Virginia Basketball's Latest Stock Report After Clinching Victory Over Louisville

The Virginia Cavaliers' men's basketball program is currently ranked No. 16 in the AP Top 25 for a reason — they've been a dominant team in college basketball this season, despite being a relatively fresh roster and running under new head coach Ryan Odom.

The Cavaliers latest matchup resulted in a 79-70 victory over No. 20 Louisville, marking their first win against a ranked opponent since 2023 when they defeated Texas Tech. UVA didn't kick off conference play on the right foot this year, but it's safe to say that they're back on track with their four-game winning streak.

"... I thought our guys, you know, did a really nice job throughout of answering the majority of the challenges that came our way," head coach Ryan Odom stated during his postgame press conference. "A lot of different contributors. Happy to talk about any of them. Certainly a big game for Johann. Big game for Malik. Dallin was steady and was the leader that we needed him to be."

Malik Thomas

A basketball player in a white uniform shooting a basketball while being guarded by a player in navy blue — Jan 10, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Malik Thomas (1) shoots the ball as Stanford Cardinal guard Benny Gealer (5) defends in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Senior Malik Thomas continues to raise his stock game after game, and last night was no different. The 6-foot-5 guard led Virginia with his season-high of 19 points, recording five rebounds and three assists along the way, shooting 66.7% from the floor. Thomas went 6 for 8 from the arc and also nailed a career high of six 3-pointers. With another strong performance under his belt, Thomas is undoubtedly rising to one of UVA's top players. Although Thijs De Ridder still leads the pack at No. 1 with an average of 16 points per game, Thomas comes in at No. 2 with 13.1 points per game.

Johann Grünloh

A basketball player in a white uniform in the air about to dunk an orange basketball in the hoop — Dec 22, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers center Johann Grunloh (17) dunks the ball against the American University Eagles in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Freshman Johann Grünloh's 7-foot stature is enough to intimidate opponents, but he takes it one step further with his dominant performances. After posting 16 points, he tied his season high, previously set on Nov. 15 against Marshall. In addition to his 16 points, Grünloh logged seven rebounds and four blocks. The young star continues to guide UVA with an average of 6.8 rebounds per game, edging out De Ridder with 6.2 per game.

Dallin Hall

A basketball player in a white uniform dribbling a basketball past a player in a navy blue uniforms — Jan 10, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall (30) drives to the basket past Stanford Cardinal forward Chisom Okpara (10) in the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Geoff Burke-Imagn Images | Geoff Burke-Imagn Images

Senior guard Dallin Hall led both programs with 12 rebounds last night. Hall's season averages now amass 6.2 points, 3.8 rebounds and 4.1 assists while shooting 41.2% from the floor.

“I think tonight our guys did a really good job of boxing their guys out," he stated, per Jeff White of Virginia Sports. "My guy wasn't crashing a bunch, so it let me kind of clean up some of those rebounds. But it's been an emphasis for us as a team. We know to get better defensively, we have to get better defensive rebounding. So I just tried to help out."

The Cavaliers' next meeting is scheduled for Jan. 17 at 12 p.m. EST when they face SMU. This is another key matchup that UVA must win to further cement themselves in the ACC. Will the Cavaliers extend their winning streak to five games?

More Virginia Basketball News:

•The Good, Bad and Ugly of Virginia Basketball’s Victory Over Stanford

•Key Takeaways From Virginia 70-55 Win Over Stanford

•The Plus/Minus: Defense Carries Virginia Basketball Past Stanford

•Everything Ryan Odom Said After No. 23 Virginia Defeated Stanford Today