We’re already less than a month away from Virginia basketball’s season tipping off against Rider on Nov 3. With that being said, the ‘Hoos had head coach Ryan Odom attend ACC Tip Off along with transfer guards Malik Thomas and Dallin Hall.
Both Thomas and Hall had glowing reviews of their first few months in Charlottesville.
“It’s a great community,” Hall told the Field of 68: After Dark podcast on Wednesday. “Very college town feel, which I love. You go around town and people are already talking about
UVA basketball, and that’s with our football team having a great year.”
Coming from BYU, Hall added that he feels pressure joining the ‘Hoos, but considers it a “privilege.”
“The people who have come before us at UVA have obviously created an incredible culture and we just want to build on top of that,” he said.
Hall joins Virginia’s roster with 61 starts and 100 games under his belt. He averaged 7.7 points and 4.1 assists per game through his career with the Cougars and posted a career-high 22 points against Iowa State on March 4 last season. He shot 4-for-6 from beyond the arc in the game.
“Coach Odom brought me in to really lead this team at that point guard position, so I’ve just been trying to connect with my teammates on and off the court,” Hall said. “Skill-wise, I’m trying to shoot it off the bounce, pick and roll, and I’m becoming a better catch-and-shoot threat.”
Later in the day, with the ACC Network crew, one of the personalities joked about Odom recruiting Hall to Charlottesville after BYU eliminated Odom’s VCU from the NCAA Tournament.
Hall shut down “any weird vibes” between the two before giving an honest answer about his decision to transfer.
“Coach Odom is obviously a huge reason why I’m at UVA, probably the biggest reason,” Hall said. “Just being able to play for him, learn from him, and be around guys of high character and have a community like UVA, that supports their sports at such a high level, has made the transition really fun and we’re super excited for the season.”
During Odom’s introductory statement, he mentioned that “the ACC is poised for a resurgence,” after having its lowest number of NCAA tournament bids since 2000. The ACC hasn’t had more than five teams make the NCAA tournament since 2022.
“We know it’s going to be a great season,” Odom said. “The ACC is poised for a resurgence, we know that. Great coaches, great players, and great leadership within this league, and we’re happy to be a part of it.”
Virginia was 8-12 in the ACC last season, which was the Cavaliers’ first sub-500 conference record since 2010-11. Odom led VCU to a 15-3 conference record in the A10 last year.
When asked to break down some of Virginia’s top talent, Malik Thomas had a glowing review of German forward Thijs De Ridder, whom he calls “The Tank.”
“Thijs is a powerhouse,” Thomas said on the Field of 68: After Dark podcast. “The way he gets downhill in transition, the way he’s able to create for himself, and now he’s starting to create for others. He’s a very strong, experienced individual who knows how to win at a high level.”
Thomas added that De Ridder has had some practices where he’s been able to convert more than three consecutive catch-and-shoot 3-pointers.
The podcast hosts tasked Hall with describing Virginia’s other European addition, center Johann Grünloh, and he called the 7-foot Grünloh an “elite rim protector.”
“In practice, if he’s on your team, you love it,” Hall said. “But if he’s not on your team, you hate to see him underneath the rim. He’s also a great individual. Both of these guys are high-character dudes, and all they care about is winning.”
