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After a remarkable first year under head coach Ryan Odom, the Virginia Cavaliers are aiming to keep their momentum going. Last season, Odom guided the program to its first 30-win campaign and its first NCAA Tournament victories since the 2018-19 national championship run under Tony Bennett. The Cavaliers finished with a 30-6 overall record and a 15-3 mark in ACC play, even reaching the conference tournament final.
This year, Virginia returns three starters, headlined by preseason ACC Player of the Year Thijs De Ridder, a 6-foot-9 forward from Belgium, and German big man Johann Grünloh. The Cavaliers are projected to finish second in the league, trailing only No. 2 Duke.
Key Players to Watch
Thijs De Ridder (sophomore, F, 6-9, 246): A multiyear European professional, De Ridder adapted seamlessly to American college basketball, leading the team with 15.6 points and 6.2 rebounds per game while shooting 50.8% from the field.
Sam Lewis (senior, G, 6-7, 216): The team's third-leading scorer last season at 10.6 points per game, Lewis shot an efficient 40.3% from beyond the arc.
Chance Mallory (sophomore, G, 5-10, 170): Mallory is poised to take over as the starting point guard after averaging 9.3 points as the top bench scorer last year. He also posted a nearly 3:1 assist-to-turnover ratio.
Departures and Additions
Virginia lost its second-leading scorer, Malik Thomas (12.4 ppg), reserve guard Jacari White (9.4 ppg), and elite rim protector Ugonna Onyenso, who ranked second nationally with 2.9 blocks per game. To fill the gaps, the Cavaliers dipped into the international pro ranks to sign German wing Nolan Adekunle and tapped the transfer portal for UC Irvine guard Jurian Dixon (15.9 ppg), Arkansas State guard Christian Harmon (12.8 ppg), Loyola Marymount guard Jan Vide (12.1 ppg), and St. Louis forward Kalu Anya, who redshirted last season.
Schedule Highlights
Virginia opens the season at home against Drexel on Nov. 3, then faces an early test against No. 12 Arkansas in Washington, D.C., on Nov. 8. The Cavaliers also host No. 23 Kentucky in the ACC/SEC Challenge on Dec. 2 and take on No. 4 UConn at Madison Square Garden in New York on Dec. 20. ACC play begins Dec. 29 at Clemson, and the league slate features two matchups with second-ranked Duke (Feb. 6 and March 1), a trip to No. 14 Miami (Jan. 16), and a home game against No. 11 Louisville (Feb. 15).
Facts and Figures
Since 2016, Virginia has advanced past the first weekend of the NCAA Tournament only once, during the 2019 title run. Odom is now at his fifth school as a head coach; his longest tenure came at UMBC, where he orchestrated the first-ever 16-over-1 upset in March Madness history against Virginia in 2018. De Ridder could become the program's first ACC Player of the Year since Malcolm Brogdon won the award in 2015-16.
Originally reported by nbcsports.