Virginia freshmen Traudt, Bond decide to take a redshirt

By Jerry Ratcliffe

Two members of Virginia’s prized freshman recruiting class, Isaac Traudt and Leon Bond III, are planning to be redshirted this season.

Tony Bennett made the announcement just prior to UVA’s win over Monmouth on Friday night, then talked about the move in his postgame.

“We’re going to take this kind of a month at a time and look at it, but with Leon, I think he decided after that first game (Monday’s win over NC Central),” Bennett said. “It’s always up to the players.

“Isaac Traudt and I talked and he just said, ‘I think I can really go to work and develop my body.’ He said right now, ‘I think I want to do that,’ so that’s the plan, and I’m thankful he did because everyone would have played in this game and once a guy plays, you burn that.”

Traudt is a 6-foot-10, 229-pound forward from Grand Island, Neb., and Bond is a 6-5, 200 guard-forward from Wauwatosa, Wis.

“We have a great track record with redshirts,” Bennett said. “Those decisions were made consulting us, but really by [the players] and their families. Things can always change, but those guys have a bright future and you’ve just got to look at the guys who’ve redshirted in our program and you can feel pretty good about that.”

One of those guys that redshirted was De’Andre Hunter, who went on to help lead Virginia to the 2019 national championship and recently just signed a $90 million contract extension with the NBA’s Atlanta Hawks.

Some of the other Wahoos who redshirted along their path to greatness were Malcolm Brogdon, Mamadi Diakite, Jay Huff and Jack Salt.

Another member of UVA’s present freshman class, guard Isaac McKneely, who rooms with Traudt, said he had talked with him about the decision.

“Yeah, we chatted a little bit and I think at first he didn’t know if he wanted to [redshirt], but I think he sat down with his family and thought about it and then decided to redshirt,” McKneely said. “It’s a good time for him to get better and work, but he’s still going to push us in practice. He’s been playing really well in practice.

“But I think this redshirt will be good for him. He’ll still have four years after this and he’s going to be scary good. I’ve got a lot of faith in him and I can’t wait to suit up with him next year. He’s going to be just fine.”