Locker Room Access - Virginia

Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder has officially signed with Virginia, it was announced this morning. The 22-year old spent the past two seasons playing for Bilbao of Liga ACB, Spain’s top pro division. He averaged around 10 points and 5 rebounds this season. 

NEWS: Virginia has signed 22-year-old Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder, source told @Rivals.

This past season, the 6’8 De Ridder played for Surne Bilbao Basket, a professional team in Spain where he averaged 9.3 points — shooting 38% from 3.

Projected as a second-round pick,… pic.twitter.com/MELBpG36rb

— Joe Tipton (@TiptonEdits) July 7, 2025

About Thijs de Ridder

De Ridder is a borderline NBA prospect. The 6’8” forward went through the pre-draft process last year before pulling out ahead of the deadline.  He’s considered one of the best players entering college from outside the United States.  Already 22 years of age, we don’t yet know how many years of eligibility the NCAA will grant him. 

The Belgian has spent the last two seasons in Liga ACB, very high level pro basketball.  To put it in perspective, former Virginia stars Justin Anderson and Mike Tobey were in the same league.  De Ridder is used to competing against veteran pros and has more than held his own.  

De Ridder brings a nice blend of skill and ruggedness.  He can stretch the floor as a shooter, knocking down 36% from three-point range this season.  While also being very capable of mixing it up in the paint.  He’s  strongly built and  a surprisingly explosive athlete, which enables him to score efficiently around the rim. 

He projects as a true power forward.  While there may be a adjustment  to the college game, this is certainly a starter-quality addition for Virginia.  With lots of upside to be more than that if he can smoothly make the transition.  

Virginia’s Recruiting Going Forward

With Thijs de Ridder on board, Virginia has 14 players for the 2025-26 season.  That will wrap up the roster.  Focus now is on recruiting high school players in the class of 2026.  

Ryan Odom would like to sign three or four 2026 recruits this fall.   He’s after a pair of guards, a wing forward, and a big man up front..  Several of UVA's top targets are already setting up visits to Charlottesville around football season. 

Cole Cloer, a  combo forward from Greensboro, included UVA in his top 8 last week.  He has said he’ll visit in late August.  Prized in-state power forward Latrell Allmond recently hinted at visit plans as well.  They’re both top 50 ranked players who Odom and his staff have long relationships with, going back to their time at VCU. 

Ryan Odom has made the state of Texas a priority.  Billy White III, a 6’8 forward from Corpus Christi, is already scheduled to visit for the home football opener.  High-scoring guard Bo Ogdon from Austin has a visit date of his own in late September.  And guard Christian Gibson out of Houston is definitely one to watch, with the Hoos in serious pursuit.  

Virginia is involved with a lot of top players in the 2026 class.  Odom has cast a wide net.   It’ll be fascinating to see how his first class actually comes together this fall.  

International Flavor

Overseas recruiting will clearly be a big part of the formula for Virginia under Ryan Odom.  He’s now landed two of this year’s very best European recruits.  It sets up the opportunity to establish a pipeline for the years ahead, particularly if those players find success in Charlottesville. Due to the earning potential of NIL, more high level prospects such as Thijs de Ridder and Johann Grünloh are choosing the college route. Odom has UVA well-positioned to be a leader in that market.

As summer recruiting heats up, the best way to keep track is by becoming a Locker Room Access VIP member.  From recruiting to practice tidbits and all the latest happenings around the Virginia Basketball program, there’s no better coverage on the web.

As coaches head out this week for the start of July’s live evaluation periods,  a full rundown of where things stand with all of UVA’s top targets in the class of 2026 in this edition of the LRA Intel Report. 

De Ridder

Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder will be coming to UVA, the final piece of the 2025-26 roster.  That’s definitive.  The questions are when he’ll be able to enroll and how many years of eligibility the NCAA will grant him.  As our own Josh Burton reported, De Ridder was in Charlottesville for a visit on June 18th.  He took in a practice and got acquainted with his new teammates.  Shortly after that, he officially opted out of his Spanish League contract.  

He and German center Johann Grunloh need student visas.  That’s a hold up unfortunately.  The hope has been that they’ll be able to enroll for the last session of summer school later this month. Obtaining student visas is an issue for international players all across college basketball right now.  UVA will have them both eventually. 

Because of his age, it’s possible De Ridder could only get one year of eligibility, maybe two.   

Recruiting Calendar

We’re about to enter the final stage of the summer evaluation process.  These next two weekends are AAU live periods, the last of the year.  Once that’s over, the class of 2026 recruits will know what all their options are.  A lot of them will then narrow their lists down and they’ll all schedule official visits.  Some of them have already done that.  

The months of September and October are the busiest for official visits and commitments, with home football weekends being the prime visit dates.  The job for Ryan Odom and his staff between now and then is to figure out which recruits to prioritize and then securing visits.  Pay attention to visit dates.  Odom will try as much as possible to get his top choices slotted for the earliest visits, to give them the first opportunity. 

