Since this was so popular the last time (I actually have no idea, probably not, just to kill time during down time on the night shifts at work), I present the 2025 edition. I think I’ve actually gotten a lot better at fine tuning the targets both in terms of quality and UVA maybe giving them the look. The hope is to have less D2 level players in this year’s edition. ’
Basically I want to try to get better at identifying the players that staff have on their radar for spring.
This thread is also open to anyone who wants to throw in their own 2025 dream recruits, whether it be a kid from their area they’ve watched a few times or someone they saw on social media or twitter.
Just made it to help the people who don’t care about this stuff not get overwhelmed and what not.
2025: dynamic scoring guard/secondary ball handler and an athletic wing-forward hybrid. And then as wants another shooting wing and a developmental center.
Player: Marcus Jackson
Position: 6’8/6’9 forward & small ball center (not sure if he would fit into the athletic forward role or the potential project center want)
Best attribute: Freak Athlete
School: John Marshall (Richmond Virginia)
AAU team: Team Loaded (was originally Team Thrill with Chance Mallory)
UVA is looking for an athletic forward to pair with Cofie. This kid is super athletic and mobile. Recently transferred to John Marshall from the DMV area. Already has offers from Georgetown, Illinois, and Seton Hall
UVA connection: Williford’s Alma matter. Saw Willy like John Marshall’s open gym dates tweet and he was also at the recent event watching Austin Williford and STAB at as well.
Hurdles: A little too raw but you see the potential. Also HGN is of the opinion that a kid who is both at John Marshall and on Team Loaded is bound for an Adidas College. It would have to be the “right situation” to make it work.
Player: Winters Grady
Position: 6’7 Shooting wing.
Best Attribute: floor spacing
AAU Team: NW Rotary out of Seattle (Same program as Jacob Cofie)
UVA connection: same aau program as Cofie. Both Tony and Sanchez have connections to the Washington area (where his aau program is)
Shooting wing but I think he’s more Kispert than Joe Harris in that he may be more of a small ball 4 man than a wing, like Hauser as well. But Im sure he can play the 3. Had a good summer and actually Transferred to Prolific Prep so will probably be buried behind 5 stars
Player: Will Garlock
Position: 6’11 Center
Best Attribute: Mobility for his position and rim protection.
AAU Team: Team Herro/Phenom hoops (Reece, Rohde)
UVA connection: Tony watched him several times over the summer and in multiple interviews has said UVA is the school recruiting him the hardest that hasn’t offered yet and that he expects UVA in to see him soon. Also Evan flood on Wisconsin site has alluded to a UVA offer changing the dynamic of his recruitment for the Wisconsin priority target. Already has offers from Wisconsin, Marquette, Penn State, and Virginia tech with Purdue and Iowa beginning to enter the picture as well.
Woah. Completely forgot that name or that we recruited him. Just watched a minute of his washington highlights. Might be a dead on comparison in how they move
I’m sure I’ve told this story before but…I talked to Cole Bajema’s AAU coach. Strangely considering we were just talking about Kispert in the other thread, Bajema also played for Friends of Hoop. 3 high major guys in 15 years (Harris, Kispert, Bajema) UVA was involved with them all.
Anyway…last live period out in Vegas, Bajema went off for 30 against EYBL team Howard Pulley. While they’re out to dinner, he gets a call from Tony Bennett to let him know he’d be at their next game. None of his friends on the team believed him haha. They think he made it up. At this point he’s got a couple WCC offers. He had never heard from UVA before. Coaches find out about everything fast, and in July they’ll pounce quick. What makes it fun.
Player: KJ Cochran
Position: 6’3 point guard/scoring guard
Best Attribute: Just a baller. Plays with a cadence. A “complete” player as we would say
School: Perkiomen (Same school as Ryan Dunn)
UVA connection: UVA has hosted him on an unofficial visit. And I believe both Vandross and Williford has gone to watch him during the AAU season
I think he’s really good. I like him a lot. If you combined Reece with D’Angelo Russell into a 3-4 year college player. I was going to say he’s clear top 100 kid next summer but I saw 2025 rankings update and some services are already putting him there ( 75th on the 247 composite but I think he’s top 50 good).
The issue is maybe he’s too much of an on the ball/pure pg. And maybe the fit isn’t there with Bliss? Or maybe he’s not as dynamic as Chance/Acaden? But I reiterate that I like him A LOT. And I think staff do too to at least keep tabs on him.
I don’t have a guy in mind, but I’d love the staff to net their (post-Brogdon) white whale and grab a big driving guard/wing, the kind of guy that gets described as playing “downhill.”
Once we finally have a season where young talented guys are playing and the future is bright with the players already on the roster I can finally abandon my love for recruiting. I really do hope this season is the one to begin that trend of hope I haven’t felt consistently in ages. Las Vegas last year and Reece in general pre-injury gave that hope.
Cochran and Keith Jackson in 2025. And if another scholarship opens, Garlock as the developing center/possible redshirt behind Buchanan and Robinson (with Cofie also getting run at the 5 some).
I do find Marcus Jackson from Richmond to be very very intriguing though if he somehow does become gettable for us.
