One thing you’ll notice when you look at Ryan Odom’s new-look UVA Basketball roster: just about everybody can shoot from three.
The exceptions: seven-footer Ugonna Onyenso, who hasn’t even attempted a three in his three seasons in college, at Kentucky and Kansas State, and 6’3” point guard Elijah Gertrude, who was 1-for-15 from three in his limited minutes as a freshman at Virginia in 2023-2024.
Everybody else, from projected starting center Johann Grunloh on down, can stretch the floor.
This is, of course, by design.
“As you watch, you know, the NBA, and you watch the college game, you know, the teams that are able to find quality looks in and around the basket, and then also find those quality looks outside at three, have a really good chance, if you’re a good defensive team, to be successful. And so, certainly, we wanted to find guys that fit our system and our style,” Odom told reporters at this week’s mid-summer UVA Basketball media day.
Odom’s 2024-2025 VCU team was in the Top 25 nationally in three-point attempts per game (28.6), though the Rams were sub-200 in shooting from three (33.6 percent).
Shouldn’t have the issue with the suboptimal shooting percentage from three with the group that Odom is bringing on Grounds for the fall and winter.
Odom has nine guys who shot at least 35 percent from three in their most recent season in college, in Europe or in prep ball, beginning with 6’6” Toledo guard Sam Lewis (16.2 ppg, 47.0% FG, 44.4% 3FG in 2024-2025) and 6’3” North Dakota State guard Jacari White (17.1 ppg, 45.2% FG, 39.8% 3FG in 2024-2025), who will get time at the two off-ball guard spots, along with 6’5” San Francisco guard Malik Thomas (19.9 ppg, 44.4% FG, 39.4% 3FG in 2024-2025) and 6’8” redshirt freshman Martin Carrere (8.2 ppg, 42.3% FG, 36.4% 3FG in France in 2023-2024).
Splitting time with Gertrude at the point will be 6’4” BYU transfer Dallin Hall (6.8 points, 4.2 assists, 40.2% FG, 35.3% 3FG in 2024-2025) and incoming freshman Chance Mallory, who averaged 26.0 points per game on 50.6 percent shooting from the field and 39.7 percent shooting from three as a senior at St. Anne’s-Belfield.
The bigs, again, with the exception of Onyenso, can stretch the floor as well – with the 7’0” Grunloh (8.3 ppg, 47.2% FG, 25.7% 3FG in Germany in 2024-2025), 6’8” Thijs de Ridder (10.1 ppg, 53.3% FG, 36.4% 3FG in Spain in 2024-2025) and 6’7” UC-Irvine power forward Devin Tillis (13.7 ppg, 53.5% FG, 39.5% 3FG in 2024-2025) competing for minutes.
Odom will have four and five guys on the floor who can shoot it from the perimeter, which will make it hard for opponents to clog things up like we saw the past couple of years, when it was often the case that Tony Bennett and Ron Sanchez had one guy, poor, lonely Isaac McKneely, who was a consistent threat from three.
“Certainly you want the space, we’re all searching for that space on offense to be able to create, you know, both off the bounce and also, you know, from behind the arc,” Odom said.
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Chris Graham