2026 Guards

Mayde Creek (TX) SG Christian Gibson is the one guard that Odom and Griff Aldrich are clearly prioritizing.  UVA should be a serious contender.  Ranked 55th in the class, Gibson finished the spring as the Nike EYBL’s second-leading scorer.  He didn’t do it in the most efficient manner, but the UVA staff loves his shot creation and versatility.  I’ll be curious to see if any new teams enter the race this month, and which other schools seem to be focused on him.  He has offers from Texas Tech, SMU, Houston, and many others.  So far, he hasn’t discussed visit plans.  

Odom would like to add two guards in the 2026 class.  Other than Gibson, he still seems to be figuring out which current targets he has a realistic chance with.  And there will surely be more offers to come this month as new players are evaluated.  

We’re learning that Odom doesn’t back down from recruiting top talent, even when the odds are stacked against him.  He made a trip to see Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr. during the June scholastic live periods. The five-star guard has scheduled three fall visits so far to Alabama, North Carolina, and Texas.  He also carries recent offers from Duke and Kentucky.  It’s a similar situation with Paul VI (VA) combo guard Jordan Smith Jr, ranked 4th in the class.  The goal is just to get a visit from those guys, so the Hoos have a shot.   As much as anything, I think Odom is trying to set the tone going forward that UVA intends to recruit the best.  

It’s clear that Odom is serious about recruiting the state of Texas. He spent a couple days down there during the June live periods.  Shooting guard Bo Ogden, ranked 51st, is scheduled to visit on the weekend of September 25th.  His dad is on the Texas coaching staff, so he’s a bit of a longshot despite the visit plans.  Bryson Howard, the son of former Wake star Josh Howard, is being recruited as well.  He already has a slate of fall visits planned to other schools, and a new Duke offer  

There are several guards that we’re still looking for signs of whether UVA will be in the picture.  Or in some cases, to what extent they’ll be prioritized.  Coaches saw Newman (MA) guard Lucas Morillo in June, signaling an active recruitment.  Link Academy (MO) wing Luca Foster didn’t play during the June live periods,  Wasatch (UT) guard Junior County didn’t either.  We’ll be able to get a better feel for UVA’s involvement over the next two weeks.  And five-star Long Island Lutheran (NY) guard Dylan Mingo has been mentioning UVA.  I’ve heard the staff doesn’t have much of a read on where they stand with him yet.  

The latest offer went to Montverde (FL) wing Jayden Hodge.  He grew up in Belgium and is friends with Thijs de Ridder, which led to UVA throwing their hat in the ring.  His dad is on the coaching staff at Old Dominion.  And you may remember Tony Bennett recruiting his brother Matthew, now at Villanova.  We’ll see how much Odom follows the offer up this month. 

In conclusion, look for Odom to continue pushing for Christian Gibson while identifying a second top target this month.  Whether that’s from the current crop or someone new.  At the same time, expect UVA to stay involved with as many of the names above as possible and try to get visits.  Odom’s way seems to be to win the marathon, just stay in the race and give himself a shot at the end. 

2026 Forwards

Another Texan is a top priority, combo forward Billy White III out of Corpus Christi.  The 48th ranked player in his class is scheduled to visit on the weekend of the football opener at the end of August.  It’s part of a string of planned visits to TCU, Oklahoma, OK State, SMU, LSU, and Maryland.  He just picked up a Kansas offer too.  So plenty of competition.  But Odom and Aldrich have given him a lot of attention.  It’s not surprising to see UVA in the running.  The Hoos have a fair shot. 

The other top target at that combo forward position is Cole Cloer, now at IMG Academy (FL).  He mentioned before that he’s also planning to visit in late August.  I’m not sure that will be the visit date, but UVA will get an official visit.  He went ahead and named a final 8 last week.  Odom was already recruiting him at VCU.  That long relationship gives UVA a chance.  They’re fighting a really tough battle though.  He likes Florida and will be visiting there in early September.  UConn is seriously in the running, as is North Carolina. 

In-state prize Latrell Allmond has said he’ll visit.  No date is set yet.  Ranked 40th ,the 6’8” power forward is following Coach Ty White to Petersburg High.  He’s close with White, who is the director of the Adidas-sponsored Team Loaded AAU.  That doesn't mean Allmond will choose a school affiliated with Adidas, but they will be given every opportunity.  The new UVA staff has helpful ties to Team Loaded of their own.  So far, Odom has done enough to have UVA in the race without quite going all in.  I'll be interested to see if that effort intensifies now that it's clear they're in the hunt.  

After that, the rest of the field is cloudy.  UVA has stayed active with Memphis forward Fred Smith Jr, but he looks to be a secondary target for now.  Things have been quiet with IMG Academy (FL) big man Cody Peck, a NC native.  He didn’t play in June, so we should get a read on UVA’s level of involvement this month. 

There were a pair of new offers last month to big men.  Another Texan, 27th ranked Davion Adkins.  And 33rd ranked Iowa United center Arafan Diane. The next two weeks will reveal whether UVA is seriously pursuing either.  

