Stock Report For Virginia Basketball After Their Loss to North Carolina: Who is Trending Up?

A few Virginia Cavaliers saw their stock rise, despite UVA's loss to North Carolina.

Jan 17, 2026; Dallas, Texas, USA; The Virginia Cavaliers bench celebrates as forward Thijs de Ridder (28) is fouled during the second half against the SMU Mustangs at Moody Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Jerome Miron-Imagn Images | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers fell to the North Carolina Tar Heels last night by a tight score of 85-80. Despite maintaining a lead through the majority of the matchup, the Cavaliers were unable to rally toward the end for the victory.

This loss brought Virginia's ongoing streak to an abrupt halt, ultimately throwing them off track. A few individual players still managed to post impressive numbers, which allowed their stock to rise.

Thijs De Ridder

Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder | Jerome Miron-Imagn Images

If there's any Virginia player who tends to land himself on this list week after week, it's freshman Thijs De Ridder. Although this certainly wasn't his strongest performance, he did put up 20 points, shooting 63.6% from the floor, while logging eight rebounds and two assists. However, he did record four turnovers. As head coach, Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference, in reference to De Ridder:

"I think he came out aggressive. I think defensively, he was pretty good to start the game and did his best to try to keep Wilson from catching it in spots, and we need him to play that way. Certainly, there are some plays that he's going to want to have back, too. Some turnovers and, you know, but free throws, I mean, Thijs understands we need him to play big for us to win."

Sam Lewis

Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Junior Sam Lewis was another player who scored double digits. By the end of the game, he had registered 11 points and six rebounds, while shooting 57.1% from the floor. Lewis is not considered one of UVA's spotlight players, but he has been part of some key plays this season, with his most notable being against NC State earlier this month, recording a season-high and game-high of 23 points.

Again, this was far from his most productive matchup, but he was one of the primary contributors for the Cavaliers. With that said, he also had a pair of turnovers.

Dallin Hall

Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall | Scott Utterback/Courier Journal / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Not only did Dallin Hall lead UVA in assists (4), but he also recorded seven rebounds and eight points, shooting 50.0% from the floor. As the theme of this game goes, it wasn't his strongest matchup, but he still contributed on the court, particularly because he walked away with zero turnovers.

Bottom line, although Virginia appeared to be in control during the first half, the Cavaliers let the game slip through their fingers in the second. UVA must get back on track this week when they face Notre Dame on the road at 7 p.m. EST on Jan. 27.