Three Players To Watch During No. 13 Virginia’s Matchup vs. Wake Forest

The Virginia Cavaliers have returned home from Durham, N.C., and will now be welcoming the Wake Forest Demon Deacons to John Paul Jones Arena in Charlottesville at 7 p.m. tonight.

The Hoos are coming off a hideous loss to the Duke Blue Devils, but now is the time to start ramping their play back up with the goal of finishing their final two matchups on a positive note. The last time the two programs faced each other was in February 2025, when Virginia edged out Wake Forest 83-75, and the Cavaliers enter the game 8-3 against the Demon Deacons at JPJ Arena.

"I mean, you turn the page," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his latest media appearance. "You make sure that these guys understand that they've done a great job so far this season. We're 25-4 now, you know, at the top of the conference and have a chance to finish really strong and have two really important games prior to heading into the conference tournament and then obviously the NCAA tournament after that. This is a good basketball team that we have here at UVA, and we want to make sure that we finish strong.”

With the matchup just a few short hours away, let's take a look at three key Cavaliers who fans should pay close attention to tonight.

Thijs De Ridder

De Ridder is always an interesting player to follow on the court, both due to his elite production and his high level of physicality. However, this physicality tends to get him into trouble when it comes to fouling. Tonight, the first year forward will need to be mindful of this to prevent being forced onto the bench again.

Having posted 16 points, three rebounds and one block last time out, UVA is going to need De Ridder to step up once again and lead his team. He currently ranks 12th in scoring in his conference and 17th in rebounding, and it's clear that he has plenty of gas left in the tank to finish off this season.

Johann Grünloh

After flying under the radar for a significant portion of the year, Grünloh has been showing positive signs in recent games. The 7'0' center is not one of Virginia's leading scorers, but he does rank third in blocks (2.8) in the ACC. Grünloh is an underrated player, but if he continues to increase his momentum, he could be a key contributor tonight and this weekend.

Chance Mallory

Mallory often holds the power to be a game-changer for the Hoos. When he's on fire, the Cavaliers tend to thrive. So far this season, the freshman guard is averaging 10.1 points, 3.9 rebounds and 36 assists, while shooting 44.8% from the floor. Mallory currently ranks 13th in assists and15th in free throw percentage (78.6).