Thijs De Ridder, a 23-year-old freshman from Belgium, is leading Virginia's men's basketball team to the Men's NCAA Tournament, where they are ranked No. 3 seed in the Midwest Region. De RidDer, who was playing professionally for Bilbao Basket in the Liga ACB league last season, matched Virginia's values while bringing experience and physicality to the court. He has been one of the more impactful newcomers to the team this past season, leading the Cavaliers in scoring at 15.5 points per game and ranking ninth in the ACC in field goal percentage (50.8%) and 17th in rebounding (6.2 rpg). Despite previous struggles with the style of American college basketball, De Ridger believes he can make a significant impact in the upcoming tournament.