Idk guys I’m still a little worried about missing out on Nick Davidson
A great job by this staff building the team. So much variability in how this could go, but on paper there are not a lot of holes (outside of development players). @Cuts_from_The_Corner and @HoozGotNext have mentioned that a lot of us fans haven’t loved all the steps in the rebuild, with Kyle not getting the love we feel he deserved and some of the players not being wanted back, but it’s not our reputation on the line. This is Odom’s team and performance falls on him alone, so he should be in this with the coaches he feels comfortable with and a team he built.
I am excited about what has been put together. I hope former players and coaches have a great season, but excited for this new team. Go Hoos!
If we can get Thijs De Ridder, I think UVA will be a top 25 team and a contender for ACC regular season title. This will be a very experienced team with proven shooters and scorers at guard, and two European pros (De Ridder and Grünloh) and a defensive monster in Onyenso in the frontcourt. Even our bench players (no matter who starts) represents a competitive team.
We get De Ridder and the 2nd team will likely be Mallory, Gertrude, Lewis, Tillis & Onyenso. Wouldn’t exactly be a crisis if those were the 5 starters.
Odom has Virginia reaching new recruiting heights quickly. Wahoowa ! De Ridder and the Italian to fill out the roster would be INCREDIBLE.
IDGAF about the ACC at this point. I hope we get back to winning NCAAT games first and foremost. A Sweet 16 type run would really ignite our fanbase
Let’s make the mofo tournament them win one for the first time in 7 years. Let that sink in
Dai Dai Ames → Dallin Hall
Isaac McKneely → Jacari White
Andrew Rohde → Malik Thomas
Elijah Saunders → Tillis/De Ridder
Buchanan → Grünloh
Let me upgrade you
Given that the majority of our games against ACC opponents, we have to beat ACC teams first in order to make the tournament. I would take our team over anybody in the ACC (assuming we get De Ridder), even Duke
I think Louisville will be nasty, but I’m a little skeptical of Duke and UNC, especially if Coward goes pro
Is it lame to be a bit peeved about the national media being mostly silent about us landing Malik?
Rothstein didn’t even tweet about him, or any of UVA’s commits. But he did tweet about our outgoing transfers.
I’m unbothered. It’s a weekend commit, it’s Mother’s Day, and I don’t care about getting a special pat on the head 6 months before the season starts.
Rothstein sucks - nothing but the most surface level analysis/thoughts.
National CBB media is also pretty bad imo. There are a few exceptions, but it’s a hard sport to cover well and unfortunately a lot of the people who do are sort of fringe figures.
Any coverage by national media when you’re not a top 10 program is unexpected and a bonus… 350 D 1 teams is hard.
This is one off-season I’m ok being under the radar. Clearly Odom & staff have made the moves necessary to put the team in the hunt, but I’d be ok not carrying a target…at least early on…while team chemistry develops.
Unless I’m much mistaken, his only other offers were from NC State and Gonzaga. If there was Duke/UNC/Kentucky interest, it might have been more newsworthy.