Ryan Odom reflected, and set a standard for his version of Virginia basketball

The fanfare died down, the Cavaliers exited through the tunnel, and their 2025-26 season was ended by Tennessee in the second round of the NCAA Tournament. Ryan Odom then took to the podium for the hardest press conference of any season — the one that comes after the season’s final loss.

He spoke about community.

Fast forward to early August, and Virginia is preparing for a gauntlet of a schedule that includes Duke, North Carolina, UConn, Kentucky, Arkansas and more. It is a schedule that features some of the top programs in the country. The Cavaliers are not shying away from that. They want to beat elite teams and hoist trophies.

“We want to continue to advance and cut down nets in our own conference and in the tournament,” Odom said after the NCAA Tournament loss. “That’s the goal for all teams at our level. This particular group, they represented the school in a really positive way. They set the table and set the bar really high for future teams. I’m really proud of what these guys did.”

Odom built his first team on community for the players, both with each other and their university. And as he prepares to take on the titans of college basketball, Odom remains committed to the foundation he set last year.

After losing to Tennessee, Odom shared how he built the program

“I think the biggest thing is when you are able to assemble a group of people that have very high character and care about one another and choose the situation for all the right reasons and really develop some shared experiences together, that special things can happen,” Odom said.

Odom said that his players frequented other UVA teams, namely football and soccer. They explored the history of Grounds together, and took a trip to Washington, D.C. — which the 2026-27 team just did as well.

“This team really bought in from the beginning,” Odom said. “They came in eyes wide open and listened and listened to one another and just gradually became closer and closer and closer and closer. When you have that type of togetherness, you have a really good chance to win. We have some good players. There’s no question about it. The depth of this team was the strength of the team overall.”

That last sentence is where Odom’s community-building pays off. Virginia was well-equipped to field a variety of lineups, where team chemistry was palpable — because the Cavaliers spent so much time together, getting to truly know and trust each other.

Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom speaks in the huddle. — Feb 3, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom speaks in the huddle before the game against the Pittsburgh Panthers at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Dallin Hall said that the team had two goals when they first assembled at the beginning of the year. One goal was to connect with the University, and the other goal was to connect as a team.

“We did a really good job with that,” Hall said. “The coaches created this incredible family culture where everyone felt like family. That was a big reason why I chose to come play for Coach Odom because I knew what he was about and his values and how he helped people grow as individuals and to grow on the court as well. That’s what we did all summer.”

The work paid off. A transfer-built team full of one-year rentals produced the best season Virginia has had since 2019. The Cavaliers knew that they needed to gel — but they did more than that. They became brothers, according to Hall. Odom noticed.

“They invested in trying to be the best that they could be and realizing it’s going to end at some point,” Odom said. “Every team has one life, and unfortunately, ours ended a little sooner than we wanted it to.”

Now, as August begins, the life of the 2026-27 team is beginning to bloom. Virginia hopes it progresses further into the NCAA Tournament — and with some hardware along the way.

Add us as a preferred source on Google