He’s shot the three-ball well this season, 45% (18-40), but that seems to be an outlier from his normal percentages.  

Louisville also made the trip to see Assui. Kansas State is involved.  There have been earlier reports linking  Wisconsin, Texas, and a few others   He is signed to a long term contract with Varese, which includes a $300K buyout if he leaves for another team after this season.  And at least according to Italian reports, signing with a college team would trigger the buyout clause.  

Odom, and I believe he was accompanied by an assistant, also attended the championship event of the U19 Italian league earlier this week.  That event was loaded with high level prospects.  Romanian forward Denis Badalau being one of the popular attractions.  He’s planning to explore college options, and it had been reported last week that UVA was among the teams interested.  

Assui is the top name to watch right now.  I’ve heard UVA absolutely wants him.  But Odom and company evaluated other players in Italy, such as Badalau and surely more that we don’t know about.  I will be surprised if UVA doesn’t sign someone Odom saw on the trip.  

Portal Action Slows

Odom seems to be looking overseas to find the forward he needs, but UVA will still want at least one more guard.  It could be a waiting game at this point.  There’s still a possibility of former San Francisco guard Malik Thomas being granted another year of eligibility, with the Hoos being the likely beneficiary.  I don’t know how long it will take for that to fully play out. 

As I’ve mentioned before, UVA sources don’t expect Thomas to receive a waiver.  But the NCAA has handed out a few in recent days, so it’s very possible.  And Odom is in a position where there’s no real downside in waiting out the process.  There will always be players available later.  UVA would like another veteran guard, even if it’s just a depth addition.  

And Kansas transfer guard Rakease Passmore is still in play.  He visited a few weeks ago, and all has been quiet since.  Passmore is sort of a special case.  The door will be open for him regardless of any other additions.  

2026 Recruiting

We’ll soon dive deep back into high school recruiting.  The spring live evaluation period takes place on the weekend of May 16th.  Everything is building up toward that weekend right now.  There have already been several scholarship offers handed out, as Odom and the staff try to get caught up.  Other teams have been at this since the recruiting cycle began last fall. 

UVA will probably set out to add three or four players in the 2026 class.  Once next season’s roster is finalized, we’ll see a more concrete plan take shape.  They’ll want a pair of guards, definitely a big man, and probably a forward. 

Judging by the offers that have been going out, Odom intends to take some big swings.  Most of them have gone to very highly rated players.  Easy offers to make, hard recruitments to win.  The upcoming live period should be revealing as to which of those recruits they intend to seriously pursue.

John Marshal (VA) power forward Latrell Allmond will be one to watch. The old coaching staff was already recruiting him.  He’s visited a couple times.  But now under Odom, UVA could be a real factor in his recruitment.  Odom and the staff have close ties to Allmond's Team Loaded AAU program that will get their foot in the door a bit more. He's a very popular top 50 recruit with a lot of teams involved, but UVA will have a shot.  An assistant was by to see him last week.  

Prized point guard Deron Rippey Jr from Blair Academy (NJ) was offered after an assistant stopped by to check him out.  A borderline five-star rated recruit, he has a page-long list of offers highlighted by North Carolina.  

Odom was quick to reaffirm Bennett’s offer to IMG Academy (FL) power forward Cody Peck.  And Davidson Day (NC) center Will Stevens was offered recently as well.  Both of them are from the Charlotte area, where Odom and staff have deep ties. 

The latest offer went to Brewster Academy (NH) forward Sebastian Wilkins. He already has a Duke offer and will be visiting there soon.  Five-star wing Cameron Holmes from Arizona picked up an offer too.  

Odom was already recruiting Briarcrest (TN) forward Fred Smith Jr to VCU.  Now, Smith has a new Virginia scholarship offer.  Memphis and Ole Miss are considered the favorites. 

And Blue Ridge School (VA)  forward Dreylan Creasy-Quirindoongo is quickly becoming a hot name in recruiting circles after a good start to the AAU season.  He’s picked up several power conference offers over the past couple weeks.  UVA hasn’t offered yet, but an assistant did stop by to check him out on Wednesday. 

This is all very preliminary for now.  There will surely be more offers this month, especially following the live weekend. Once Odom goes out on the road for that evaluation period, we’ll start to figure out what’s real and which recruits to really watch.  

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Virginia center position suddenly looks pretty stout.  News broke on Wednesday that Kansas State transfer center Ugonna Onyenso has signed with the Wahoos. The seven-footer from Nigeria played his first two years at Kentucky, then this past season for Kansas State.   A former top 40 ranked recruit out of high school, Onyenso has one year of remaining eligibility. 

Kansas State transfer Ugonna Onyenso has committed to Ryan Odom and Virginia.

Former 4-star prospect and Top 40 recruit. https://t.co/iKNW6qX5Eo pic.twitter.com/uqrSXVsyoV

— Dushawn London (@DushawnLondon1) April 30, 2025

About Ugonna Onyenso

UVA wanted a veteran center to go along with newly added German prospect Johann Grünloh  The signing of Onyenso checks that box.  His strength is on the defensive end, one of the best shot blockers in college basketball.  That helps balance out the roster, as Virginia’s other transfer recruits so far are more known for their offensive production than defensive abilities. Having a rim protector like Onyenso to back them up is important.  

