Intel Report 6/02/25: Class of 2026 Reading UVA Extends Seven New Scholarship Offers Next Intel Report 6/18/25: June Live Weekends

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UVA Extends Seven New Scholarship Offers

UVA Extends Seven New Scholarship 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Thijs de Ridder has withdrawn his name from the NBA Draft, signaling that he expects to be ruled eligible for college.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. 

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. 

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. 

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.  

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. 


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