TD

Thijs De Ridder

F|#28

Virginia

Freshman · 6' 9" · 238 lbs

27 games played

Thijs De Ridder is a freshman forward who leads Virginia in scoring at 15.9 points per game this season. He adds 6.4 rebounds per game to go with his scoring. He has started all 27 games for a Virginia squad ranked 15th in the NET.

Thijs De Ridder brought three seasons of European professional experience to Virginia. The 6-8, 231-pound forward from Brasschaat, Belgium played one season with Antwerp Giants and two with Bilbao Basket in Spain before coming to Charlottesville. In his final pro season in 2024-25, he averaged 9.3 points and 4.8 rebounds while shooting 50.2 percent from the field and 39.1 percent from three-point range. De Ridder also represented Belgium's U20 national team at the FIBA European Championship in 2022 and 2023, leading Belgium to a fourth-place finish in 2023 with averages of 16.9 points and 9.6 rebounds. He was named Belgian Rookie of the Year, Sixth Man of the Year, and Big Man of the Year in 2023. De Ridder committed to Virginia and head coach Ryan Odom in July 2025, and despite being listed as a freshman at age 23, he has only two years of NCAA eligibility.