This edition of the Locker Room Access mailbag is loaded with fan questions from twitter on recruiting, as UVA looks to grab one more in their 2023 class while setting the table for 2024.
We’re having some technical problems with the blog site, so I’m publishing this on the forum instead.
UVA is trying to get one more 2023 recruit ahead of the upcoming early signing period. Link Academy (MO) guard Cameron Carr was in town for an official last weekend. There are four teams involved with him. He’s already visited Northwestern and Kansas State, and is at Tennessee this weekend for an official.
Your guess is as good as mine where he’ll end up. Northwestern and K-State each have assistant coaches with personal ties to Carr and his family, and they’ve been after him much longer. It’ll be interesting to see if the more successful track records at Virginia or Tennessee can overcome that. And if so, which one. We should find out his verdict over the next couple weeks.
I think Carr will be UVA’s last attempt at a 2023 recruit, at least for the early signing period. Other than that, they’ve already shifted focus toward the 2024 class.
They’ll most likely add another 2023 recruit either way though, even if it’s not until Spring. Ideally someone similar to Carr, a wing or combo guard, who doesn’t interfere with what they’re doing in 2024.
UVA has handed out a pair of recent scholarship offers to point guards in the 2024 class. Last week to Daniel Freitag out of Minnesota, and then on Monday to Travis Perry from Kentucky.
I think the field is more set with Perry, meaning we pretty well know who the contenders are. Just because of that, I like UVA’s chances better. His offer from Kentucky does complicate things a bit. Even if he isn’t their first priority, the door is open there. Purdue is probably the early favorite though. They’re coming for him hard.
Freitag’s recruitment should continue to expand, especially by next Spring. Wisconsin is the team to overcome for now. He’s on an official visit there this weekend.
There’s not enough to go on yet to declare one a priority over the other. They have ground to make up with both. But as long as they recruit them full-go from this point on, which you’ve got to expect, UVA will be hard to beat for either with the early opportunity available.
So right now, they’re basically recruiting for three spots in the 2024 class. A point guard of course as covered above. They’ll want a forward, with the top targets being Jarin Stevenson from Seaforth (NC) and Caleb Williams from Sidwell (DC). And a second guard or wing player, Isaiah Abraham from Paul VI (VA) and Kon Knueppel from Wisconsin Lutheran being the prime targets there.
Pick one from each category, and that’s pretty dreamy. Once next season’s roster is finalized in the Spring, they’ll have a clearer plan and could possibly be after more than that.
Obviously the point guards top the list. They’re by far the most important. Beyond that, it’s hard to say right now. Typically, we can kind of see a pecking order taking shape just by which players Bennett has gone to see in the Fall. But because they were still after 2023 recruits, there wasn’t as much of that.
My guess would be Sidwell Friends (DC) forward Caleb Williams. He’s already visited a couple times. Coach Williford has been a regular at Sidwell this Fall. I think they’re in a good spot with him. Michigan and Villanova are the top competition.
Seaforth (NC) forward Jarin Stevenson was the first 2024 recruit offered by Virginia. But North Carolina has always been considered as a heavy favorite for the five-star prospect. That could be changing though. With their recent commitment from 2023 forward Zayden High, it’s getting a little crowded in the frontcourt for the Tar Heels.
No, I don’t think Stevenson is a lock for UNC now at all. It still won’t make him easy to get for UVA. What’s already happening is that others recognize the window of opportunity opening. Kentucky was in to see him last week. And UNC will continue to be a factor. But yeah, UVA has a real chance. Certainly better than a few weeks ago.
As for under the radar recruits, it’s early for that.
Option C is the plan for now, while staying open to all possibilities. With Bennett sinking his teeth into 2024 point guards, it’s doubtful he’ll let that go. I don’t think they’ll be determined to get a transfer point guard, but if the right player is available they’d certainly go for it. With McKneely, Gertrude, and possibly Carr to go along with Beekman, there’s enough ball handlers to carry the load next season if need be.
One potential late 2023 recruit that could be worth watching is Dontae Russo-Nance, the New Zealand import at Oak Hill Academy. He’s currently in the 2024 class, but there’s a good chance he’ll choose to reclassify. Coach Vandross was down there checking him out a couple weeks ago. He’s a high-level prospect, and will be a popular recruit by Spring once coaches have seen him this season at Oak Hill.
Shaedon Simpson is a class of 2023 wing at Combine Academy in North Carolina. He’s mentioned interest from UVA recently after the coaches noticed him while there recruiting 2024 wing Rakease Passmore.
If UVA doesn’t get Cameron Carr, they’ll continue to evaluate available seniors like Simpson over the course of the season to consider for the late signing period. He’s an intriguing guy, a great athlete who’s had some past injury issues that’s kept him under the radar.
They’ll definitely look to bring in frontcourt help. I expect that to be high on their transfer portal shopping list this Spring. Part of the issue is due to losing Igor Milicic to transfer and then replacing him with the older Ben Vander Plas. It left them in a position where they’ll probably need to do it all over again.
Another thing to consider is that Leon Bond will predominantly be used as a small-ball power forward. And Ryan Dunn may at times too. So, they’re not quite as thin as they look on paper. But yeah, there’s still some help needed.
It’s also possible they bring in another true big man as part of the 2024 class. There’s already activity in that area. Bennett was in to see Sycamore (OH) center Raleigh Burgess recently, an AAU teammate of Travis Perry actually. Assistants have checked out several others.
Point guard London Johnson out of Norcross High in Georgia was a prime recruiting target for UVA early on in the 2023 cycle. It turned into a really weird situation, as he set announcement dates multiple times without following through. He ended up skipping college to sign with the G-League Ignite, a deal reportedly worth $1.1 million over two years.
Yeah, London would have committed to UVA if the G-League hadn’t come calling. He already had privately, just never announced. The G-League offer came during the Nike Hoop Summit in April just before he was set to announce for Virginia, leading to the awkwardness and delays.
Great point. Bennett would prefer all three of his guards on the floor to be, well guards. Ideally all of them capable of running the point, almost interchangeable. We used to joke that he collects combo guards because nearly every guard he recruited was described that way. I think that’s been a weakness the last couple years, too few reliable ball handlers.
They’re trying to do exactly that, get a true point guard and a combo like Cameron Carr by 2024.
Isaac Traudt is one of the best freshmen shooters in the country. He won the three-point contest at Top 100 Camp last summer. Because he’s 6’10, people probably don’t think of him that way. He’s such a unique talent. I’d still give the edge to his roommate McKneely for best on the team. Depends how you measure. They’re both elite.
With all the veterans that UVA has up front, he’ll certainly need to earn his role. But I completely expect that to happen, and for him to be firmly in the rotation.
I’m a Blake Buchanan believer for sure. Love the fit at UVA for the big fella from Idaho. He’s so agile for his size. I think that’s the first thing Bennett looks for in a big man. He plays with a great motor and doesn’t shy away from physicality.
As always with big guys, patience is required. But those blue collar qualities make him a safe bet, and there’s a lot of upside in the package as he continues to improve in the skill department. The most exciting part to me is that he had his best games over the summer against the best competition. He’s a competitor.
) would prolly call this blasphemy.