UVA Basketball Officially Announces the Signing of Thijs de Ridder

“We are excited and fortunate to add Thijs to our basketball program,” Odom said. “Thijs is talented, experienced and competitive. He will have an immediate impact in our frontcourt, and we look forward to his arrival on Grounds.”

Thijs De Ridder is a 6-8, 231-pound skilled power forward who played the last two seasons for Surne Bilbao Basket in Spain’s Liga Endesa. In 2024-25, De Ridder averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds, shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from 3-point range. De Ridder averaged 6.4 points and 4.2 rebounds per game on 51.5 percent shooting from the field and 36 percent from 3-point range in 2023-24.

De Ridder appeared in six games for Belgium in the 2025 European Championship Qualifiers and also participated in the FIBA U20 European Championship in 2022 and 2023. He led Belgium to a fourth-place finish in 2023, averaging 16.9 points and 9.6 rebounds per game in seven contests. De Ridder was named Belgian Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, and Big Man of the Year in 2023 and one of Liga ACB’s Top 5 Young Guys in 2025.

Our own William Smythe broke down the addition of de Ridder:

"Having already nabbed German center Johann Grünloh to bolster the frontcourt, Coach Ryan Odom has another weapon with which to work in de Ridder, an elder statesman who averaged 9.3 PPG and shot 38% from three in 2024-25 with Bilbao. The Belgian also represented his country in the 2023 FIBA U20 Games and represented it well, recording 16.9 PPG and 9.6 RPG en route to a fourth-place finish.

The ‘Hoos now have one of the most well-rounded frontcourts in the ACC, consisting of de Ridder, Grünloh, UC-Irvine forward Devin Tillis, and Kansas State center Ugonna Onyenso. Freshman forward Silas Barksdale — a top-100 recruit from Virginia — will likely take this year to develop under this rotation, and sophomore center Carter Lang is one of three returning Cavaliers. Odom has quickly assuaged concerns about Virginia’s lack of size.

At Utah State and VCU, he dipped into the international ranks for some of his top contributors — point guard Max Shulga (Ukraine), shooting guard Sean Bairstow (Australia), and center Luke Bamgboye (England), among several others. Odom has continued that recruiting momentum at Virginia with the help of associate head coach Griff Aldrich and assistant coaches Bryce Crawford and Matt Henry.

As bullish as I am on Tillis, de Ridder looks like a surefire starter alongside Grünloh. He can stretch the floor with a 35.6% 3PT across Liga Endesa play and has the frame (6’8, 216 lbs.) to slot in as a power forward. Virginia will hope to reassert some dominance on the interior, as well, as they have struggled with rebounding and consistent scoring in the paint. While both of Odom’s international additions are three-point shooting assets, they should not be bullied inside. This versatility will open up opportunities for Virginia’s myriad shooters and playmakers, including San Francisco’s Malik Thomas (19.9 PPG) — the WCC’s scoring leader last season."