UVa's first 2023 commit, big man Buchanan talks about the Hoos

Virginia got its 2023 class started over the weekend when 6-foot-10 center Blake Buchanan gave his long-awaited commitment to Tony Bennett and Co.

For the Idaho native, it was really simple as to why the Wahoos beat out Gonzaga in the end.

“The staff is the top reason I chose Virginia,” he told CavsCorner. “Coach Bennett treated me great and always told me the truth which is always important.

“Playing in the ACC was a big factor as well,” Buchanan added. “The ACC is considered the best conference in the country and with the conference being super competitive it is going to make me a better player.”

As has been the case in previous recruitments, John Paul Jones Arena and the facilities at UVa left a lasting impression on Buchanan.

“With the amazing facilities they have and all of the resources they have are amazing,” he said. “The practice court and weight room that I will have access to is incredible.”

Everything that Virginia has to offer outside of basketball checked all the boxes for Buchanan as well.

“It is an amazing campus,” he explained. “A lot of people can’t say they will be able to get a degree from one of the best public schools in the nation but I will get that opportunity. I will be able to make connections that I couldn’t make at other schools.

“The school and staff do great things to make sure the players have a lot of good opportunities,” Buchanan added. “It is a great college town and is a basketball first school.”

Bennett has built Virginia into one of the top defensive programs in the country and that’s an area where Buchanan said he sees himself contributing in a positive way.

“UVa is a big defensive school and I think the way I can move my feet and how well I move my body and just overall way I can play defense will be a big thing for me and how I can fit in,” he said.

Offensively, the fast-rising prospect thinks he is going to be able to be a versatile option for Virginia.

“I think the way I can play inside and out will be important for me,” Buchanan said. “I can post up on the block but then I can do different stuff outside the key. When I am not in the post I will be able to come out and set ball screens and play off of that.

“The most important thing,” he added, “is that I play basketball the right way and I am very unselfish and that is exactly what Coach Bennett and UVa wants.”

As soon as he was offered, Buchanan was able to get to Charlottesville for an official visit and since then he knew it was where he wanted to be.

“I think ever since I went on my visit to UVa, I kinda knew it was the place for me,” he said. “But I wanted to make sure that I checked out my other options so I could compare all of the other schools.

“I think I played in enough live events and if coaches were not recruiting me now it was probably too late,” Buchanan added. “I decided that after playing in Section 7 and no new schools reached out or schools already recruiting me didn’t offer, I was going to make my commitment to UVa.”

As soon as he announced his commitment, he got texts from a couple current players at Virginia praising his decision.

“A couple of players texted me and said how much I am going to love my experience there and just how great of a place it is to go to school,” he said.

With Buchanan being the first big man Virginia has landed in the last few recruiting cycles, fans are obviously excited about seeing what he can do once he arrives on Grounds.

“I am a very competitive person and I think I hold myself to high standards,” he said. “So I think on the court the fans will get my competitive spirit, they will see me work hard and hopefully give the fans some excitement when I am playing. Off the court they can expect me to be a role model, a people person, and a great student.”