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Four-Star VCU Commit Silas Barksdale Flips to Virginia Basketball

Matt Newton

Silas Barksdale/IG
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The first arrival of Ryan Odom's VCU to Virginia pipeline comes from the high school recruiting trail, as four-star VCU commit Silas Barksdale has flipped his commitment to Virginia, he announced on social media on Wednesday afternoon (April 2). This is the second high school commit Odom has landed since becoming head coach of the UVA men's basketball program, as Chance Mallory pledged to the Cavaliers just a few hours after Odom was officially announced as head coach.

A 6'9" center from Hampton, Virginia who played his high school basketball at Woodside High School in Newport News, Barksdale initially committed to VCU last September, choosing the Rams over offers from Butler, Miami, Illinois, Tennessee, Maryland, Iowa, Mississippi State, Pittsburgh, Virginia Tech, and Seton Hall. Shortly after his commitment to VCU, Barksdale experienced a significant rise in the recruiting rankings, jumping 60 spots in the 247Sports rankings for the class of 2025. Currently, 247Sports has him listed as the No. 88 overall prospect in the class of 2025, the No. 11 center in the country, and the No. 5 overall recruit in the Commonwealth of Virginia. ESPN also has Barksdale rated as a four-star recruit.

Of course, Ryan Odom leaving VCU to take the Virginia job led many to believe that Barksdale might reconsider his college decision. Sure enough, Barksdale decided to follow Odom to Virginia, giving UVA's new head coach another talented young player around which to build his program as his tenure in Charlottesville begins. Barksdale told 247Sports' Dushawn London that "it was a very tough decision", but also added that "growing up I've always been a big fan of UVA."

Watch the video below for some highlights of Silas Barksdale playing for the Boo Williams Nike EYBL AAU program last summer:

With Barksdale's commitment, Virginia now has an incoming freshman class that includes two players who are both four-star recruits, both top 100 recruits in the class of 2025, and both top five recruits in the Commonwealth of Virginia. Barksdale and Mallory are UVA's first Virginia native high school commits (on scholarship) since B.J. Stith in 2014.

Virginia Basketball 2025 High School Recruiting Class

  • Chance Mallory (Charlottesville, VA): four-star point guard, No. 54 overall, No. 3 in Virginia
  • Silas Barksdale (Hampton, VA): four-star center, No. 88 overall, No. 5 in Virginia

The Cavaliers are hopeful that Barksdale won't be the only VCU guy to follow Odom to Virginia. Brandon Jennings and Luke Bamgboye, who just wrapped up their freshman seasons at VCU, are both in the transfer portal and both reportedly took visits to UVA last weekend. With the Cavaliers having an abundance of roster spots available following the exodus of all but two of their scholarship players from this past season, Odom and Co. are looking to get the ball rolling in the portal with a couple of commitments from Jennings and Bamgboye.

Keep track of all of the players Virginia has contacted in the transfer portal here: Virginia Basketball: Transfer Portal Contact Live Tracker

Stay up to date on all the latest Virginia basketball transfer portal activity, including outbound transfers from the current roster and UVA's effort to pursue players in the portal, here: Virginia Basketball Transfer Portal: Latest News and Updates

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.