A new era begins in Charlottesville as Ryan Odom takes the reins of Virginia basketball.
The tradition continues! It’s another year of our countdown of the top 100 preseason teams in college basketball until the start of the season. Each day, we will reveal the next team until we reach the team slotted at number one. Up next: Virginia basketball.
Everything you used to know about the Virginia Cavaliers is no more. Tony Bennett has retired, and the famed packline defense is gone.
Ryan Odom is in charge and has installed an up-tempo offensive system that could rack up points in a hurry. Odom dipped into the portal for almost the entire team and got a bunch of players who can shoot the three-ball proficiently.
It starts with Malik Thomas, who led the West Coast Conference with 19.9 points per game last year. Thomas can score from anywhere on the court. Jacari White, Devin Tillis, Dallin Hall, and Sam Lewis also come to Charlottesville with a history of being knockdown shooters from behind the arc.
Last year, those five combined to make 303 threes on 760 attempts (39.9%). That gives the Cavaliers an element that they haven’t really had since Kyle Guy, Ty Jerome, and DeAndre Hunter.
Virginia’s roster strength goes beyond that quintet. This is a deep roster, which is beneficial in Odom’s up-tempo system.
The Cavaliers have a bunch of guards. Elijah Gertrude – the lone returning Virginia scholarship player from last season – should thrive in Odom’s fastbreak, transition system. Chance Mallory is a dynamic scorer who plays bigger than his 5-10 frame suggests.
Virginia also pulled in talented power forward Thijs De Ridder from Belgium. De Ridder is 22 years old and played phenomenally in the FIBA World Cup. He’s a strong rebounder and can score in the post and face-up.
Ugonna Onyenso and Johann Grunloh will lock down the center and do it in different ways. Onyenso blocks shots and takes up a lot of space in the paint, while Grunloh is a German stretch five who gives the offense another dangerous element.
Ryan Odom has assembled a strong roster in his first year in Charlottesville. This is a Virginia basketball team that can contend for a double bye in the ACC and a spot in the NCAA Tournament.
Head coach: Ryan Odom (1st season at Virginia, 10th season overall)
2024-25 record: 15-17 (8-12)
2025 postseason finish: No postseason
Notable departures:
- EVERYONE
Notable non-conference games:
- vs. Northwestern (Nov. 21) – Greenbrier Tip-Off
- vs. Butler (Nov. 23) – Greenbrier Tip-Off
- at Texas (Dec. 3) – ACC/SEC Challenge
- vs. Dayton (Dec. 6) – Charlotte, N.C.
- vs. Maryland (Dec. 20)
- vs. Ohio State (Feb. 14) – Nashville, TN
Projected Rotation
PG: Dallin Hall (6-4, 197, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 6.8 PPG, 4.2 APG, 2.2 RPG, 35.3 3P% (BYU)
SG: Malik Thomas (6-5, 215, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 19.9 PPG, 2.1 APG, 3.9 RPG, 1.6 SPG, 39.4 3P% (San Francisco)
SF: Sam Lewis (6-7, 210, Jr.)
2024-25 stats: 16.2 PPG, 4.7 RPG, 44.4 3P% (Toledo)
PF: Thijs De Ridder (6-9, 238, Fr.)
International recruit from Belgium
C: Johann Grunloh (7-0, 238, Fr.)
International recruit from Germany
6: Jacari White (6-3, 180, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 17.1 PPG, 4.3 RPG, 2.3 APG, 39.8 3p% (North Dakota State)
7: Ugonna Onyenso (7-0, 245, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 2.8 PPG, 2.4 RPG, 0.1 APG, 0.9 BPG, 70.0 FG%, 11.0 MPG (Kansas State)
8: Devin Tillis (6-7, 240, Sr.)
2024-25 stats: 13.7 PPG, 7.8 RPG, 2.4 APG, 53.5 FG%, 39.5 3P% (UC Irvine)
9: Chance Mallory (5-10, 186, Fr.)
247Sports Composite #55-ranked recruit
10: Elijah Gertrude (6-4, 173, So.)
2023-24 stats: 3.4 PPG, 1.2 RPG, 0.4 APG
*Didn’t play in 2024-25
Virginia basketball team MVP: Thijs De Ridder
Thijs De Ridder has a chance to not only be the best player for Virginia basketball but also one of the best players in the ACC.
He’s a complete scorer. The 22-year-old Belgian power forward will bully smaller players in the post or shoot over big men behind the arc. He crashes the glass and racks up rebounds. De Ridder is a solid ball handler who can pass and find teammates for open shots. Add on Grunloh’s 3-point ability, De Ridder could easily find himself one-on-one in the post.
De Ridder is also big and physical enough that he can battle with centers. If Virginia chose to go small, they could use De Ridder at the five for stretches.
Virginia basketball make-or-break player: Malik Thomas
Malik Thomas is a walking bucket.
He can score at will from anywhere on the court and is adept at getting to the rim and scoring easy points. Even if his shot’s not falling, he can get to the charity stripe and points that way. Thomas has the potential to be UVA’s best scorer since Guy, Jerome, and Hunter led the Cavaliers to the title in 2019.
His defense isn’t the best and he can sometimes get a little shot-happy – he had several games last year with one or no assists – but he’s a scorer. For Virginia to get back to its winning ways, it’ll need Thomas to be at his best.
Key analytic: Threes per game
This is simple: For the Cavaliers to have success, they’ll need to make 3-pointers.
Even under the defensive-minded Bennett, the best Virginia teams could rain threes in bunches. But it’ll be crucial under Odom, who wants the Cavs to be running in transition constantly.
I expect Virginia to be pushing the ball at every available opportunity. With guys like Thomas, White and Lewis on the court, the Cavs could be an offensive machine for the first time in a while.
Virginia basketball 2025-26 projections:
Projected conference finish: 5th in the ACC
Projected postseason ceiling: NCAA Tournament Round of 32 exit