Virginia men’s basketball adds ECU transfer Jayden Gardner to the roster

The Virginia men’s basketball team got good news on Monday afternoon as talented forward Jayden Gardner announced he’d be committing to the Cavaliers. Gardner, a transfer from ECU, just finished his junior season and will have two years of eligibility thanks to the extra year as a result of the coronavirus pandemic. He will also be able to play immediately for the Hoos.

“It has been a dream of mine since I was a little kid to play in the ACC and compete against the best of the best,” Gardner said in his commitment tweet. “With that said, I will be committing to the University of Virginia. Go Hoos!”

At 6-7, 235 pounds, Gardner fills an immediate role for the Hoos following the departures of Sam Hauser (graduation) and Justin McKoy (transfer to UNC) in the front court. He averaged 18.3 points per game for the Pirates last season, and averages 18 flat over his career. With ECU, Gardner had 8.3 rebounds per game with a 21.5% defensive rebounding rate in the 19 games played in the 2020-21 season.

Gardner chose the Cavaliers over NC State, LSU, Miami, and Arkansas. He told 247Sports that Virginia’s vaunted defense was one of the things that appealed to him in his decision. “I like how they play a packed line defense and as a player who needs to learn and get better on defense that’s a good opportunity,” Gardner said. “I can progress to the next level on both ends of the court and its exciting opportunity to add to that aspect of my game.”

Stay tuned to Streaking the Lawn as we look for more updates around the roster!