Virginia Basketball: Breaking down the 2018 recruiting class

C Francisco Caffaro – Argentina

Ranked as the No. 118 recruit in the class, Francisco Caffaro is clearly the top freshman coming in for Virginia. A true seven-footer, Caffaro is an excellent post player who can succeed right away. He also brings a high effort level to both ends of the floor. He may not be the best athlete but he runs the floor very well and can match up defensively with just about any other big man. Although not necessarily an elite shot-blocker, Caffaro alters shots incredibly well and understands when to bring help defense.

When he has the ball in his hands, he can be hard to stop in the paint due to a variety of post moves and finishes. He is also not afraid to play through contact and gets to the free throw line often because of his physicality. Caffaro’s shooting touch is still developing but it would not be a shock to see him attempt a few mid-range jumpers. Even just a little bit of extra floor spacing can go a long way so stepping outside of the paint would be beneficial for Caffaro. There is reason to believe he can be a solid shooter due to his success at the free throw line.

While playing for Argentina’s U17 FIBA team earlier this summer, Caffaro showed out against the United States’ team. Caffaro’s team may have lost but he still scored 22 points (6-for-9 FG, 10-for-12 FT) while also contributing six rebounds, four assists, and two blocks. Hard to argue with that kind of production against the best U17 team in the world.

Next: Updated preseason top-25

Regardless of how much playing time these players see during the 2018-19 campaign, you can expect each one to be a part of UVA’s future. Considering it doesn’t look like Tony Bennett and company are leaving the top-25 anytime soon, you might as well get familiar with these names now.