Three UVA Basketball Players Who Saw Their Stock Rise After ACC Win Over NC State

Which Virginia men's basketball players were able to raise their stock after defeating NC State?

Dec 31, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) lays the ball up against the Virginia Tech Hokies in the second overtime period at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images. | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers pulled off a dominant win over NC State this week, bringing the final score to 76-61. Now, the Cavaliers are riding a 12-2 overall record and are 1-1 in conference play. Their latest victory can be largely attributed to three players who propelled UVA forward on the court, ultimately putting Virginia on the board in the ACC.

"The theme of this game for us was just being disciplined. In our last game, we were not as disciplined as we needed to be, and it bit us in a multitude of ways. And I thought our guys did a nice job of forcing some misses and being disciplined early in the game to block out and come up with rebounds so that we didn't have to face their stout press the entire first half," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference. "And I think that was certainly helpful for us getting off to a good start, and the confidence just kind of kept brewing from there or growing from there, and our guys continued on. Second half, it got hairy there, and our guys responded in a positive way and were able to finish the game off."

The top three Cavaliers who emerged yesterday include Sam Lewis, Malik Thomas, and, as expected, Thijs De Ridder. Let's take a look at their individual performances against the Wolfpack.

Sam Lewis

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns guard Dailyn Swain (3) shoots a three point basket against Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

After leading his team with 23 points yesterday with a stunning scoring blitz, junior guard Sam Lewis was bound to see his stock rise. Aside from his imposing size at 6-foot-7, 210 pounds, Lewis had proven himself to be capable of high production with UVA. He transferred in from Toledo and had a remarkable 2024-25 campaign, averaging 16.2 points, 4.7 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game. However, since landing in Virginia, he hasn't been nearly as dynamic. Was yesterday a turning point for Lewis?

Malik Thomas

Dec 31, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Tech Hokies guard Jailen Bedford (0) takes the ball down court as Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas (1) defends during the second half at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

So far this season, senior guard Malik Thomas is averaging 12.3 points, 3.5 rebounds and 1.7 assists per game, while shooting 40.3% from the field. While facing NC State, Thomas finished with 13 points on the board, but more impressively, he led Virginia with seven rebounds. Rebounding was key for UVA this weekend, and as Odom stated:

"We talked about, you know, our ability to force misses, and our guys have done that all year. Our two-point field goal percentage has been really good. Our three-point percentage defense has been really good, so teams get to the free-throw line. And some of that is as a function of us not being disciplined enough or consistently enough to be physical and hit people, to then come up with rebounds. And so like, we can't go out like that. Like we have to be a team that's going to be physical, that's going to defensive rebound. All right. Because that really helps our offense when we're able to do that."

Thijs De Ridder

Dec 31, 2025; Blacksburg, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs de Ridder (28) drives toward the basket as Virginia Tech Hokies forward Amani Hansberry (13) watches during the second overtime period at Cassell Coliseum. Mandatory Credit: Brian Bishop-Imagn Images | Brian Bishop-Imagn Images

Freshman forward Thijs De Ridder has continuously served as one of UVA's top players this season. Averaging 16.4 points per game, he comes in at No. 13 in the ACC. He had a bit of a slow start heading into yesterday's matchup, but he surged ahead in the second half. In fact, 12 of his 14 points came after halftime. He finished the game with 14 points, six rebounds and one assist. With De Ridder being only a freshman, his ability to produce numbers and consistently raise his stock is encouraging.