Virginia Men’s Basketball Rises in AP Rankings After Win Over Maryland

Where did the Virginia Cavaliers land in the latest AP Top 25 rankings?

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom reacts during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers have been a dominating force on the court this year on both sides of the ball. Between leading scorers, breakout performances and rising stars, Ryan Odom's first year as head coach couldn't be playing out any better than it is right now.

The Cavaliers are now closing in on their non-conference play, and open their ACC floor against Virginia Tech (11-2) on Dec. 31. But first, they will be taking on American tonight at 6 p.m. EST at John Paul Jones Arena for an opportunity to end their non-conference stretch on a high note.

Last week, the Cavaliers were ranked No. 23 in the AP Top 25 rankings as a result of their imposing record. Facing only one loss since the start of the season, UVA has now brought its record to a stunning 10-1 after its latest 80-72 win over Maryland. With this win secured, where did Virginia fall in the updated poll?

UVA Ascends AP Top 25 Rankings

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Texas Longhorns center Matas Vokietaitis (8) and Virginia Cavaliers forward Thijs De Ridder (28) react during the first half at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

Considering the Cavaliers' consistent improvement and their ability to clinch consecutive wins, it doesn't come as a surprise that they were able to find a new, and more impressive, home in the AP Top 25. As of Dec. 22, Virginia is now ranked at No. 21, just below Illinois, but just above Florida. Arizona and Michigan still hold Nos. 1 and 2, respectively.

What's Contributing to UVA's Success?

Nov 28, 2025; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Dallin Hall (30) controls the ball as Queens University of Charlotte Royals forward Carson Schwieger (22) defends during the second half at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Amber Searls-Imagn Images | Amber Searls-Imagn Images

Virginia has a spectrum of player experience. Skilled freshmen such as Chance Mallory, Johann Grünloh and Thijs De Ridder have proven themselves to be just as valuable as veterans like Jacari White, Dallin Hall and Malik Thomas. Having such a wide berth of experience is only going to continue helping the program in the weeks to come.

Right now, De Ridder leads UVA in points (15.1), while Grünloh leads in rebounds (7.3), Hall with assists (3.9), Mallory with steals (2.5) and once again, Grünloh with blocks (2.7). Despite the players being relatively new to each other compared to some of the more established chemistry on other teams, the Cavaliers have been meshing incredibly well on and off the court. But that doesn't mean that they have it all together just yet. As Odom stated in a press conference earlier this month:

"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."

As UVA prepares to wrap up its non-conference play, the true test has yet to come — how will they fare against their ACC opponents this year?