CHARLOTTESVILLE, VA (CVILLE RIGHT NOW) – When Thijs DeRidder overpowered Rider for a double-double in Virginia’s season opener, the performance both raised expectations for what the 6-foot-9, 238-pound Belgian could be for the Cavaliers, and questions.

Would he be as productive against more challenging matchups against ACC opponents?

Against stiffer non-conference foes, DeRidder was productive against Northwestern and Texas, but struggled against Butler and Maryland.

Now, with No. 16 Virginia (14-2, 3-1 ACC) four games into conference play, DeRidder has shown he’s up to the challenge.

“You’ve got to fight him. He’s a bear,” Stanford coach Kyle Smith said after his team’s 70-55 loss to UVA on Saturday. “He’s going to keep driving, finding contact, spinning off you and he’s really aggressive.”

DeRidder put up 22 points on 8 for 11 shooting against Smith’s team. He is averaging 17.5 points and 4.8 rebounds per game in ACC play going into Tuesday night’s matchup with No. 20 Louisville.

He’s scored over 20 points in a game seven times this season, including in three of his last five outings.

Saturday, against Stanford, DeRidder’s scoring came within the flow of the offense, as he was able to score at all three levels – inside, mid-range and from the outside. He’s shooting 55.4% from the floor and 40.8% from beyond the 3-point arc this season.

“The ball did a great job of finding me,” DeRidder said. “They started playing that zone and the ball was moving really great at that time.”

DeRidder’s productivity came from playing smart basketball against the Cardinal, Smith and UVA coach Ryan Odom agreed.

“He took what the defense gave to him,” Odom said, noting DeRidder’s exploitation of one-on-one matchups in the paint in the second half. “When he starts driving to the basket, I’m looking at him like, he is athletic, he’s strong, he’s physically getting in there. It’s gotta be hard for the opponent to guard that.”

DeRidder played two professional seasons in Spain before joining UVA and his experience level shows, Smith said.

“He’s just strong and skilled. He plays like (a) vet,” Smith said. “He’s new to the States and he’s new to the ACC, but he’s not new to  basketball. … He’s not trying to do anything he can’t do.”

Odom said DeRidder,  has mastered the adjustment to life in the United States and as a student at UVA with equal aplomb.

“He’s handled it really well,” Odom said. “He’s found a home here and is really comfortable in his surroundings. He enjoys his teammates, spends time with his teammates outside of basketball.”

Tuesday night at Louisville (12-4, 2-2), DeRidder and the Cavaliers will face another new test – their first matchup with a ranked opponent. The Cardinals, widely expected to contend with Duke for the ACC title before the season began, have struggled early in conference play, losing back-to-back games at Stanford and at home against the Blue Devils, before bouncing back with a win over Boston College on Saturday.

Pat Kelsey’s team has been without star freshman Mikal Brown and, Saturday, played without leading scorer Ryan Conwell, who suffered a bruised knee in practice late last week. Brown is not expected to play against UVA on Tuesday and Conwell’s status is unclear, though Louisville listed him as probable on its Monday night ACC injury report.

Kelsey said DeRidder will be a big part of his team’s scouting report on the Cavaliers, who have won three in a row and are 8-3 all-time against Louisville at the KFC Yum Center.

“He can affect the game from a whole lot ways from the four position,” Kelsey said. “He’s strong. He’s physical. He’s skilled. He can shoot it. Sound passer. Matchup problem. Just really good all-around four-man that can play with physicality inside in the post, can play with skill and finesse out on the perimeter. Big challenge.”