The 2025–2026 college basketball season may still be a few months out, but the ACC has announced the schedule for this year’s men’s and women’s basketball media days. Virginia men’s head coach Ryan Odom will make his first media day appearance on Wednesday, October 8, alongside representatives from Florida State, Miami, NC State, Notre Dame, and Virginia Tech. On the women’s side, media day is set for Monday, October 6, featuring teams including Duke, Florida State, Georgia Tech, North Carolina, and SMU.
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See you at ACC Tipoff, October 6–8 in the Queen City! pic.twitter.com/8sL5elYuU7
— The ACC (@theACC) July 11, 2025
Odom has been steadily building a strong roster for his debut season as Virginia’s head coach, and that effort got a major boost with the commitment of international prospect Thijs de Ridder. As William Smythe of our staff analyzed:
“With German center Johann Grünloh already in the fold to strengthen the frontcourt, Coach Ryan Odom adds another valuable piece in de Ridder — an experienced forward who averaged 9.3 points per game and shot 38% from beyond the arc for Bilbao during the 2024–25 season. The Belgian standout also made an impact in the 2023 FIBA U20 European Championship, where he averaged 16.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game, helping Belgium to a fourth-place finish.
With de Ridder, Grünloh, UC-Irvine transfer Devin Tillis, and Kansas State transfer Ugonna Onyenso, Virginia now boasts one of the most complete frontcourts in the ACC. Highly touted freshman Silas Barksdale, a top-100 recruit from in-state, will likely spend the season developing behind this experienced group, while sophomore center Carter Lang returns as one of the few holdovers from last year’s roster. Odom has quickly addressed concerns about the team’s size and depth in the post.
During his previous stints at Utah State and VCU, Odom often turned to international talent for key contributors — including Max Shulga (Ukraine), Sean Bairstow (Australia), and Luke Bamgboye (England). He’s continued that trend at Virginia with the help of associate head coach Griff Aldrich and assistants Bryce Crawford and Matt Henry.
While Tillis is highly regarded, de Ridder is expected to step in as a likely starter next to Grünloh. He brings the ability to stretch the floor — shooting 35.6% from three in Liga Endesa — and has the size (6’8″, 216 pounds) to hold his own in the paint. Virginia hopes this revamped frontcourt can help them regain an edge inside, particularly in rebounding and interior scoring — two areas that have been recent weaknesses. And with versatile bigs who can shoot from the perimeter, the Cavaliers will create space for dynamic playmakers like Malik Thomas, the WCC’s leading scorer last season at 19.9 points per game, to operate.”
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