After weeks of waiting, Tony Bennett and the Virginia Cavaliers have officially entered the transfer portal. Florida State guard Jalen Worley has committed to spend his final year of eligibility at UVA after being the Hoos' top prospect in the 2022 high school class.
Worley is a veteran backcourt addition that Tony Bennett wanted to add with Reece Beekman heading to the NBA and Dante Harris on the move. At 6'7'' tall, Worley has length on defense, the ability to get the ball up and start the offense, and he has 3 of his seasons of ACC experience. Everything the Cavaliers lacked before adding him to the team.
Last season at FSU, he averaged 7.5 points, 2.8 assists and 1.3 steals per game. He's a great rotation player to bring in to complement a very young roster.
What Wally doesn't do is shoot the ball. He is a 29.4% career 3-point shooter, but to make matters worse, he has made just 68 3-pointers in 96 career games. For a roster and an offense that desperately needs a three-point shooter, he's another player opponents can totally play off. So…that's not good.
That means Wally is doing what he's doing well. His assist rate of 21% last season was 16th in the ACC. He is a devastating defender who can guard a variety of opponents and will make a difference defensively on the wing. With a young backcourt and a true point guard who has yet to play in college, he stabilizes Virginia's floor and gives Bennett and his staff someone they can rely on to make the right decisions.
Currently, UVA has filled 10 of the 13 scholarships available for the 2024-2025 season. The Wahoos will be hoping to add at least one forward (possibly two) and another point guard option into the mix. There may be news in this regard soon…