Days after Virginia Tech's recruitment move, UVA responds with signing German prospect Johann Grunloh

After Virginia Tech landed German center Antonio Dorn on Saturday, Virginia responded by picking up another German prospect. ESPN analyst Jonathan Givony announced on Monday that 7-foot center Johann Grunloh has committed to the Cavaliers.

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Grunloh was a projected second-round pick in the 2025 NBA draft but decided to go the college route. He has played for Rasta Vechta in the past four seasons and has proven himself as a sharpshooter, shooting 46.9% this season, including 35.0% from beyond the arc.

Grunloh also excels at grabbing boards, with 5.6 rebounds per game, and is the second-best shot-blocker in the German BBL, averaging 1.6 blocks. He played alongside former Virginia player Jayden Gardner, which may have impacted his decision to suit up for the Cavaliers instead of remaining in the NBA draft.

Galatasaray v Rasta Vechta - Basketball Champions League - Source: Getty

Like Grunloh, Dorn is a seven-foot center from Germany. He plays in the German second division, averaging 9.1 ppg and 4.5 rpg.

Both of the Virginia-based teams have added sizable German centers to bolster their depths ahead of next season.

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UVA's offseason moves

Virginia has made several moves in the transfer portal ahead of Ryan Odom's inaugural season as coach. The Cavaliers struggled in 2024-25, finishing with a 15-17 (8-12 ACC) overall record and missing the NCAA Tournament.

After the campaign, the UVA athletic department announced that interim coach Ron Sanchez won't return next season. Odom was hired to take his place and has already gone to work to build his team.

NCAA Basketball: NCAA Tournament First Round-VCU at Brigham Young - Source: Imagn

Odom has secured some notable transfers, including former UC Irvine forward Devin Tillis, former BYU combo guard Dallin Hall and former Oklahoma guard Duke Miles. Grunloh isn't the first international pickup for Virginia. French small forward Martin Carrere will also play for the Cavaliers next season.

UVA has two four-star recruits incoming for the 2025-26 season: point guard Chance Mallory and center Silas Barksdale. With the addition of Johann Grunloh for more size, Odom is setting up Virginia well for the upcoming season.

About the author

Lindsey Ware is a college sports journalist at Sportskeeda with over five years of experience working with publications such as The News & Observer, The Daily Tar Heel, Triangle Tribune and Cardiac Cane. She has also worked for Major League Baseball, The Holly Springs Salamanders, The Tri-City Chili Peppers, Tuffy Talk, Super Meteors Basketball, Just Good Network and Living Sport.

Lindsey has a Bachelor’s Degree in Media and Journalism from UNC Chapel Hill. Her education allowed Lindsey to gain experience in sports communication, which she honed in internships. Other than being a storyteller and sports fanatic, Lindsey is also a social media and marketing specialist.

Her favorite college team is UNC, although she grew up a N.C. State fan as both of her parents are Wolfpack alumni. Michael Jordan was a huge deal in North Carolina when Lindsey was growing up, and after a summer spent at UNC’s Sports Journalism Camp back in high school, Lindsey was set on being a Tar Heel.

Lindsey's favorite college coach of all time is Roy Williams. During her time attending UNC Chapel Hill and writing for The Daily Tar Heel, Lindsey was lucky enough to meet and speak with Williams a few times. He was like a celebrity on UNC’s campus and was beloved for his coaching style and success with the Tar Heels, accumulating three NCAA championship titles in 18 years.

When not watching or writing about sports, Lindsey enjoys reading, trying new restaurants and coffee shops, and spending time with my friends, family and dog. She also likes to journal, watch movies and paint.

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Edited by Victor Ramon Galvez