Updated: VCU’s Barksdale flips commitment to Virginia

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Posted on Wednesday, Apr. 2, 2025, 4:58 pm

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By Jerry Ratcliffe

Photo: x.com/silasbarksdale

Former Virginia star Junior Burrough knows talent when he sees it and Burrough likes what he has seen in Silas Barksdale, the newest UVA basketball commitment.

Barksdale became the second top-100 commitment to Coach Ryan Odom’s program on Wednesday when the 6-foot-8, 4-star, decommitted from VCU and announced that he’s a Cavalier. The rugged, 225-pound forward from Woodside High in Newport News, flipped his commitment after having been committed to the Rams since last September.

“Silas has incredible timing as a rebounder and a real feel for the game,” said Burrough, who coached Barksdale in AAU hoops for the Boo Williams team for a few years in Nike EYBL play. “He has a very high basketball IQ, he can play either the 4 or 5 positions and has range from the 3-point line. Once he gets in the weight room with Mike Curtis, the sky’s the limit.”

Burrough was a big piece of the 1995 Virginia run under Jeff Jones to the Elite Eight, was a solid scorer and rebounder. Although Barksdale seems like he might remind people of Burrough, the former Cavalier said that Barksdale doesn’t remind him of himself.

“I think Silas is more skilled than me at that age,” Burrough said. “He’s not the scorer that I was, but a better passer, rebounder and defender.”

Barksdale jumped in the 247Sports national ratings system last summer, bolting 60 positions in the rankings to No. 82 overall in the country, earning him a 4-star ranking from 247. He also jumped to the No. 11 overall center and the No. 5 player in the state of Virginia. The Woodside big man led the Wolverines to back-to-back state titles in 2023-24 and was Class 5 State Player of the Year his junior season.

Barksdale has a strong back-to-the-basket game, can make the mid-range jumper and has terrific rebounding instincts as Burrough pointed out.

Originally, Barksdale chose VCU over Miami and Butler, but had numerous offers.

Barksdale joins Charlottesville point guard Chance Mallory in the UVA fold. Mallory is rated the No. 54 player in the country by 247, making them the only two Virginia native Cavalier commitments to the basketball program since B.J. Stith in 2014.