Onyenso was a very prized transfer recruit a year ago, coming off a sophomore season at Kentucky during which he averaged an SEC-best 2.8 blocked shots despite only playing less than 19 minutes per game.  His role increased as that season went on, moving into the starting lineup by late January.  He showed great flashes at that time, posting a 13 point-16 rebound-8 block stat line against Florida, then blocking a career-high 10 shots two weeks later in a win over Ole Miss.  

This past season did not go well for Onyenso at Kansas State.  Jerome Tang’s bunch was one of the most disappointing teams in the country.  Onyenso’s role obviously wasn’t what he had in mind, only playing 11 minutes per game as part of a crowded frontcourt.  On the season, he averaged just 2.8 points, 2.4 rebounds, and 0.9 blocks.  

Odom and staff are betting that in a more healthy environment and with a clear role, they’ll bring out that late sophomore season Kentucky version of Onyenso.  Or perhaps even better now that he’s matured.  He’s an extremely talented player who’s shown that he’s capable of providing elite value on the defense end.  

Yet another in what’s become a familiar pattern of transfer recruits quickly committing to Virginia following very quiet recruitments  This one had been done for a good week or so.  It just took a while to go public.  

Virginia’s Recruiting Going Forward

With the addition of Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia has 11 projected players for the 2025-26 season.  They’ll want to add at least two more. 

Odom still lacks depth at the power forward position.  And he'll want at least one more guard.   

Kansas transfer wing Rakease Passmore is still available after recently visiting.  His recruitment has gone quiet, with Tennessee mentioned as possibly another contender.  Odom is taking a swing at USC transfer guard Desmond Claude, one of the top scorers in the portal.  And there might still be a possibility with San Francisco transfer guard Malik Thomas.  He's in need of a wavier, which at this point he seems unlikely to be granted, but it takes time for that process to play out. 

UVA was one of the many teams to reach out to Florida Atlantic transfer forward Baba Miller.  And there's a report of involvement with another European prospect, combo forward Denis Badalau from Romania.

The Wrap

Ryan Odom and the new Virginia staff continue to restock the roster.  These short term additions like Onyenso and the other one-year transfer recruits are a necessity in order to be competitive next season.  It’ll be interesting to see how they fill the last few spots from here.  The goal is to balance out the roster, even the classes a bit so they won't need to do this all over next year. 

Stay tuned to Locker Room Access.  We’ll have the Virginia recruiting action covered all offseason every step of the way.  And take the time to learn about our partner Fan Fund, the credit card that gives back to your favorite student-athletes. 

(Featured Image Credit: Kansas State) 

By Houston Wilson

German center Johann Grünloh has committed to Virginia, a major pickup for Ryan Odom and the Cavaliers. The 6'11" 19-year-old has already played professionally in Germany and found success at a high level. Locker Room Access caught up with Grünloh to talk about his decision and what he plans to bring to the program.

NEWS: German 7-footer Johann Grunloh has committed to Virginia, his club Rasta Vechta announced. Grunloh, a projected 2nd-round pick, is an elite shot-blocker who shot 35% for 3 this season.

Major pickup for Ryan Odom in one of the top internationals pursuing the college route pic.twitter.com/LA6HO70YJR

— Jonathan Givony (@DraftExpress) April 28, 2025

“It was a pretty quick decision for me. I had not thought that much about the college option until recently, but then a lot of schools really started talking to me. I had a great Zoom call with Coach Ryan Odom and the rest of the staff. Their message was very clear, and I just liked everything they said compared to the other schools.”

Grünloh went on to discuss how he envisions himself fitting into Coach Odom’s system, highlighting his strengths on both ends of the floor. 

“One of the biggest things I am going to bring to the Virginia program is my rim protection. I am going to constantly block and contest shots. Offensively, I am really a playmaking big. I can pick and pop well, and I think I will be able to shoot the ball well from deep. I think I will also be able to pass well for a big man in Coach Odom’s system. You will see me setting a lot of screens and just a big man that is always active in the pick and roll.”

Having reviewed film of Odom’s past teams, Grünloh expressed excitement about the style of play and how it aligns with his game.

“I like how he likes to play fast. I think that fits me really well, too. He likes to run up and down the court and play well in transition. He also loves to have a lot of shooters on the court, which I really like.”

Though Grünloh has primarily focused on European leagues, he is aware of the prestige of the ACC and the programs within it. He spoke about the honor of competing against some of college basketball’s most storied programs.

“It is a honor. There are a lot of big names in the conference that have had success like Duke and North Carolina. I have not watched a lot of college basketball, but of course, everyone has heard of Duke and North Carolina, so it is a true honor to play against them.”

Grünloh gave fans a glimpse of what they can expect from him on the court. 

“On the court, they can expect a guy with a lot of positive energy. When something good happens, I will always be freaking out. If I am on the court or on the bench, I will always be cheering my team on and trying to get the crowd involved.”

Come let us know what you think of all the latest Wahoo additions on the Locker Room Access Virginia forum.  And take the time to learn about our partner Fan Fund, the credit card that gives back to your favorite student-athletes.