The Iowa Hawkeyes may be losing out on one of their key offseason targets.
Belgian forward Thijs De Ridder, who had been linked to Iowa, now appears to be heading in a different direction. Head coach Ben McCollum had been actively pursuing the talented big man, but according to Spanish journalist Chema de Lucas, De Ridder is expected to commit to Virginia. Other programs reportedly in contention for De Ridder included Providence, Kansas State, and UConn.
De Ridder played this past season with Surne Bilbao Basket in Spain’s Endesa League, averaging 11.6 points and 5.6 rebounds while shooting 58.5% from the field and 30% from beyond the arc. The 6-foot-8 forward is also a member of the Belgian National Team.
Since taking over the Iowa program, McCollum has been reshaping the roster, bringing in several players from Drake — including Bennett Stirtz, Kael Combs, Isaia Howard, Tavion Banks, and Cam Manyawu — and adding Kansas State transfer Brendan Hausen and Robert Morris’ Alvaro Folgueiras.
McCollum led Drake to a 31-4 record and a second-round appearance in the NCAA Tournament before accepting the Iowa head coaching job in late March. He signed a six-year contract worth $3.35 million in guarantees, per The Athletic.
Iowa wrapped up last season with a 17-16 overall record and a 7-13 mark in Big Ten play, falling short of an NCAA Tournament bid after an early exit in the conference tournament.
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