COMMITMENT: UVA basketball signs international prospect Thijs De Ridder

Published 3 days ago• 3 minute read

After months of speculation, Ryan Odom and the Virginia Cavaliers finally earned a commitment from Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder on Monday.

Sources: International prospect Thijs De Ridder has committed to Virginia.
De Ridder’s NCAA eligibility is still pending, but the 6-8 F will be joining the Cavaliers this summer.
Significant pickup for Ryan Odom.
— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) July 7, 2025

Monday’s news doesn’t yet guarantee that De Ridder will be suiting up for Virginia in November — he’s still waiting on the NCAA to approve his bid for eligibility — but at the very least the 6-foot-8 international prospect will be joining the ’Hoos this summer, adding to an already impressive recruiting run by Ryan Odom this offseason.

Considered one of this year’s top international prospects, De Ridder is a huge get for the ’Hoos. At 22 years old, he’s already multiple seasons of professional basketball in Europe and was a projected second-round pick in the NBA Draft before he pulled his name out last month.

This past season, De Ridder played for Surne Bilbao Basket in Spain where he averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds per game while shooting 38% from beyond the arc.

6’8 Thijs De Ridder has put together a strong season for Bilbao in the ACB
He’s averaging 10.6 points, 5.4 rebounds and 0.8 assists per game while shooting 54% and 38.3% from 3 on 2.1 attempts per game
The 22-year old, dominated in all Fiba youth competitions, 6’8 with… pic.twitter.com/2UN0WPyV2r
— Arman Jovic (@PDTScouting) May 7, 2025

Assuming the NCAA awards him eligibility for next season, De Ridder figures to slide into the starting five alongside Johann Grünloh — another big-time international signing by Ryan Odom — in the frontcourt. De Ridder is a three-level scorer who can get it done in the paint and spread the floor with a nice outside jumper. His big frame also makes him a strong presence on the glass — De Ridder averaged 9.6 rebounds per game in the 2023 FIBA U20 Games.

As other reports mentioned, Thijs de Ridder is still waiting on NCAA eligibility.
Prevailing thought is just a matter of how many years for de Ridder.
One other delay will be student visas for Johann Grünloh and de Ridder after there was a pause earlier this summer in the U.S.
— Preston Willett (@PrestonWillett) July 7, 2025

De Ridder is likely one of the final pieces of the puzzle in Ryan Odom’s first offseason leading the ’Hoos, and he certainly delivered an exciting crop of new talent heading into year one. With De Ridder, Grünloh, and USF transfer Malik Thomas at the forefront, the ’Hoos will have NCAA Tournament expectations as they head into a new era of basketball in Charlottesville.

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