Why Virginia Shouldn’t Be Worried After A Close Win Over Wright State

Virginia's game against No.14 Wright State came down to the wire. A key to Wright State giving the Cavaliers fits was their ability to knock down the three-ball. Wright State finished with 13 three-pointers. Michael Imariagbe had five made three pointers, and Solomon Callaghan had four made three pointers. TJ Burch chipped it in two. The Raiders also took advantage of Virginia’s turnovers and made plays. Burch led with a game-high five steals. It would take a 15-3 run to close the game for the Cavaliers, which sealed the win and its first tournament victory since 2019.

Now the biggest question is, should there be some worry after the close win? Here is head coach Ryan Odom with his input on the game.

“They (Wright State)played lights out. They gave us everything that we could handle throughout the game. It was an excellent and well-played game, a real competitive game. They played a little bit differently than we were expecting, going into the game and how we prepared. They did a nice job on picking on our big guys a little bit in terms of popping and shooting some threes, but our guys did a nice job throughout the game of adjusting and just hanging in there. And that's what you've got to do in this tournament. It's not going to be perfect. It's not meant to be perfect,” said Odom.

Why you shouldn’t be concerned

latest — Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers head coach Ryan Odom calls a play during the first half against the Wright State Raiders during a first round game of the men's 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | Kyle Ross-Imagn Images

Despite the discomfort, the Cavaliers never flinched and continued to play their game. A key moment was when Sam Lewis drew a technical foul late in the game, which could have been a turning point for either side. Instead of folding, Virginia didn’t let it rattle them and would go on a run after the two free throw shots and remained in the game, even getting out ahead. Virginia has played in close games all year and has continued to make the plays they need to when it counts the most. Coach Odom talked about how he brought his team together in that moment and why they didn’t get rattled.

"The play before, I think I was trying to call a time-out. I didn't get it, and that's going to happen. It's pretty loud in there, and the players didn't hear me at that point. Sometimes these pauses can reset you, and you're able to just communicate, look one another in the eye and begin to figure out the plan of how we're going to get it done,” said Odom.

“The key for us is not complicated. We had to get stops. We had to keep the pressure on defensively. We couldn't watch the guys shoot threes. A couple of times, we watched guys shoot, and they made us pay. That's not something we have done all season. I think our guys did a nice job of showing the proper poise that was needed to be able to come out victorious."

Virginia always makes the plays necessary to win and has done it all season long. They are battle-tested and ready for the tournament and all it has in store for them, which is a credit to Coach Odom and the number of situations he has put them in this season.