Virginia Basketball: Why UVA Could Be a Top 10 Three Point Shooting Team This Season

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Despite the Cavaliers losing their best three-point shooter in Isaac McKneely, who shot 42.1% last season, there's an argument to be made that the Hoos could be a top ten team in the nation from beyond the arc in Ryan Odom's first year at the helm of the Virginia men's basketball program.

The modern era of college athletics defines this team as Odom went out and brought in seven players via the transfer portal, nine if you count the commitments of internationals Johann Grünloh and Thijs de Ridder, utilizing Virginia's NIL budget to build a vision of his ideal roster that will perfectly match his style of play. 

So what will this team's style of play be? 

On the opposite side of the spectrum from Tony Bennett's, slow paced defensive style of play, Odom has quickly emphasized speed in summer camp, something he expects his team to play with his coming fall. Odom has also had former Houston Rockets coach Mike D'Antoni and current Indiana Pacers coach Rick Carlisle in the building, both of whom are known for producing high-paced offenses. Carlisle, who led the Pacers to the NBA Finals this past June, had his squad finish as the seventh-fastest playing team in the NBA, according to Statmuse. 

Current players have also emphasized this with San Francisco transfer Malik Thomas saying, "Our pace is unbelievable. We're going to bring a different style of basketball to Virginia, shooting a lot of threes and getting downhill," said Thomas in an interview with The Sabre during summer media availability. 

"A tremendous leader ... He's gonna make fans in JPJ excited!"#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/Pxf8HaNhOs

— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) June 28, 2025

Besides pace, Thomas also notably emphasized three-point shooting, something Odom clearly emphasized in this transfer portal cycle. Below is a list of a few of the Hoos' acquisitions and their three-point shooting percentage this past season. 

Malik Thomas: 39.4% 

Jacari White: 39.8%

Devin Tillis: 39.5%

Dallin Hall: 34.3%

Sam Lewis: 44.4% 

Johann Grünloh: 35.4% 

Thijs de Ridder: 38% 

If the numbers don't pop off the page, excluding Onyenso as he's never attempted a three, and excluding Martin Carrere, who did not play last year, and Chance Mallory and Silas Barksdale, who played in high school, the seven players have an average three-point percentage of 38.69%. That combined average would've ranked 11th best in the NCAA this past year. In 2019, when Virginia won the National Championship, the Hoos shot 39.5 from deep. 

"One of the elite shooters in all of college basektball!"#GoHoos pic.twitter.com/DkXeEBVqe1

— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) July 2, 2025

"The teams that can find quality looks in and around the basket and quality looks outside at three have a really good chance, if you're a very good defensive team, to be successful," said Ryan Odom when asked about his transfer class that features a multitude of players who can shoot the three. 

"We wanted to find guys that fit our system and our style, and the more times that you can put four guys on the court and sometimes five that can shoot the basketball, the court just does this [motions hands out wide to show expansion]." 

Stretching the floor will be a major asset for this team, allowing guys such as Malik Thomas to drive the floor while keeping opposing defenses scrambling to defend the basket or defend any of Virginia's lethal shooters outside. If transfer prospects deliver and even improve with another year of basketball under their belts, the Hoos could be a force this upcoming season.