Thijs de Ridder arrived at Virginia in the summer as a guy that was a borderline second-round NBA Draft pick, told to do a year of college basketball to burnish his credentials for the 2026 draft.
Seems to me that he’s done everything he was asked to do – the counting numbers have him averaging 17.0 points and 6.3 boards per game, shooting 53.8 percent from the floor, 36.1 percent from three, getting to the line 5.4 times per game.
The rebounding numbers are a little suspect.
And then, there’s this odd note to make here: he’s attempted just eight dunks this season, which seems low for a 6’9” guy who averages 11.3 field-goal attempts per game, 7.6 per game in the post – 5.0 per game at the rim.
The rebounding and dunk data play into the criticisms I’m seeing from the mock-draft analysts – that de Ridder, while being fundamentally sound, might be lacking in the athleticism area.
I hate to say so, but, yeah, I see what they’re saying.
The worst thing you can say about a talent in terms of their NBA readiness is, they’re not athletic enough.
That’s a kiss of death.
De Ridder is a really, really good college big, and unlike other really, really good college bigs whose games weren’t made for the NBA – thinking here: Drew Timme, Armando Bacot, Hunter Dickinson – de Ridder has perimeter skills.
Not only is he a 36.1 percent shooter from three, on decent volume – 2.9 3FGA/game – he’s also hit 50 percent of his midrange jumpers (9-of-18).
And he has great touch and footwork in the paint and around the rim, which is what makes him so effective around the basket.
At the college level.
I’d question, if I were an NBA front-office type, how his skills, at 6’9”, would translate at the next level.
He’s not quite big enough to play the four, maybe not quick enough, either.
Definitely not quick enough to steal minutes at the three spot.
His skill set fits a five at the next level; problem being, you’re not playing the five in the NBA at 6’9”.
Life ain’t fair when you have to point this out, but de Ridder is probably 2-3 inches too short for his skill set to make him a contributor in the NBA.
One talent evaluator that I found online said of de Ridder that he’s got a low ceiling, which, I will note, is a look at his NBA outlook.
De Ridder is a top-level talent at the college level, as we’ve seen this season.
He’d be a value for that one season remaining of NCAA eligibility if he were to decide to return.
I wouldn’t bat an eye at giving him low seven figures to make another run at it next season.
I just don’t see de Ridder necessarily getting the draft love that we’ve been expecting for our guy.
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Chris Graham
