The One Major X Factor For Virginia In The ACC Tournament

One X Factor that could make a major difference

Mar 3, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom gestures from the bench against the Wake Forest Demon Deacons in the first half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Virginia won’t be back in action until Thursday when they play in the ACC tournament in Charlotte. The Hoos are coming off a 76-72 victory over their bitter in-state rival, Virginia Tech. Virginia is now 27-4 on the season and has a chance to potentially propel itself to a top-three seed next week for Selection Sunday if it can handle business in the tourney. There is one player who is a true X factor and can help them. 

The senior big man has been playing some of his best basketball as of late, especially on the defensive end. Onyenso has recorded three or more blocks in three of the past four games. He currently is fifth in the nation, averaging 2.57 blocks per game and also ranks fifth in total blocks with 77. His effort on the defensive end makes it tough to score on the Cavaliers and gives them a much-needed defensive shot blocking duo alongside true freshman Johann Grünloh. 

In addition to his defense, he can also score the basketball and be a player the Hoos can get offense from during the tournament. Onyenso finished with 16 points on 5-7 shooting and went 2-3 from beyond the arc. His head coach, Ryan Odom, talked about the work he has put in on the offensive side of things. 

“But he's worked at it [his shooting] every single day, and I thought today he was he stepped right in and let it go. And he's had some hesitant moments over the last couple of weeks with three-point shots, but he did it exactly like he practices, and just stepped right in and fired,” said Odom. 
Onyenso does a lot of his damage on the defensive side of the ball. If everything goes right, the Cavaliers will rematch against Duke and will have the task of slowing down one of the top players in college basketball, Cameron Boozer. The Hoos may be better equipped with the task this time around, especially with how Onyenso is playing. 

"Practices it every day. Obviously, you notice the rim protection and the defense—he's an incredible defender—should be the defensive player of the year to me. I know there's some other great, great players out there, but we've got two that are pretty, pretty darn good,” said Odom. 

Onyenso has been a gem of a find for Coach Odom and the Cavaliers. He may not just be an X Factor in the ACC tournament, but also the NCAA tournament that kicks off in 10 days. When you have that level of rim protection and rebounding on the inside, it allows your team to be able to make a deep run. The Cavaliers looked primed to do so.