2026-27 Virginia men’s basketball roster released — what stands out?

The Cavaliers roster is now public

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) shoots the ball against the Tennessee Volunteers in the second half during a second round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Bill Streicher-Imagn Images | Bill Streicher-Imagn Images

The 2026-27 roster for Virginia men’s basketball is officially live on the Virginia Sports website. Some things were previously known — this is a team that features rare continuity, with only a few transfers to supplement a Cavaliers squad that won 30 games and finished second in the ACC last year.

However, there are a few new details — namely in the jersey department.

New numbers

The official jersey numbers were released on the Virginia website. Here are the changes:

No. 00 Owen Odom — switching from No. 22 to No. 00, last worn by Sam Warren (2005-06)

No. 1 Chance Mallory — switching from No. 2 to No. 1, last worn by Malik Thomas

No. 2 Christian Harmon — last worn by Mallory

No. 4 Jurian Dixon —  last worn by Andrew Rohde (2024-25)

No. 6 Kalu Anya — last worn by Jacari White

No. 8 Nick Rotter — last worn by Bryce Walker (2024-25)

No. 11 Quincy Watson — last worn by Devin Tillis

No. 34 Favour Ibe — last worn by Jake Groves (2023-24)

No. 37 Jan Vide — first-time wearer 

Odom is going with No. 00, perhaps a nod to his initials. Several Cavaliers have worn No. 0 over the years, but Odom is the first to wear a double zero in over 20 years. Mallory, meanwhile, returns to the number he wore as a star at St. Anne’s-Belfield School. Last season, Thomas — a graduate player — donned No. 1 instead, so Mallory took another number in the single digits. 

Harmon wore No. 5 at Arkansas State last season, but that number is currently occupied at Virginia by Sam Lewis. Hartmon will wear Mallory’s former number. Far away on the number scale, Vide is going with No. 37, as No. 7 — which he wore at Loyola Marymount — is occupied by Martin Carrere. According to Preston Willett, No. 37 has never been worn in the history of Cavaliers men’s basketball.

Dixon is going a different direction. He previously donned No. 24 at UC Irvine and now returns to his high school number. Anya wore No. 6 at Saint Louis. No change in Charlottesville. Rotter and Watson appear to be walk-on players, as they have not appeared in a collegiate game with other Division I programs. Rotter was previously a team manager.

Two and a half freshmen — one is listed as the tallest on the roster

This season, Virginia has three freshmen. One of them is redshirt freshman Silas Barksdale, so the two true freshmen are Watson and four-star center Favour Ibe. The latter freshman could make a significant impact as the backup center — succeeding Ugo Onyenso in the big man rotation. 

Ibe is listed at 7-foot-1, which would make him the tallest Cavalier. He could find time on the court early and often. Virginia will see what it has in Ibe and other newcomers soon, as summer practice has begun.