By Jerry Ratcliffe
Maryland’s Buzz Williams was going over Virginia’s roster shortly after his Terps had been toppled by the Cavaliers when he came to Thijs De Ridder on the box score. Williams wasn’t familiar with De Ridder’s name, but knew full well what the freshman from Belgium was capable of doing.
“Ooooh, he’s gooood,” the Maryland coach said. “Analytically, he’s off the charts.”
And that comment came after De Ridder’s worst game of the season, one that left the bruising UVA forward distraught and frustrated afterward. Against the Terps, De Ridder scored only 5 points on a 1-for-8 shooting performance and collected a mere four rebounds. The big Belgian was observed silently walking to his car after the game, no words to anyone around him, clearly upset with his performance.
Every opposing coach has raved about De Ridder this season, even when he was off his game. Monday night, American coach Duane Simpkins wasn’t as lucky.
The 22-year-old freshman, who will turn 23 at the end of January, is built like a tank at 6-foot-9, 238 pounds. He scored 13 points before Simpkins and America could blink and 19 of UVA’s first 30 points en route to a career-high 27 points in leading the No. 21 Cavaliers to a 95-51 blowout of the visiting Eagles.
It was 45-25 at the break (De Ridder had 21, triggering the rare countdown to 30 points by a UVA player) and Virginia never looked back as it improved to 11-1. By the way, Kyle Guy was the last Wahoo to hit the magic 30 number, back in 2019.
De Ridder finished with an 11-of-15 shooting performance, quite a contrast from his previous outing, including 3 of 4 from the arc, 8 rebounds and 2 steals. Oh, and a couple of nice breakaway dunks.
“This was a big step forward for him today,” Virginia coach Ryan Odom said after the game. “He was frustrated after the [Maryland] game the other day, not frustrated about winning, of course, but his individual play.”
Odom talked with the star player about those frustrations and noticed how De Ridder responded against American.
“I think he played with more purpose today, he played not so much on edge and I think that’s really important for his growth going forward,” Odom said. “He’s a beast, a really good player and when he lets the game come to him and attacks when it’s there, he’s really good and we’re excited that he played much better today.”
De Ridder discussed the contrast in his last two outings after Monday’s game in his usual matter-of-fact style.
“Yeah, I was extremely focused,” the Belgian said. “I was just a little bit frustrated how [the Maryland] game started for me. I was talking with Coach yesterday and the coaches believe in me and my teammates, too.”
De Ridder surpassed his career high on a late, fast-break dunk and was asked if that was his best dunk stateside.
“I mean, college dunk, yeah,” De Ridder said. “But career? Not really. I had a couple of special ones (in Europe).”
American’s Simpkins was certainly impressed.
“He has size, but he can really drive the ball, particularly going right,” Simpkins said. “He covers a lot of ground on every drive, on every dribble, and then he can finish at the rim. So he is an X-factor for [Virginia] because he can do some damage at his size and he’s hitting some shots.”
De Ridder was one of five Cavaliers to finish in double figures, followed by three players with 11 points apiece: Malik Thomas, Sam Lewis and Elijah Gertrude, getting more playing time in place of injured Jacari White. Freshman guard Chance Mallory had 10 points.
White, who fractured the wrist on his non-shooting hand on a thundering dunk against Maryland, will undergo surgery on Tuesday, Odom reported.
“It was an unfortunate play,” Odom said. “It happened on the dunk. He kept playing through the injury and we learned shortly after. He looked at me and was like, ‘I’ve got to come out.’ After the game, they X-rayed and saw the unfortunate news there, but it’s his off-hand, so that’s the best news that we could get in a situation like that.”
Virginia shot a season-high 62.3 percent (38 for 81) in the game and has now scored at least 80 points in 10 of its 11 games, including 56 points in the paint against the Eagles.
The Cavaliers don’t play again until New Year’s Eve in a 2 p.m. game at state rival Virginia Tech.
Team Notes
Courtesy UVA Media Relations
- UVA improved to 11-1
- UVA has a six-game win streak
- UVA is 8-0 at John Paul Jones Arena
- UVA is 4-0 when scoring 90 or more points
- UVA has scored 80 or more points in 11 games
- UVA is 59-1 when scoring 80 or more points since 2009-10
- UVA is 48-10 in its last 58 home contests
- UVA is 112-11 in non-league action at JPJ since 2009-10
- UVA led 45-25 and shot 54.8 percent in the first half
- UVA used a 14-0 run to gain a 61-31 lead
- UVA scored 56 points in the paint
- UVA won the rebound battle 45-23
- UVA shot a season-high 62.3 percent (38 of 61)
Series Notes
- The Cavaliers are 7-1 all-time vs. the Eagles
- UVA is 7-0 vs. American in Charlottesville
- UVA is 41-35 all-time against current Patriot League opponents
Player Notes
- Double Figure Scorers: Thijs De Ridder (27), Elijah Gertrude (11), Malik Thomas (11), Sam Lewis (11), Chance Mallory (10)
- De Ridder scored a career-high 27 points
- De Ridder scored 13 of UVA’s first 17 points
- De Ridder scored 21 points in the first half
- De Ridder tied a season high with a trio of 3-pointers
- De Ridder reached double figures for the ninth time
- Gertrude reached double figures for the first time (2nd career)
- Thomas reached double figures for the seventh time (62nd career)
- Lewis reached double figures for the sixth time (39th career)
- Mallory reached double figures for the ninth time
- UVA started Dallin Hall, Johann Grünloh, De Ridder, Thomas and Lewis for the 12th straight game
