Is Martin Carrere really the playmaking 'Unicorn' that Ryan Odom thinks he is?

One of the hottest topics amongst Virginia basketball fans lately has been G/F Martin Carrere and his potential to basically be a 6'9" point guard for Ryan Odom and Co. this year. Though he definitely doesn't have the typical build for a position expected to initiate the offense, Coach Odom wholeheartedly believes that he can do it.

Odom has said multiple times this offseason that Carrere is a legitimate facilitator, and he could be in the running to act as one of the secondary ball-handlers for UVA this season.

Ryan Odom doesn't hold back

In a July media presser, Odom was asked if there were any other players in contention to handle the ball and/or initiate the offense besides Chance Mallory and Sam Lewis heading into 2026. He responded with:

"I think certainly we're always trying to make sure that we're putting the pieces in the right places. Martin is a very good handler. He's somebody that could be a guy that could fit into that role."

This was a massive surprise to Wahoo Nation, as most UVA basketball fans thought of him as a depth or rotational forward who can stretch the floor on offense. That's about it. The fact that Ryan Odom has been talking about him like he's a guard over the past month or so is incredibly intriguing and makes you want to dive into his previous performances a lot more.

I actually believe in Martin Carrere long term.

Not sure he’s a Power Five guy, but there’s a reason Ryan Odom brought him from VCU.

The 6’9” forward can flat-out shoot it.

Biggest question is whether he has enough athletic pop at this level. pic.twitter.com/t7HLxAFCgv
— JPR (@Scouting_Col) August 4, 2026

Carrere's scoring ability has always been his calling card, and it'll be interesting to see if he can successfully create plays for himself and his teammates in 2026/2027 now that we know he can legitimately handle the ball in Ryan Odom's system.

Though he didn't impress as a scorer in his first year at UVA in 2025/2026 after transferring over from VCU (38.5% FG), it obviously didn't affect Odom's impression of him as a player heading into the offseason.

Everyone knows that the traditional point guard depth behind Chance Mallory is pretty bleak right now, so the team will likely have to pivot to versatile guys like Sam Lewis, Jan Vide, Elijah Gertrude, and Carrere to potentially see legitimate minutes at the point if Mallory needs a breather this year.

It would be surprising, but incredibly exciting if Martin Carrere turns into a player like the Brooklyn Nets' Egor Dëmin, a 6'8"+ combo guard/forward with a similar build to Carrere's, in 2026.

Not many players of significant size can do the types of things that Ryan Odom believes Carrere can do, and if Virginia really does have a 6'9" "unicorn" on its roster, then the 2026/2027 season could be an exciting one for UVA fans.

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