Predicting Where Virginia Will Land In The Final AP Poll Before Conference Tourney Action Begins

Will the Cavaliers finally make the top 10?

Mar 7, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers players celebrate on the bench against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Postseason basketball is nearly here with the commencement of the conference tournaments throughout college basketball this week. Before the action begins, there will be one final AP Poll before the tourneys. It will be intriguing to see if the Cavaliers can finally move up into the top 10 positioning after handling business in their final two regular-season games.

There were several losses ahead of Virginia, which was ranked as the No.13 team. The losses include No.8 Michigan State, No.9 Nebraska, No.10 Texas Tech, and No. 12 Gonzaga. That opens the door for Virginia to move up. 

The Hoos should finally get the respect they deserve and be ranked as a top 10 team in the new AP Poll. They have been a top team all season and continued to prove their worth as a threat in the NCAA tournament. They have a deep roster with players who complement each other well and know their roles on the team. With their defense continuing to shine bright, and their exceptional bench and efficiency on the offensive end, Virginia should be recognized as a top team. 

Last time the Cavaliers were on the hardwood, they picked up a win over their rival, Virginia Tech and got revenge for an earlier defeat. Head coach Ryan Odom talked about the victory and what went well. 

"Yeah, great great game all around, of course, first half our guys did a nice job. Got us off to a great start. Malik was dynamite. The defense was pretty strong, you know, at that point. We were forcing some tough shots. Didn't clean them up all the time, but, you know, did a nice job overall. They, of course, came back. You're not going to win a game in the first five minutes or the first 10 minutes or the first half, you know, for that matter. And certainly that was the case tonight. We did not get off to a great start in the second half. Virginia Tech had a lot to do with that, of course,” said Odom. 

“They did a nice job of putting some pressure on us, you know, at the point of attack, but then also offensively, you know, they got off to a good start, made a couple of threes, which closed the gap. Loved how our guys responded when it closed to 51 all. I think our guys just did a nice job down the stretch of figuring the game out and made some big plays. Ugo was a monster. His shot was huge, and just his overall play. Sam was great and did a nice job. Of course, those two guys were the players of the game for me. But just a ton of respect for coach Young and Virginia Tech, and they're really a tough team all around."

Virginia secured the No.2 seed and won’t be back in action until Thursday in the quarterfinals. They will get some much-needed rest before hitting the hardwood. With a potentially top 10 ranking in the new AP Poll, all eyes will be on the Cavaliers to see what they do.