Recruiting Roundup! Virginia Basketball Secures Its First Commitment For the Class of 2016

Welcome to another edition of Recruiting Roundup! Today, we will break down UVa's latest basketball pledge and throw in a few football nuggets as well.

Let's go!

Jerome Commits!

With five scholarships to work with, Tony Bennett has been looking for a center piece to build his class of 2016 around. On Tuesday afternoon, the UVa head coach's hard work paid off when Iona Prep (New Rochelle Ny.) point guard Ty Jerome committed to the Cavaliers.

Virginia was the latest school to reach out to Jerome, but the junior point guard selected the Wahoos over offers from Temple, George Washington, and Rhode Island among others. The New York native received interest from both Stanford and Northwestern as well, but in the end, decided on the Orange and Blue just one day after his visit to Charlottesville. Jerome is also a standout in the classroom, and was drawing heavy interest from several Ivy League programs as well.

As far as his basketball ability is concerned, Jerome is a smart and savvy guard, known for his decision making with the rock in his hands. The junior can play both the one and two positions, which is exactly what Bennett looks for in a guard. Jerome experienced a grow spurt in the past year, and is now up to 6-4, making him a matchup problem for shorter opponents. Give major props to Richie McKay on this one. The UVa associate head coach spent much of the summer evaluation period closely monitoring Jerome and keeping up with the New York floor general. Already a four-star by 247, look out for his latest Rivals ranking this Thursday when the site revels it's top-150 for the class of 2016.

As far as the rest of 2016 goes, Bennett has at least four more scholarships to work with, and possibly more if attrition occurs. Seeing as how four likely starters will depart from the 2015-16 squad, the Wahoos will be looking for a little bit of everything in the class. If Virginia elects to bring in a point guard, the Cavaliers are still have Ty Graves and Curtis Jones on the board. Jones was in town last weekend to take in UVa's home football game with UCLA.

Offer Extended:

Switching gears to football, where head coach Mike London extended an offer to one of the nation's top tight ends on Monday. Virginia became the latest school to offer four-star Buford (Ga) standout Isaac Nauta. The Cavaliers already have a commitment from Buford senior safety David Curry, who rest assured, will do his best to reel in the elite playmaker. Despite Curry's presence, landing Nauta will be a tough haul, as his offer list is a who's who of the top programs in the nation.

Gaining attention:

Two of Virginia's top targets for the class of 2016 are 757 area cornerbacks Robbie Robinson and (Phoebus) Levonta Taylor (Ocean Lakes). The two elite DBs, who happen to be training partners added to their already impressive offers lists over the weekend. Robinson got a nice Labor Day surprise when the Ohio State Buckeyes came calling, brining his offer list to a baker's dozen. Taylor earned a trip of offers in the last several days, including Duke, Arizona State, and USC. Both elite prospects were in Charlottesville this past weekend, and the Wahoos will likely be in the race to the finish for the of them.

Friday Night Lights:

From now until the end of the high school season, we will close each portion of the roundup by highlighting performances on the gridiron by UVa commits and targets. Today, we will focus on safety commit, Juan Thornill, who is a standout on offense and defense for defending state champion Altavista. Last Friday night, Thornhill led the Colonels with four total touchdowns in a 43-6 blowout of Prince Edward County. Though he is a defensive commit, Thornhill is one of the top offensive players in the state, and his game closely resembles that of former Gretna and Virginia great Vic Hall. The senior is no stranger to winning, having already taken home two state titles in basketball and one in football.

That will do it for today's edition of Recruiting Roundup. Have a great week everybody!