Jon Rothstein Call Virginia Basketball "The Sleeper Team" In The ACC

Mar 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; VCU Rams head coach Ryan Odom reacts during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

Virginia Basketball had a transition season a year ago under interim head coach Ron Sanchez but they might be ready to move back up into the top of the ACC. They hired away Ryan Odom from VCU and had an impressive transfer portal haul afterward, remaking their roster in hopes of getting back to where they were in the conference under Tony Bennett.

I think their offseason is somehow becoming underrated, though, and that the Cavaliers could be a legitimate threat to be among the top teams in the ACC this season. CBS Sports analyst Jon Rothstein feels the same, calling the Cavaliers the "Sleeper Team" in the ACC yesterday:

"I am going with the Virginia Cavaliers and Ryan Odom. There are not any, necessarily, of these additions that wow you when you look at the roster and how it has been constructed, but it feels like Ryan Odom and his staff hit singles and doubles all throughout portal season. Dallin Hall from BYU, played on an NCAA Tournament team, Malik Thomas from San Francisco, Sam Lewis from Toledo, guys that will be able to fill those roles that Ryan Odom wants and I take it all with a grain of salt, but I have heard from several people that I trust that Thijs de Ridder is going to be a major, major import at the college level. When a coach has shown you multiple times that he can win and win at a high level, you are going to give him the benefit of the doubt."

Virginia is the sleeper team in the ACC.

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— Jon Rothstein (@JonRothstein) August 5, 2025

Virginia has crafted an identity around high-level three point shooters and playing at a quick pace and that should have them near the top of the ACC. In a recent article, CBS Sports analyst Matt Norlander named Virginia as one of the most improved teams in the country next season:

"After spending last week on the recruiting trail and checking in with a medley of coaches, I can report that many a coach in college hoops believes Ryan Odom's Virginia Cavaliers will take a big jump in his first season. The Wahoos went 15-17 last season, fated to toil under Ron Sanchez in the wake of Tony Bennett's head-turning retirement in mid-October. Odom was plucked from nearby VCU, given a $10 million-plus roster budget for the upcoming season and has been able to load up on a team that figures to be top-five in the ACC.

BYU transfer Dallin Hall and former Kansas State forward Ugonna Onyenso have to vastly improve their production from last season, and the additions of three high-level mid-major scorers will give Virginia plenty to work with on offense. Malik Thomas (19.9 ppg at San Francisco), Jacari White (17.1 ppg at North Dakota State) and Sam Lewis (16.2 ppg at Toledo) will likely combine to put up more than 30 points per night. Then there's one of the best gets of the offseason, Belgium forward Thijs De Ridder, who has two years of professional experience in Spain underneath his belt. The 6-foot-8 combo forward put up 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 39.1% from 3 in one of the best Euro leagues.

Odom -- who has a career .636 winning percentage over more than a decade of coaching mid-major programs -- is ready for this. Virginia has the pieces. I'll be surprised if the Cavs aren't a single-digit seed in the NCAA Tournament next season."

Mar 20, 2025; Denver, CO, USA; VCU Rams head coach Ryan Odom reacts during the first half against the Brigham Young Cougars in the first round of the NCAA Tournament at Ball Arena. Mandatory Credit: Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images | Isaiah J. Downing-Imagn Images

I think they are one of the most improved teams around the country, and have one of the most underrated transfer portal classes in the country, and it got even better recently with the addition of international forward Thijs de Ridder.

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.