Latest Stock Report for Virginia After Dominant Victory Over NC State

The Virginia Cavaliers experienced a major boost in confidence on Tuesday night after defeating NC State 90-61. This was Virginia's largest margin of victory against the Wolfpack since 1991.

This win brought the Cavaliers up to 25-3 overall and 13-2 in conference play, extending their winning streak to a shocking nine games. The end of their regular season is nearing, but at this rate, the Hoos won't be done anytime soon.

Let's take a look at three players who were able to raise their stock after defeating NC State before they take on the Duke Blue Devils this weekend.

Johann Grünloh

Johann Grünloh powered UVA's defense against the Wolfpack. By the end of the game, he had logged three points, four rebounds, one assist and eight timely blocks. His season averages now amass 7.8 points, 5.6 rebounds, 0.8 assists and 2.4 blocks per game.

The 7'0" freshman sputtered toward the middle of the season and was not nearly as productive, but it seems he's building momentum just in time for Virginia's matchup against the Blue Devils this weekend.

"... Johann was unbelievable tonight, having eight blocks. It's impressive," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference. "And he was just very clean with it, like he was there with his body and in between them, in the basket, and a couple times came out of nowhere—like he did the other night, just really excited for his development—just the energy that he's playing with right now is really, really solid."

Thijs De Ridder

This freshman forward was the prime example of a budding star, but at this point, he's a full-fledged superstar. De Ridder finished with 19 points, four rebounds and two assists, shooting 70.0% from the floor. He continues to play a key role for the Cavaliers in very critical moments. UVA currently ranks fifth in the ACC when it comes to points (82.3), and much of that success has to do with De Ridder, as evidenced by his performance this week.

"That was huge. Jacari did that last game, drove it all the way to the basket, stopped and threw it back out to Sam," said Odom. "And for Thijs to do that, that was huge. I thought our guys did a nice job several times, more than several times, in transition, of just making clean decisions, getting layups or open shots."

Elijah Gertrude

Elijah Gertrude is not typically a headliner for the Cavaliers, but he certainly turned heads at John Paul Jones Arena on Tuesday night. When the clock was dwindling to the final moments of the game, the 6'4" sophomore sent in a thrilling slam dunk for the Hoos. Energy from the roaring crowd radiated from the arena. Perhaps this moment will be enough to grant him some additional opportunities on the court. In reference to Gertrude, Odom stated:

"Elijah. How about Elijah? Our fans, our team, obviously, were so excited for him. He's a really good player, and I haven't been able to get him in there as much as we needed to, but he's just a dynamite kid."