On Monday Trey Murphy III, a junior transfer from Rice University, announced on Twitter his decision to join the UVA Men’s Basketball team. Murphy will be filling out the final roster spot for the 2020-2021 season. He will redshirt the 2020-2021 season and will two remaining years of eligibility. After entering the transfer portal, he was scouted by UVA, Villanova, Pitt, and Houston. Ultimately, Murphy chose the defending National Champs to further his collegiate career.
According to Murphy, he chose UVA because of his belief in head coach Tony Bennett. “One thing that I truly value in life is relationships and Coach Bennett is adamant about building genuine relationships with people which is something I truly respect,” said Murphy.
Hailing from Durham, North Carolina, Murphy is a 6-foot-8, 200-pound shooting guard that will be able to take over sharpshooting when senior Tomas Woldetensae departs. During his freshman year at Rice, he set a school record for 3-point shooting, averaging 42.1% from beyond the arc. This past season he shot 36.8% from beyond the arc and an impressive 82.4% from the free-throw line.
“I will be bringing versatility at the wing position where I will be able to guard multiple guys and play multiple positions on offense,” said Murphy. He is looking forward to developing his defensive skills during his redshirt season so he’s ready to hit the court running in 2021. 
The transition from Rice, a small private school in Conference USA whose Tudor Fieldhouse Arena seats 5,208, to UVA, a major public school whose John Paul Jones arena seats 14,593, is sure to be a tough one.
When asked about the transition to a Power-5 school, Murphy said he’s “not nervous at all just super excited. I grew up in the ACC territory so it has always been a dream to play in the ACC.”
A current Cavalier helped aid in Murphy’s decision. Justin McKoy, a rising sophomore guard from Cary, NC, was encouraging Murphy to come to Charlottesville. “Justin Mckoy is my guy, so he was recruiting me during this process too,” said Murphy.
McKoy and Bennett’s efforts worked, and Trey Murphy III will be a welcome addition to the Virginia basketball roster.
