The Ryan Odom era at Virginia basketball is off to a big start.
Just hours after officially hiring Odom as the new head coach, the Cavaliers picked up a big commit, as four-star guard and Charlottesville native Chance Mallory announced Saturday that he’ll be taking his talents to the Hoos in the fall.
“I love the city of Charlottesville too much,” Mallory said before taking off a coat to reveal a Virginia t-shirt.
Mallory, a top-60 recruit, originally committed to Virginia in September but decommitted when longtime head coach Tony Bennett retired in October. Five months later, he chose to re-commit to the Cavs.
He said that Odom’s hire was a big reason for choosing UVa.
“He recruited me when he was at VCU,” Mallory said. “He’s a great coach.”
Mallory played his high school ball at St. Anne’s Belfield, less than a mile from John Paul Jones Arena. During his senior year, he averaged 26 points per game and shot over 50% from the field and 40% from three. He has the potential to be a dynamic scoring guard, something the Cavs have had in short supply since Ty Jerome and Kyle Guy left after winning the national championship in 2019.
The best Virginia teams in the last decade have featured elite guards who could score at will. From Joe Harris to Malcolm Brogdon to Jerome and Guy, the Cavs were at their best when they had a player who could handle the ball and score from anywhere on the court. If Mallory is the next one, he could help deliver Virginia its first NCAA Tournament win since the national title.
Mallory could be a significant player on day one for the Cavaliers. From a roster standpoint, Virginia has already lost two guards from this season. Senior Taine Murray is out of eligibility and sophomore Dai Dai Ames — who started 26 games for Virginia — plans to enter the transfer portal after one year in Charlottesville.
The 5-foot-10-inch Mallory said Odom’s style of play — very fast-paced with tough defense and a lot of three-pointers — meshes well with what he brings to the court.
The other four finalists were Maryland, Tennessee, Vanderbilt and Virginia Tech. But evidently, he had no desire to leave home.
“I really didn’t want to go anywhere else,” said Mallory.