3 Most Important Factors In Virginia Basketball Challenging For The ACC Title

Key factors for the Cavaliers contenting for the ACC Crown

Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom reacts in the first 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

Virginia’s best path to challenging for the ACC title is built on elite defense, domination on the offensive glass, and enough perimeter shooting to avoid scoring droughts. There were several times throughout the season last year where the Cavaliers struggled putting the ball in the hoop and couldn’t pull away from opponents. Now that they have more efficient scoring and shooting on the perimeter, they should be able to make longer runs and be able to avoid scoring droughts as a result. In addition to the scoring droughts, their success will be built on their elite defense and how much they can crash the glass. Let’s take a deeper dive.. 

Defense first

The biggest reason UVA can challenge for the ACC is its elite defense. Virginia has been described as one of the ACC’s premier defensive units, and its style is designed to control tempo, limit opponents’ efficiency, and make every possession uncomfortable. The Cavaliers will guard you 94 feet for the entire game and play pressure defensive basketball. This will prove valuable when playing ACC powers like Duke, North Carolina, and Louisville next season. All three were extremely active in the portal and should be contenders. You have Chance Mallory, who will spearhead the defensive perimeter for the Cavaliers, and he led the team in steals last season. The emergence of Johann Grünloh down the stretch of games and how much better he got as a defender was a sight to see. He should be much more comfortable in 2026. The focus on defense is why the Cavaliers won 30 games and played in the ACC title game and nearly upset Duke. Now it will be time for them to turn it up a notch next season. 

Rebounding edge

One of the biggest questions for Virginia is if the offensive rebounding will be the same as it was this past season. Thijs De Ridder was a big time rebounder for the Cavaliers and got a number of offensive rebounds. You can throw Grünloh into the mix as well. However, off the bench, it was Ugonna Onyenson who made a major impact. He is gone from the team, and the Hoos will have to rely on a true freshman big man in Favour Ibe to help in that area. That is a big risk for a team that averaged 14 offensive rebounds a game last season. Those extra possessions were valuable for the Cavaliers and allowed them to stay in games when the shooting wasn’t the best, or when they struggled to score. Can they have the same success with new players thrown into the fold? That will be one of the biggest things to watch in 2026. 

Perimeter shot-making

The third factor is outside shooting, and it may be the one that determines how far Virginia can go. Virginia lost its best shooter in Jacari White who knocked down perimeter shots at a 43% clip. They do return their second-best shooter in Sam Lewis, but they will have to shoot better as a team than 35% to truly be dangerous next year. The ability to stretch the defense and keep them at bae will loom large. De Ridder and Grünloh's perimeter shooting will be something to watch because that opens up the paint for guys like Lewis and Mallory. With the addition of Jurian Dixon and Christian Harmon, it should help aid the perimeter shooting and allow the Cavaliers to shoot it at a higher percentage next season. 

Why it matters

Those three strengths work together. Defense keeps Virginia in games, rebounding gives it extra chances, and shooting turns those chances into wins. With all three, you should see the Hoos be a more complete team and one that can play at a high level next year and realize more opportunities. Time will tell, but the Cavaliers should be a force to be reckoned with next winter.