Virginia secured its fourth transfer commitment of the offseason as VCU freshman forward Martin Carrere announced his decision to join UVA in a social media post on Wednesday morning (April 9th). Carrere, hailing from Pontonx-sur-l’Adour, France, redshirted this past season at VCU, giving him four years of eligibility left at Virginia.
Standing 6’8″ and weighing 180 pounds, Martin Carrere is listed as a guard/forward on VCU’s official roster. Before arriving in Richmond, Carrere developed his game extensively in France, gaining valuable experience at both the amateur and professional levels. He represented France in the 2024 U18 EuroBasket Tournament, where he averaged 6.7 points in just over 16 minutes per game and knocked down 41.9% of his three-point attempts. His top performance came in a group stage matchup against Denmark, where he tallied 11 points, five rebounds, three assists, a steal, and a block, finishing with a +10 in 17 minutes on the court.
Check out Carrere’s highlights from the 2024 FIBA EuroBasket U18 tournament in the video below:
During the 2023-2024 season, Carrere competed in the Betclic Elite U21 league—France’s premier pro basketball development circuit—where he averaged 8.6 points per game and shot 38.8% from three. His efforts helped Limoges CSP Elite U21 finish the year with a 21-13 record. After that season concluded, Carrere also played a key role in leading the Next Generation Paris U18 Team to a title at the Adidas Next Generation Paris Tournament, averaging 5.8 points and 2.8 rebounds in just under 20 minutes per game, while hitting 57.1% from beyond the arc.
When Ryan Odom took over as head coach of the Virginia men’s basketball program, there was immediate speculation that some of his VCU players might follow him to UVA. Freshmen Brandon Jennings and Luke Bamgboye entered the transfer portal and were seen on Grounds not long after Odom’s hiring, leading many to believe they’d be his first transfers to Charlottesville.
However, Jennings announced on Tuesday (April 8) that he will return to VCU, and Bamgboye has yet to reveal his next move. That leaves Martin Carrere as the first—and so far only—VCU player to transfer to Virginia this offseason. In addition, Odom successfully flipped the commitment of four-star center Silas Barksdale, a Hampton native, from VCU to UVA. Barksdale joins another highly-rated Virginia recruit, Charlottesville native Chance Mallory, in the Cavaliers’ incoming freshman class.
Carrere becomes Virginia’s fourth transfer commitment this offseason, joining Sam Lewis (Toledo), Jacari White (North Dakota State), and Duke Miles (Oklahoma). With those additions and the two incoming freshmen, Virginia now has seven scholarship players for next season, including the lone returnee, Elijah Gertrude. Expect Odom and his staff to stay active in the portal as they continue to search for experienced frontcourt players to bolster their rotation.
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