I’ve been getting questions on the status of UVA Basketball freshman Silas Barksdale, a four-star power forward from Newport News who was a big get for Ryan Odom, and has yet to see the floor for the ‘Hoos this season.
Barksdale originally committed to play for Odom at VCU, then flipped when Odom got the job at Virginia.
The 6’9” big averaged 22 points and 15 boards a game at Woodside High School as a senior.
From the look of things, Barksdale has been on the floor pregame and between halves for warmups with the team, so, I’m guessing here, it’s not an injury thing.
And yet, Barksdale hasn’t gotten in either of Virginia’s first two games, both blowout wins that wrapped with Odom emptying the bench, including giving minutes to walk-ons Desmond Roberts and Owen Odom, the latter, Ryan Odom’s son.
My best guess: Barksdale is redshirting, due to the glut of bigs ahead of him in the rotation – starters Thijs de Ridder and Johann Grunloh, reserves Ugonna Onyenso and Devin Tillis, the latter of those, Tillis, currently out after undergoing a minor procedure on his knee.
I put a question in to the media-relations folks at UVA Athletics on Barksdale, and was told that there is nothing official on his status.
That’s what we have, for now.
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Chris Graham
