Chance Mallory chooses Virginia, time and time again

Chance Mallory grew up going to Virginia basketball games. He witnessed the golden years of the Tony Bennett era as a young Charlottesville kid.

But Bennett left in 2024. And soon after, so did Mallory. The star recruit decommitted — leaving the future of the Cavaliers frontcourt in jeopardy. The whole program was in a similar situation. Then things changed.

Five months later, Virginia hired Ryan Odom and Mallory re-committed just hours after the news broke. Mallory ended up having a stupendous freshman season as a key bench piece for Odom’s Cavaliers. But after that freshman year, he was once again tasked with a choice. Free agency has infiltrated college basketball — anyone can transfer after any season.

Mallory continued to choose home.

“He was quick to say that he was coming back,” Odom said on a CBS Sports podcast. “Obviously, he grew up here. This is his place, and he loves every second of it. And this is a big year for him.”

As a true freshman, Mallory averaged 9.3 points, 3.7 rebounds, 3.4 assists and 1.6 steals per game. He ranked second in the ACC with a 3.0 assist to turnover ratio. He also finished eighth in the conference in steals, plus 15 assists. He did so playing just 24 minutes per game.

Virginia is excited to see what Mallory can do with more playing time and a starting role. Mallory has hit the gym this offseason to build muscle — which Odom noticed.

“This is what he wanted, and Chance has had an amazing summer,” Odom said. “He's got all muscle. He's in really, really tip top shape right now, which is tremendous for him. It just shows the level of commitment that he has and has had for this team and for this program.”

Analysts have taken notice as well. Mallory is listed as one of the top 10 point guards in the country in various publications. A quantum leap is expected.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) talks with Coach Ryan Odom in the second half against the Pittsburgh Panthers. — Feb 3, 2026; Charlottesville, Virginia, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) talks with head coach Ryan Odom in the second half against the Pittsburgh Panthers at John Paul Jones Arena. Mandatory Credit: Emily Faith Morgan-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

Mallory has displayed flashes that could be the foundation of an elite guard. He dropped 16 points in a win at Texas last year, plus 17 at Notre Dame and there were 18 other games in which he scored at least 10 points.

Those are numbers expected of a starter, not a reserve point guard.

“Coming off the bench, [he] gave us a tremendous amount of energy every game,” Odom said. “Was always there and ready to play, and he's just the ultimate competitor. He's a beast, and we're lucky that he's on our team.”

Now, as the 2026-27 season approaches, Odom has reinforced beliefs that Mallory could ascend to star status. Odom’s first major recruit has been with the program since the staff first began their journey with the Cavaliers.

“Yeah, he's a starter,” Odom said. “He's our starting point guard and will be this year. We're looking for big things from him, and we'll need him to step up in a lot of different ways.”

All of the hype around Mallory is made possible by the fact that he continues to choose Virginia time and time again. When a new coach was hired, to when he began his career as a bench player to now, when he is the starting point guard, Mallory has made his choice clear. He has made it multiple times.

Now, he and Odom hope to translate commitment into enormous success.

Add us as a preferred source on Google