Virginia Moves Up Seven Spots In The Latest AP Poll Rankings

Virginia sees a major bump in the latest AP Poll rankings for the new week. Virginia moved up seven spots in the new poll from No.23 to No.16. The Cavaliers are 14-2 on the season and already 3-1 in ACC play so far.

The Hoos picked up huge wins over California and Stanford at home and dominated both teams in doing so. Thijs De Ridder, the Hoos leading scorer, has continued to come up big this season for the Cavaliers and lead them in scoring. Chance Mallory has been a nice addition off the bench, averaging 10.8 points, 4.4 rebounds, 3.6 assists, and 2.1 steals.

The Hoos have been winning games in January without their marksman, Jacari White, who has been dealing with a fractured wrist. Regardless, the Hoos have been getting it done with their offense and defense. In the last outing, the Cavaliers shut down Ebuka Okorie defensively and held him to 14 points on 5-14 shooting, with zero second-half points. Stanford was limited to 55 points on 18-56 shooting against the Hoos.

Virginia has key wins this season over Stanford, California, Northwestern, Texas, Dayton, Maryland, and NC State. On Tuesday, they get a chance to continue to add to the resume as they get ready to play a slate of three games, with two being on the road in hostile environments against ranked opponents. The first is a matchup on the road on ESPN2 against Louisville. The Cardinals are 12-4 on the season and have dealt with a plethora of injuries so far this year. Here is what head coach Ryan Odom said about the matchup.

“I think we've played similarly. I think they're faster than us, you know, in transition. They get it up quicker. Uh you know, they put it on you really fast. They're the fastest in the country, really in terms of getting to the three right away. And so, you know, they can beat you right there. If you're not on it, you know, right away, uh, it can be a long night. And so, it's going to be a big challenge, uh, for us. One of the keys is getting quality shots, on the offensive end, so that we can get into our press and begin to try to slow that as best we can,” said Odom.

There is no guarantee who will suit up with the injuries. It could be Ryan Conwell, Mikel Brown, or London Johnson on Tuesday night. Coach Odom talked about preparing with not knowing who may play.

“It is a little bit complex you know to try to figure out. I think the best way to to attack it is just to plan as if they're playing and have the guys prepared, you know, if they're not as well. Ultimately it comes down to how we're playing and are we playing at our best level because we know it's going to take a really good effort, you know, to to beat Louisville on the road,” said Odom.

It is a vital week for the Cavaliers as they will get a chance to prove how good they are on the national stage. With wins in these next three games, they could easily move into the top 10 and be the second-highest-ranked ACC team in the AP Poll with two ranked wins. It won’t be easy because they will be on the road, but they are battle-tested, having picked up a win over the Texas Longhorns on the road earlier this year. This week will tell us a lot about the Hoos.

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