Will Virginia Guard Sam Lewis Return To Charlottesville?

As the days go on, the question continues to arise what will the junior guard decide to do?

Mar 20, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) dribbles as Wright State Raiders guard TJ Burch (22) defends during the second half 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

What is going on with Virginia guard Sam Lewis?

It has already been announced that Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grünloh, and Chance Mallory would all return to Virginia for the 2026 season. All good news for head coach Ryan Odom and company that the main core of his players would return for another season. De Ridder was his leading scorer and rebounder, Mallory was excellent off the bench and oftentimes was his closing point guard late in games, and Grünloh improved as the season wore on and became a two-way defensive stopper and a rim protector. 

Now the big mystery is what is going on with Sam Lewis. He has continued to fly under the radar, currently with no portal announcement and also no announcement to return to the Cavaliers. At the moment, Virginia is kind of in limbo. Lewis was a big part of the team's success a season ago for the Cavaliers and was a main offensive piece and starter for Virginia. 

Lewis was a transfer this past season for the Cavaliers, coming over from Toledo. Lewis averaged 10.3 points, 3.6 points, and 1.4 assists in his lone season with Virginia. Lewis was the third-leading scorer on the team. He was also excellent from long range shooting it at a 40.3% clip. That was the second-highest on the team. From a floor spacing perspective, he gets it done for the Cavaliers and can be a marksman. It will pay dividends to have that on the court next year for Virginia as they reshape their roster.

The good sign is that he hasn’t entered his name into the transfer portal with the official window opening on Tuesday. He still has a year left of eligibility. As the days go on, though, it has to be concerning for Virginia fans with no announcement and a decision still pending. Now, Lewis could also be exploring options to maybe declare for the NBA draft or play overseas. Those could be potential options for him that he is weighing at the moment. It feels like if he does come back to college basketball, barring anything unforeseen, he will likely suit up for the Cavaliers. Hopefully, a decision will be made in the coming days so Coach Odom can continue to build a roster looking to take a jump in 2026. Lewis would be a great piece to bring back from last year, which would only help the team achieve that.