CavsCorner – Sharma explains what made him commit to Bennett and Virginia

Virginia added to its 2024 recruiting class last week with the addition of three-star wing Ishan Sharma. Known as a serious threat from behind the arc, the 6-foot-4 playmaker is coming off a strong summer with UPLAY Canada on the Nike EYBL Circuit where he shot 44.8 percent from deep.

Following an official visit last weekend, Sharma didn’t wait long to make the call to Tony Bennett.

“I feel like the Virginia culture is just really special,” Sharma told CavsCorner. “Coach Bennett, Coach (Orlando) Vandross and Coach (Johnny) Carpenter really recruited me hard and they have just been really consistent with me. Everybody is really humble there and that really stood out to me.

“I really see myself fitting in well there both on and off the court,” he added. “I got to meet the players and I really enjoyed with what they had to say. It is a storied program and they offer a lot of things that will help me become the best player and person I can be.”

Sharma has seen a lot of former Virginia guards Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome, which has helped him get a sense of how he will fit into the system.

“I have watched a lot of film on Kyle Guy and Ty Jerome and I try to model my game after them,” he explained. “They both made a lot of shots during their time at Virginia and that is the plan for me during my time there. Coach Bennett has a lot of screening in his offense and that is the type of stuff I thrive off of.

“Overall their offense really just fits my style of game,” Sharma added. “On the defensive end I really like their principles and I like that it is a really team oriented defense. It is a great fit for me on both sides of the ball.”

During his time on Grounds, Sharma said that he had a lot of good conversations with current members of the team to talk about their time at UVa.

“All the players that I was able to talk to said going to Virginia is really an amazing experience,” he said. “They all enjoy playing under Coach Bennett because he is so great with the X’s and O’s but he is also someone that you can talk to off the court. He is a true players coach and has built a really good culture there.”

During Sharma’s trip to Charlottesville, he was able to sit in on a practice and he had a lot of positive things to say about the current squad too.

“I really like the makeup of this year’s team,” he said. “I feel like they have a lot of pieces that can help them this year. Obviously it was great that they got Reece (Beekman) back because he is their defensive leader. I was really impressed with Isaac McKneely, he is going to make a lot of shots for them this year.

“I was really impressed with how hard they were competing in practice,” Sharma added. “They were always talking, there was a big emphasis on defense and just seeing them work together was really great. I think they are going to be really good this year and I am excited to watch them throughout the year.”

With the addition of Sharma, UVa is up to two commits in the class of 2024, joining four-star forward Jacob Cofie. The early signing period begins on November 8.