Virginia Basketball Stays Steady in Updated NET and KenPom Rankings

Where did the Virginia Cavaliers land in the latest rankings?

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Mark Thomas (1) reacts to a basket during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

With an overall record of 9-1, it doesn't come as a major surprise that the Virginia Cavaliers have been situated higher up in the rankings this season. So far, their only loss has been to Butler, when the Bulldogs clinched an 80-73 victory over the Cavaliers. However, UVA didn't stay down for long — they've defeated every opponent since, including Queens NC, Texas, Dayton and MD Eastern. With that said, Virginia will have more challenges to come. As head coach Ryan Odom explained during his latest postgame press conference:

"I mean, I think offensively, you know, we pass. I think that's the biggest thing right now, and we have multiple options, guys that can shoot, guys that can drive. I think we're getting more stingy on defense, you know, I think that's an area that we're continuing to try to improve each and every practice and game. And the guys understand that we have to have both to be successful  in our conference. We're going to be facing some stiff competition, and really good individual players, who are all well coached and, you know, we're going to have to step up, you know, and as we get to conference play."

With another victory under their belt, where did the Cavaliers land in the latest NET and KenPom rankings?

UVA's KenPom Ranking

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) shoots a free throw during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

As shown by the updated KenPom rankings, the Cavaliers' current home is at No. 24. Texas Tech is just above them at No. 23, and Arkansas is directly below them at No. 25. Of course, Michigan, Gonzaga, Iowa St. and Duke claim the top spots at Nos. 1-4, respectively. Although knocking these teams off the top isn't in UVA's cards this year, securing more wins would allow them to climb higher than their current position.

UVA's NET Ranking

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) shoots against Texas Longhorns guard Chendall Weaver (2) during the second half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The latest men's basketball NET rankings have Virginia at No. 21 this week. This metric is an acronym for NCAA Evaluation Tool, a measure that replaced the Ratings Power Index (RPI) ahead of the 2018-19 campaign. As noted by the NCAA, the RPI considered three components: winning percentage, average opponent's winning percentage and average opponent's opponent's winning percentage. However, the introduction of NET allows more aspects to be considered, including game results, strength of schedule, game location, efficiency and quality of wins and losses. Needless to say, NET rankings provide a much deeper dive into a team's success.

With the Cavaliers being ranked at No. 21, they are far from the bottom. Here's the breakdown of their quadrants, with Quads 1 and 2 holding the most weight:

Quad 1: 1-1
Quad 2: 2-0
Quad 3:1-0
Quad 4: 5-0

UVA's next matchup is scheduled for Dec. 20 at 6 p.m. EST when they face Maryland at John Paul Jones Arena. This is an opportunity for the Cavaliers to climb higher in the rankings.