Multiple Way-Too-Early Top 25 Rankings Place Virginia Near The Top For Next Season

College Basketball season is over and the race to build a top team for next season is already underway.

The transfer portal is open and teams are already building rosters to go along with the pieces that they are returning for next season and Virginia is one of the most intriguing teams heading into this part of the offseason.

Ryan Odom had one of the best offseasons of any coach a year ago, getting impact players such as Dallin Hall, Jacari White, Malik Thomas, Ugonna Onyenso, Sam Lewis, and Devin Tillis out of the portal and leading Virginia to 30 wins. The thing is, all of those players aside from Lewis are going to be gone next season and Odom is once again going to have to work magic in the portal.

The good news for Virginia is they are going to return Chance Mallory, Thijs de Ridder, and Johann Grunloh. The return of those three players, plus the expectation that they are going to bring in another top portal class has college basketball analysts predicting Virginia to be a top ten team going into next season.

Top Ten Team?

ESPN's Jeff Borzello ranked the Cavaliers 9th for next season, second highest ranked ACC team, and had this to say:

"Coach Ryan Odom led Virginia to a 30-win season in Year 1 in Charlottesville, a 15-win improvement from 2024-25. Though scorers Malik Thomas and Jacari White, and shot blocker Ugonna Onyenso are all gone, Odom should bring back a terrific core quartet in Chance Mallory, Sam Lewis, Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grunloh. Virginia paid well for its rebuild last offseason, so it's expected the Cavaliers also will be able to go into the transfer portal and find a big-time scoring wing for this next season."

CBS Sports college basketball insider Jon Rothstein ranked the Cavaliers 8th for next season and Sports Illustrated's Kevin Sweeney has the Cavaliers No. 7 and had the following to say about year two under Ryan Odom:

"It’s hard not to be excited about the future of the Virginia program after 30 wins in Ryan Odom’s first season in Charlottesville. There’s a strong nucleus in place for the future, too: PG Chance Mallory looks like a budding star, and the frontcourt with Thijs De Ridder and Johann Grünloh likely coming back is loaded. Odom is clearly a sharp roster-builder primed to succeed at a well-resourced program like Virginia, and the style Virginia plays attacking the offensive glass and protecting the paint defensively is a winning one in the modern era of college hoops."

I think it is way too early for any kind of top 25 ranking to be completely honest, given there is so much to be decided with the roster turnover that is going to happen over the next couple of weeks. However, Virginia has the foundation in place to be a top team next season if they make the right roster moves this offseason and given Odom's track record, UVA fans have to feel pretty good about that.