So in all, a little more clarity in the frontcourt.  Billy White II and Cole Cloer appear to be the top targets for the forward spot.  I doubt that will change.  Look for Odom to search for new big men this month, or at least identify one from the current group to focus effort on.  

What’s Ahead

Coaches will be on the road for a long weekend live period, beginning Thursday.  We’ll have play by play of Odom’s whereabouts on the forum, if you’re into that.   Which players he’s seeing and the new names that emerge. The July live periods are a fun time.  It’s championship season for the major AAU circuits.  

With the coaching change and all the spring chaos, the 2026 recruiting cycle hasn’t been as simple to follow as we’re used to. But the picture is starting to clear up.  UVA is involved with some really good players, and Odom seems to have a bead on at least a few of them.  The class probably won’t be made up entirely of current targets. That’s almost always the case at this point. These next two weeks are important to find new ones.  Then as we head toward fall commitment season, it’ll be exciting to see how Odom’s first class shakes out. 

Appreciate you sticking with us on Locker Room Access! 

Summer practices are underway.  Elijah Gertude is looking like his old self, a full participant in practice.  Belgian forward Thijs de Ridder is on grounds for a visit today.  All signs point to him joining the team eventually.  Everything is good.  So let’s get into high school recruiting…

Scholastic Weekends 

The next two weekends are scholastic live periods.  Coaches will be on the road, attending events in which recruits participate with their school teams.  

Unlike AAU weekends, recruits are scattered all over at different events.  Some of the events are very large, while others are quite small.  There are 32 of them this weekend alone.  It’s not a perfect system.  Not every recruit will take part.  It’s out of their hands whether their school participates.  Most of the relevant teams play one weekend, some of them play both weekends, and some not at all.  

The format forces head coaches to make decisions about which recruits to see.  They can’t be everywhere.  That will be the headline for us, learning or confirming which 2026 recruits are most important to UVA right now.  Meanwhile, the assistants do a lot of evaluating to sort through potential recruits.  It gives them a head start on July.  Particularly this is when they’ll start digging deeper into the class of 2027.  

This Weekend’s Hot Spots

Texas

There’s only one event in the state of Texas.  And as you’d expect, it’s huge. Ryan Odom and/or Griff Aldrich are sure to be in attendance this weekend.  The Hoos are pursuing several 2026 recruits who’ll be in action.  And no doubt interested in evaluating others. 

Guard Bo Ogden has reportedly scheduled an official visit to UVA for late September.  His dad is on the Texas coaching staff, so he still figures to be difficult to land.  But a visit at least gives the Hoos a shot.  And I believe UVA is serious in their pursuit of both guard Christian Gibson and newly offered forward Billy White III.  They’ll all be there this weekend.  

North Carolina

You can count on UVA having a presence at the NC private school event in Greensboro, primarily to see Caldwell Academy wing Cole Cloer.  He also has an official visit scheduled, for the home football opener in late August.  UVA has a real shot there, battling with UNC and Florida.  

DC

DMV Live at DeMatha is probably the most popular June event, a lock to attract UVA coaches.  There are several other events in the area.  DC Live at Sidwell.  And separate events for Virginia private and public schools are both in nearby Northern VA.  The UVA staff will likely make stops at all of them.   

Five-star Paul VI (VA) guard Jordan Smith Jr. is doubtful for this weekend.  He recently suffered an ankle injury. Richmond forward Latrell Allmond will be at DC Live.  His recruitment seems to be an uphill fight, but Odom and staff so far are giving it their best swing. 

Davidson Day (NC) with big man William Stevens will be at DeMatha. It’s an opportunity for him to turn the tide a bit.  He hasn’t had a great spring of AAU, so it’s likely that UVA and other power conference schools who’ve offered are thinking of backing off.  

Others

The New England Prep League holds events both weekends.  Whether it’s this weekend or next, I’d expect Odom to be there.  UVA just offered Newman School guard Lucas Morillo.  And his teammate, forward Quinn Costello, could be one to watch.  He was the breakout player at Top 100 Camp.  

UVA will surely have someone in Arizona this weekend for the Section 7 event.  It’s a mega event, with teams from all over the west.  UVA is recruiting Millennium (AZ) guard Cameron Holmes.  He’s probably a bit of a longshot, but he has talked about visiting in the fall.  

The Tennessee event is this weekend in Nashville. UVA is a contender for Briarcrest wing Fred Smith.  He might have something to prove after a lackluster showing at Top 100 Camp.  They’ve also offered Greeneville forward Trey Thompson.  

I think that’s it for the 2026 targets this weekend.  UVA is involved with several players on national prep teams that get left out of these scholastic events.  Link Academy (MO) wing Luca Foster, IMG Academy (FL) forward Cody Peck, Iowa United center Arafan Diane, and Wasatch (UT) guard Junior County.  Newly offered big man Davion Adkins and his team aren’t listed for the Texas event.  And Blair Academy (NJ) point guard Deron Rippey Jr. is with Team USA at the U19 World Cup.  He’s probably a lost cause anyhow after picking up Duke and Kentucky offers.