Three Key Takeaways from Virginia's Tight 83-78 Win Over Northwestern

What stood out about the Virginia Cavaliers' recent victory over Northwestern?

Virginia guard Chance Mallory (2) between Vanderbilt forward Tyler Harris (8) and forward AK Okereke (10) during the second half of their exhibition game at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers rallied to end Northwestern's clean streak of victory tonight, and in turn, they extended their overall record to an impressive 5-0. This was UVA's most gripping game of the season thus far, but they managed to find a way to win as the clock ticked. Despite the tight score, there were three key takeaways that the Cavaliers should be proud of.

De Ridder Leads the Pack

Vanderbilt guard Duke Miles (2) comes up with the ball after teammate guard Tyler Tanner (3) poked the ball away from Virginia forward Thijs De Ridder (28) during the first half of their exhibition game at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

It became clear early on the UVA's 2025 campaign that freshman forward Thijs De Ridder was going to be a dominant force on the court this year. As a 6-foot-9, 238-pound player, the bar was already high for the young star, but he's been seamlessly exceeding all expectations. Tonight, De Ridder recorded a career high of 26 points, three points higher than he scored during his matchup last week against Marshall. In addition to his 26 points, he registered eight rebounds and one block.

UVA Works Under Pressure

Oct 8, 2025; Charlotte, NC, USA; Virginia player Malik Thomas answers questions from the media at The Hilton Charlotte Uptown. Mandatory Credit: William Howard-Imagn Images | William Howard-Imagn Images

Up until now, Virginia has generally taken large leads during their matchups this season. Their first game on Nov. 3 was against Rider, which ended in an 87-53 victory. Shortly after, they defeated NC Central (81-62), Hampton (91-53), and Marshall (104-78). With the Cavaliers taking such substantial leads, it wasn't clear how they would handle being under pressure with a tight score. Needless to say, tonight was a testament to their grit and willingness to compete right up until the end.

Virginia’s Rebounds Were Critical

Virginia coach Ryan Odom works the referees during the second half of their exhibition game against Vanderbilt at Memorial Gym in Nashville, Tenn., Thursday, Oct. 16, 2025. | Denny Simmons / The Tennessean / USA TODAY NETWORK via Imagn Images

Virginia was on top of the ball tonight, registering 49 rebounds to Northwestern's 25. This was something that head coach Ryan Odom was keen on improving on, so watching his program follow through is incredibly promising. As Odom stated during his press conference ahead of the matchup:

“Yeah, definitely defensive rebounding. You know, that's something that we're working on. We're working on limiting the fouls that we commit. We fouled a little bit too much, you know, in the first four games. That can happen when you're pressing up full court. You're going to have some times where you get a little bit too aggressive. I've been pleased, you know, with the rim protection. We're guarding twos and threes pretty well. We're limiting the volume of threes that other teams are shooting against us. Even a team like Marshall, who you came in shooting, you know, 50 some percent of their shots were, you know, from three, we kept that number down just by getting outside the line and guarding them. A lot of things to still improve upon, but you know, it's early in the season.”

UVA's next matchup is scheduled for Nov. 23 against Butler, with tipoff time on the board for 2 p.m. EST. Will Virginia be able to extend its record to 6-0?