June Live Period Takeaways
The Virginia coaching staff has been on the road each of the last two weekends taking part in the scholastic live evaluation periods. They attended events from coast to coast, in which potential recruits competed with their high school teams.
The focus is on rising seniors in the class of 2024. Virginia is searching for their first commitment in the class. And the recruiting process has gotten underway for the 2025 class as well.
Push For Bliss
Virginia Head Coach Tony Bennett spent most of last weekend courtside for DMV Live at DeMatha. His main reason for being there was Christian Bliss. The George School (PA) point guard has the Wahoos in his final four along with Miami, Villanova, and Xavier. A decision is likely to come within the next two or three weeks.
Bliss was in Charlottesville on an official visit this week. He also visited Xavier earlier in the week, and had previously visited Villanova in April. It’s unclear if Miami will get a chance to host him before he decides. His visit to UVA went really well. The Hoos have a pretty good chance. But all four finalists are legitimately in the race. They each had coaches on hand to see him during both evaluation weekends.
Point guard recruiting activity was a major theme of these live periods. Ron Sanchez, in his first recruiting trip since rejoining the staff, was out in California last weekend to see Harvard Westlake (CA) point guard Trent Perry. Virginia offered him a scholarship in May. They’re battling with UCLA and Southern Cal for him.
They’re continuing to evaluate emerging players as well. Coach Bennett’s first stop last weekend was at the Virginia Live event in Alexandria to check out St. Christopher’s (VA) point guard Brandon Jennings. He could be one to watch for as the summer goes on.
What’s clear is that Bennett is determined to get his next point guard in 2024.
Race For Kon
Virginia may have other positions of need,, but no one is more of a priority than Kon Knueppel. The Wisconsin Lutheran wing is coming off an incredible spring of AAU in which he led the Nike EYBL in scoring. All the recruiting websites rightfully have five stars by his name now. He’s just really good, about as advanced offensively as you’ll find for a high schooler.
Tony Bennett was in Wisconsin on Friday, the first opportunity to see Kon this summer. Wisconsin boss Greg Gard was around all weekend. He had other recruits there though. Marquette was on hand too. Those three programs are believed to be the major players in his recruitment. It might not be that simple though. Newcomers are sure to join the race in the weeks ahead. Alabama got that started with an offer this week.
Knueppel has said he’d like to make his college choice by early fall. He was the first 2024 recruit to officially visit Virginia back in February, the weekend of the Duke game.
Eyeing Hodge
Tony Bennett spent the past two days in Philadelphia for Philly Live. The main attraction was St. Rose (NJ) forward Matthew Hodge. He’s been perhaps the biggest stock booster of these June live periods. UVA hasn’t offered him a scholarship yet, but that could be coming soon.
An assistant was there to see him last weekend, followed by the boss’s attention this week. Hodge didn’t disappoint either. He scored 29 points while hitting seven three-pointers in his first game of the weekend on Saturday night, with Bennett in attendance. Last week, he dropped 42 points against St. John’s (DC).
Hodge has Virginia roots. He’s the son of former Old Dominion star and Martinsville native Odell Hodge. ODU recently hosted him on an official visit. Virginia Tech has already offered. So has Maryland. The list will continue to grow. He had a lot of coaches there to see him this weekend and will be a popular attraction at Peach Jam in two weeks.
Virginia’s ideal 2024 recruiting class would currently consist of Bliss, Knueppel, and a forward like Hodge. And getting Bliss could help with Hodge if UVA decides to pursue. They’re AAU teammates.
Local Flavor in 2025
Coaches are devoting more time toward watching rising juniors now, after being allowed to contact them directly earlier this month. They haven’t made offers yet. But early signs point to there being a strong in-state flavor to UVA’s 2025 recruiting board. Three players in particular have received a lot of attention during the June live periods.
St Anne’s Belfield guard Chance Mallory was a top performer at a DMV Live event loaded with high-end recruits. Although undersized at 5’9”, he keeps proving that he can produce at a high clip against the best competition both in the high school and AAU setting. Virginia coaches have been in regular attendance, including Bennett last week.
Highland School wing Nate Ament is the safest bet of any player in the class to be recruited by UVA. I’m not sure how to label him, wing or forward. That will probably depend on how he grows and develops from here. Either way, he’s an elite talent. The Virginia coaching staff has been all over him in June.
And I believe UVA had someone on hand to see Jordan Scott for each of his games at the VHSL event last weekend in Springfield. The South Lakes wing is already a hot commodity. Michigan State in particular is coming hard for him. He took an unofficial visit to UVA last fall.
(Featured Image Credit: DMV Live)