First Busy Weekend of Spring Visits
Visit season got into full swing this weekend all around college basketball. Virginia had three recruits in town that we’re aware of, and there were also key recruits visiting elsewhere to keep an eye on.
There was a four-day window from Thursday evening through Sunday in which recruits were allowed to take visits. Activity will pause now for a short dead period, and then things reopen on Friday the 14th.
Virginia's Weekend Visitors
UVA hosted three official visitors over the weekend. One top transfer target, and two high school recruits from the 2024 class. Is Coach Williford teasing that one of them might have committed? I don’t know.
Jordan Minor
Merrimack grad transfer Jordan Minor was the first visitor, arriving on Thursday. He also visited Florida Gulf Coast later in the weekend, and has upcoming trips scheduled to Iowa and Seton Hall for the 14th and 17th. The 6’8 power forward was the Northeast Conference Player of the Year this season, and has one year left to play.
Coming out of the visit, UVA is in a pretty good spot with him. The coaching staff is supposed to talk to him this week to see if he’s ready to commit. That’s the advantage of getting the visit now. The dead period becomes a closing window. They’d still have a good chance with him even if he does continue with the other visits, but obviously a sooner decision would be more favorable.
Jarin Stevenson
2024 Seaforth (NC) forward Jarin Stevenson took his official visit to Virginia over the weekend. He’s been on grounds on several occasions before. He was the first player in the class to receive a scholarship offer from UVA last January. Coming off a fantastic junior season in which he was named North Carolina’s Gatorade Player of the Year, his stock has continued to climb.
There are only two relevant teams in his recruitment, Virginia and North Carolina. The Tar Heels have been considered the heavy favorite. However, he is thinking about reclassifying to 2023. That combined with the outgoing transfers has given UVA an angle in his recruitment. He would have a better opportunity for a meaningful on-court role at UVA next season than he would in Chapel Hill.
The coaching staff is taking their shot. I’ve heard they have some traction. Committing now would be very surprising though. He’s said in the past there’s about a 40% probability that he’ll reclassify and it would be decided later on . The reclass angle definitely seems to be where UVA’s hopes hinge.
The bottom line is UVA has gone from being a bit of a longshot to real contender with Jarin, even if they’re still probably the underdog to Carolina.
Raleigh Burgess
The other official visitor this weekend was 2024 big man Raleigh Burgess out of Sycamore High in Cincinnati. It was his second visit to UVA after coming for an unofficial back in December, at which time he was offered a scholarship. Even before that, they were after him hard. Coach Bennett went to see him at his school last Fall, one of the few 2024 recruits he did that with.
Burgess missed most of the high school season due to a leg injury. That’s probably sped up his recruitment a little bit. I don’t know how much AAU ball he’ll play this Spring, so his options aren’t likely to expand. Indiana, Purdue, and hometown Xavier seem to be the other schools seriously involved.
Again, a commitment now would be surprising. But UVA is pushing for it and that’ll only pick up steam once next year’s roster is finished and attention turns back to the high school ranks. Reclassing to 2023 is an option on the table for him as well. I don’t think it will be a big determining factor in his college choice though.
Other Happenings
Jennings Down to Two
Freshman transfer forward Robert Jennings is down to a final two. He’ll choose between Virginia or staying at Texas Tech. UVA will host him for an official visit beginning on Friday. I expect we’ll get a verdict the following week.
The new coaching staff at Texas Tech is trying really hard to keep him. Players only get one free transfer, so there is a safety aspect in staying put. He likes UVA a lot, going back to when they looked at him out of high school. I do think the Hoos have the advantage right now, but it won’t be an easy decision for him. And this time of year, a lot can change in the meantime.
Blue Visits Georgia
2023 IMG Academy (FL) guard Blue Cain visited Georgia over the weekend. UVA has been recruiting him hard since he decommitted a few weeks ago from Georgia Tech following their coaching change. .Reportedly, he’s planning to visit Florida and Virginia next in that order. He has not finalized a date for his Virginia visit yet though, or hadn’t as of Thursday.
I’ve heard Georgia is seen as having a slight edge going into these visits. They have a previous relationship and he’d probably start there right away. Just as Iowa and Seton Hall are trying to stay alive this week to get their visits with Jordan Minor, UVA is in that boat when it comes to Blue Cain. I do think this will come down to Georgia and Virginia. Assuming he does make the trip to Charlottesville, it would be early next week around the 17th
(Featured Image Credit: Merrimack Athletics)