How will the NCAA's new eligibility rules affect Virginia basketball?

Thanks to the NCAA's new five-year eligibility rule, Ryan Odom may be able to keep most of his band together for an additional season.

If it survives expected legal challenges, the "age-based eligibility model," unanimously approved by the NCAA D-I Cabinet on Wednesday, gives athletes five years of eligibility, starting with the academic year after they turn 19 or graduate from high school (whichever comes first). It applies to all students entering college this fall and current athletes who have eligibility beyond the recently completed 2025-26 school year. The new rules eliminate redshirt seasons.

Odom led Virginia to a 30-6 record in his first season as Virginia's basketball coach. And the new rules may allow him to retain the nucleus of his veteran team through the upcoming season and the 2027-28 campaign, should his players choose to stay.

The change likely won't extend the college career of standout forward Thijs De Ridder, who was awarded two seasons of NCAA eligibility when he signed with Virginia after playing three seasons of professional basketball in Europe. The All-ACC forward turns 24 next January and is expected to declare for the 2027 NBA draft.

For most of Odom's other standouts, though, the new model brings the chance for an additional season. Keep in mind, though, that transfers are now an annual event, so even if a player has eligibility, he could use it elsewhere.

Here's a brief look at V irginia's expected key players for the coming season:

Johann Grunloh

The German center completed the first of his three seasons of NCAA eligibility in 2025-26. Because he graduated from high school in 2024, he could be eligible for an additional season, although he too has been mentioned as a potential NBA draftee next summer.

Chance Mallory

The best news for Cavalier fans may be the thought of seeing Mallory in a Virginia uniform for five seasons, a la Kihei Clark. Mallory, a Charlottesville native, provided a huge spark off the bench as a freshman and is expected to assume the starting point guard role this season -- and perhaps for three seasons beyond that. If so, he could hold several school records before he's done.

Sam Lewis

Lewis is another significant beneficiary. This was scheduled to be his final college season, but he is also eligible to play in 2027-28. The versatile wing averaged 10.6 points and made the all-ACC tournament team last winter after playing two seasons at Toledo. He could end up making a huge impact on the program if he stays three seasons.

Christian Harmon and Jurian Dixon

The two smooth-shooting transfers are expected to compete for a starting spot on the wing this season, and both are now eligible to stick around for another year after that. Dixon, who came in from UC Irvine, already had two seasons of eligibility, but won't get a third because he took a redshirt year in 2023-24. Harmon (Arkansas State), a senior, now has two potential seasons in Charlottesville rather than one.

Jan Vide

The senior transfer swing guard who previously played at UCLA and Loyola Marymount now has two seasons of eligibility rather than one.

Elijah Gertrude

The redshirt junior backup guard is the last remnant of the Tony Bennett era, and the new rules don't affect him because he sat out the 2024-25 season with an injury. If he doesn't earn more playing time this season, it wouldn't be surprising to see him transfer for his final year of eligibility.

Martin Carrere and Silas Barksdale

Like Dixon and Gertrude, these two backup forwards have each burned a redshirt season, so they won't benefit from the new rule. Carrere, who played sparingly as a redshirt freshman after redshirting at VCU, will have two more years of eligibility after this one; Barksdale, a redshirt freshman, gets three more.

Kalu Anya

The new rule doesn't apply to Anya, a graduate student who joins the Cavaliers after playing forward at Brown and Saint Louis. He'll need to make his one season on Grounds count.

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