Five Reasons To Be Excited About Virginia Basketball Next Season

Virginia had a good debut season under head coach Ryan Odom and was one of the top seeds in the NCAA tournament. The season didn’t end the way they wanted, but they were able to make it to the second round and grew a lot throughout the season. Here are five reasons why you should be excited about Virginia basketball next year.

1. Virginia won a lot of games in Year 1 under Odom

The Cavaliers were the No.2 team in the ACC this past season, and nearly knocked off the Blue Devils in the ACC Championship game in a close 74-70 defeat. The Cavaliers also achieved 30 wins, which was a big accomplishment in year 1 under Ryan Odom. They did it with great defense, floor spacing, good guard play, and dominant play from their bigs. There is a clear formula under Odom that works, and he can plug and play guys in roles that will be beneficial for the team. Year 1 was just a test; now he has the formula for the Cavaliers to take the next step in 2026 and be a team that can make a run.

2. You will likely see the same core players

Virginia more than likely will be able to retain its core of Thijs De Ridder, Chance Mallory, and Johann Grünloh. They haven’t announced they have hit the portal just yet, and they were a big component of the success for the Cavaliers. Coach Ryan Odom will now have to find the ancillary players to give the Hoos what they need to take the next jump.

3. Ryan Odom is extremely good at finding impact players in the portal

When you look at the job that Odom was able to do last season and the number of players he added that will make an impact, you can’t help but be impressed. Sam Lewis, Malik Thomas, Jacari White, Ugonna Onyenso, and Dallin Hall were all big additions in the portal. Each made their own impact for the team, and came up big in games where they needed to secure victories. Coach Odom has a strong history of building teams from scratch and finding underrated players who are really good.

4. Thijs De Ridder Has A Chance To Be Special

De Ridder had a great freshman season for the Cavaliers, averaging 15.6 points, 6.2 rebounds, and 1.6 assists on 51% shooting from the field. De Ridder had 12 games where he scored 20 points for the Hoos, including a career-high 32 points against Notre Dame. He was exceptional in the second round of the NCAA tournament against Tennessee, scoring 22 points and knocking down four three-pointers. His potential is vast, and with one more year of development under Coach Odom, he could become a marquee NBA prospect and a must-have for teams. It will be interesting to see if the Cavaliers can retain him and get him to come back another season for the Hoos.

5. Virginia defense has another level to unlock

Yes, the Cavaliers are going to lose Ugonna Onyenso, who was a key shot blocker and was one of the NCAA leaders in blocks last season. However, you can imagine that the Hoos will make another great addition to the frontcourt to help protect the paint and be a difference maker. Also, the perimeter defense was really good a season ago, and the Hoos were able to force a lot of turnovers and rushed shots with their ball pressure all the way up the court. With a few more additions, especially of defensive players, Virginia could become a marquee defensive team that will be a problem for other teams. We saw a good amount of it in 2025-2026. Now, Odom will look to take it up a notch for next season.