Longwood signed 11 new players, including five freshmen, in the offseason following a disappointing 2024-25 season. The Lancers lost Griff Aldrich, their most successful head coach in program history, as he took an associate head coach position on Ryan Odom’s staff at Virginia. Longwood replaced Aldrich with a recognizable face in Ronnie Thomas, who had worked under Aldrich as an assistant coach since 2020. As the head coach, Thomas aims to return the program to the top of the Big South Conference, a feat he accomplished twice while working under Aldrich.
With just two months to go until opening day, here’s a look at the players who signed on the dotted line for the Lancers.
New Additions
Jacoi Hutchinson, Junior, Guard
Hutchinson arrives in Farmville with two seasons at George Washington under his belt. The IMG Academy graduate averaged just under seven points per game in his two campaigns in the nation’s capital. Hutchinson played in 33 games last season, starting 13 of them. Hutchinson was a former three-star recruit out of Laurel, Maryland, and was a McDonald’s All-American nominee.
Redd Thompson Jr., Sophomore, Guard
Thompson Jr., a Richmond, Virginia, native, appeared sparingly for James Madison as the Dukes finished fourth in the Sun Belt last season. He was a three-star recruit two years ago and was ranked the ninth-best player from Virginia in his class.
Fats Billups, Redshirt Junior, Forward
Billups has played basketball in Richmond for a while. He played high school basketball at Varina High School and committed to VCU after four standout prep seasons. Coming out of high school, he was the 94th-best recruit in 2022 and the sixth-best player in Virginia. He was a fringe rotation player in his two years for the Rams, averaging just under three points per game in 23 appearances in 2024-25. In VCU’s 2023-24 NIT run to the quarterfinals, Billups shot 6 for 12 from 3.
Elijah Kelly, Freshman, Forward
A native of Radford, Virginia, Kelly played high school basketball at the Miller School of Albemarle for the past two seasons. The 6-foot-7 power forward chose Longwood over Radford. Kelly averaged 11 points and 4.4 rebounds in 2023-24.
Isaiah Kalala, Freshman, Forward
Kalala arrives highly touted from Dallas, Texas, having been ranked as a three-star recruit and among the top 80 power forwards in his high school class. Kalala was a standout at Sunrise Christian Academy, a prep school in Kansas.
Gerald Burr III, Freshman, Guard
An IMG Academy graduate, Burr III led the team in 3-point percentage in 2024-25. Burr III is yet another player who hails from Richmond.
Jaylin Payne, Junior, Forward
Payne comes to Farmville from Daytona State, a junior college program, where he averaged 9.3 points per game.
Elijah Jones, Graduate Student, Forward
Jones spent the 2024-25 season at Charleston, appearing in 31 games. Prior to that, he played in the Horizon League for Green Bay, averaging about eight points per game.
Jerome Williams, Freshman, Guard
A Minnesota native who played high school basketball at Mt. Zion Prep in Maryland, Williams was a three-star recruit after averaging 19 points and eight assists as a high school senior.
Quadri Bashiru, Freshman, Forward/Center
Bashiru comes to Longwood after playing four years at The Hill School in Pennsylvania.
Notable Departures
Colby Garland
A dynamic shooting guard who transferred to San Jose State.
Angelo Brizzi
A sharpshooter who transferred to Buffalo.
DJ Jefferson
An athletic forward who transferred to conference rival Gardner-Webb.
Graduated players: Michael Christmas, Trey Hicks, Kyrell Luc
