I’m writing this from a bench in the 30th Street Amtrak station in Philly, so, not only not even home yet, but as I’m putting thoughts to tablet, I just got out of the Uber that drove past the Xfinity Mobile Center, where our 30-win UVA Basketball season ended 15 hours ago.
Too soon.
That one was a fun group to cover – depth that I’ve not seen from a Virginia team in years, bigs who can score and protect the rim, more than one guard who can shoot.
We’ll miss those guys; I wouldn’t have imagined a year ago, on Day 2 of the Ryan Odom era, that he was about to build a roster that would win 30 games, contend for an ACC title, get a #3 seed in the NCAA Tournament.
We would have been happy with 20 wins and a #10 seed in the NCAAs, right?
Now the expectations are impossibly high going forward, of course.
Odom recruited experience, meaning, he will have a lot of holes to fill – with starting guards Dallin Hall and Malik Thomas, and key reserves Jacari White, Ugonna Onyenso and Devin Tillis, all having played their final college games.
That’s five of the nine guys in the rotation.
Looking ahead to next year, then.
Retention
Obviously, it starts with keeping All-ACC first-teamer Thijs de Ridder, starting guard Sam Lewis, seven-footer Johann Grunloh and freshman point guard Chance Mallory on board.
Starting with the Euros, word is, Grunloh is already committed for Year 2, and de Ridder has indicated that he would like to return, assuming his draft stock remains where it is, with his name off the board for the two-round NBA Draft this summer, per the consensus of analysts.
The main consideration for both: $$$$.
I’ve heard nothing definite about either Lewis, a junior with one year of eligibility left, or Mallory, who was Odom’s first recruit, hours after UVA Athletics announced that Odom had gotten the job.
Keep those four, and there’s four of your starting five, good for 100 minutes, give or take, of your 200 floor minutes each night.
Looking outside the rotation:
- Silas Barksdale redshirted this season, but the 6’9” big was a four-star prep recruit, and projects as a contributor in the post, alongside de Ridder and Grunloh.
- Martin Carrere got limited rotation minutes this season, but I can see him working his way into the rotation, as a tweener – at 6’9”, he can give Odom minutes as a big guard with his mobility and shooting from the perimeter, and with his size, he could play some small-ball four alongside Grunloh.
The Gertrude conundrum
Elijah Gertrude also got limited rotation minutes this season, and I wonder if he could be inclined to look elsewhere for his final two years of eligibility.
Gertrude did a remarkable job recovering from the injuries sustained in an offseason scooter accident in 2024 that cost him the 2024-2025 season, and from what little we saw of him, he recovered the bounce and athleticism that made him a four-star prep recruit.
I don’t see him supplanting Mallory as the lead guy at the point, though, and I don’t know that he’s a viable second option there, or for one of the two shooting guard spots, just because his perimeter shooting is suspect.
About Carter Lang
Not ignoring Carter Lang, the 6’9” redshirt sophomore, nor am I not aware that he’s a redshirt sophomore.
Smart kid, who got into both Vanderbilt and UVA, so, I would doubt that he’d transfer down to try to get minutes, a year away from graduation.
Maybe this time next year, as he’s looking at that final year of eligibility, he can find a place that can offer minutes and a free year toward a master’s in something meaningful.
Portal priorities
Assuming de Ridder is back, the first priority would be, another rim protector to spell Grunloh at the five spot.
Grunloh and Onyenso were an elite tandem at the five for Virginia this season.
Ideally, find another Onyenso, who can block 21 shots in three games at the ACC Tournament, and hit the occasional three, right?
One more big, alongside de Ridder, Grunloh and Barksdale, gives you what you need up front.
Assuming Mallory, Lewis and Carrere are back in the backcourt, I’d prioritize a veteran point guard with size to complement Mallory the way Mallory and Hall complemented each other.
And then, shooters – maybe two, with size, and athleticism.
It wouldn’t hurt Odom in terms of style of play to have six guys sharing minutes in the backcourt.
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Chris Graham
