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North Carolina Transfer RyLee Grays Commits to Virginia Women's Basketball

Matt Newton

North Carolina transfer RyLee Grays commits to Virginia women's basketball.
North Carolina transfer RyLee Grays commits to Virginia women's basketball. / RyLee Grays/IG

Make that three transfer commitments for Coach Mox and the UVA women's basketball program. The Cavaliers reinforced their front court yet again as North Carolina transfer forward RyLee Grays announced her commitment to Virginia on Tuesday.

A 6'3" forward from Pearland, Texas, Grays just finished her freshman season at North Carolina and transfers to Virginia with three years of eligibility remaining. Grays was a four-star recruit in the class of 2023 and was named the Houston Girls Basketball Player of the Year in her senior year at Pearland High School.

Grays didn't see much playing time in her first and only season in Chapel Hill, appearing in only five games and playing just 18 total minutes in the 2023-2024 season. She became one of five Tar Heels to enter the transfer portal at the end of the season and ultimately committed to ACC rival Virginia. UVA and UNC played twice this past season, with the Tar Heels winning 81-68 in Chapel Hill and the Cavaliers getting revenge with an 81-66 victory two weeks later in Charlottesville.

Grays hardly had an opportunity to show what she can do in her freshman season at North Carolina, but her potential is through the roof and she'll certainly get her fair share of chances at Virginia, where her size and versatility as a 6'3" forward who can handle the ball will be significant assets.

β€œI’m super excited to welcome RyLee to our program,” Coach Mox said. β€œShe fits us on and off the court. RyLee was highly recruited out of high school and is a strong, athletic, and physical post player, who can also defend, run the floor, score, and rebound. She is a great student, who will enhance our culture as well. Wahoo Nation, you will love her game and dynamic personality.”

Virginia went into the offseason needing a lot of help in the front court with the departures of Camryn Taylor, Sam Brunelle, and London Clarkson. Coach Mox and the Cavaliers have done exactly what they need to do in the transfer portal, securing three transfer bigs who each stand 6'3" or taller. Grays joins 6'7" center Hawa Doumbouya from Maryland and 6'4" forward Latasha Lattimore from Miami. Like Grays, Doumbouya has three years of eligibility remaining, while Lattimore has two years remaining.

UVA is also bringing in 6'2" forward and four-star recruit Breona Hurd (Waynesville, MO) as an incoming freshman this summer.

With the additions of Doumbouya, Lattimore, and Grays, Virginia has filled 11 of its 15 scholarship spots for the 2024-2025 season.

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Matt Newton
MATT NEWTON

Matt launched Virginia Cavaliers On SI in August of 2021 and has since served as the site's publisher and managing editor, covering all 23 NCAA Division I sports teams at the University of Virginia. He is from Downingtown, Pennsylvania and graduated from UVA in May of 2021.