Cavaliers Now

Five Takeaways From Virginia's Exhibition Game vs. Villanova

Malik Thomas leads the Hoo's to the preseason win at John Paul Jones Arena.
Jake Aiello|
Villanova vs. Virginia Exhibition Game Highlights | 2025-26 ACC Men's Basketball
Villanova vs. Virginia Exhibition Game Highlights | 2025-26 ACC Men's Basketball | ACC Digital Network

In this story:

Virginia Cavaliers

The Cavaliers took down the Villanova Wildcats, 75-72 in the Cavaliers' second exhibition game of the preseason on Friday. Virginia previously faced off against Vanderbilt in a set of two exhibition halves, which the Commodores won. The Hoo's were able to put a tally in the win column regardless this weekend even if it is in an exhibition environment.

Let's take a look at the five biggest takeaways from the Cavaliers' preseason victory.

1. Thomas Gets Hot

Star transfer guard Malik Thomas led the Hoo's in scoring, dropping 16 points in 30 minutes. Thomas shot 50% from the field and 75% from three. The San Francisco transfer also made all three of his free-throw attempts. Thomas also reeled in two rebounds but registered no assists. Thomas' role in this Virginia offense is to primarily score so I do not see him dishing out many assists this season. Thomas never averaged over 2.1 assists in his four seasons of college basketball, so far.

2. Hall Does It All

BYU transfer Dallin Hall was all over the place for the Cavaliers. Hall scored seven points with five assists and a steal in 27 minutes on the floor. The senior also made three of his four foul-shots. Hall only put up three shots but was able to have an impact on the total game in other ways on both the offensive and defensive sides of the ball.

3. White Scores Off The Bench

Jacari White came off the bench for UVA in this exhibition. White did play 21 minutes so he is the primary scorer off the bench that is incredibly invaluable to a basketball team's first and second unit. The NDSU transfer finished with a loaded stat line of eight points, four rebounds and two assists. The wing also made two three-pointers. Like Hall, White did it all for the UVA offense but came off of the bench.

4. Efficient Night For Mallory

Four-star guard Chance Mallory also came off the bench for Virginia on Friday. Mallory scored five points on two field goals. He also dished out two assists and recorded three rebounds. The freshman signed with UVA this offseason as the 55th overall recruit and the 6th overall point guard in the 2025 class, according to 247Sports. Yes, the freshman star was not asked to do too much but he flourished in his role and that is a step in the right direction during the preseason.

5. Gruenloh's Paint Presence

Johann Gruenloh was a force in the paint for the Cavaliers against Villanova. Gruenloh scored 12 points with eight rebounds and two blocks. The German center also made three of four foul-shots. Gruenloh's 6'11" frame and 7'2" wingspan makes him a huge presence inside for UVA on offense as a stretch and on defense as an anchor in the paint. Gruneloh playing alongside the 6'8" Thijs De Ridder will be a scary duo for the Hoo's as the regular season quickly approaches.

More Virginia Basketball News:

Published
Jake Aiello
JAKE AIELLO

Jake Aiello is a skilled multimedia journalist with a background in live broadcast, digital content creation and social media strategy. Before Virginia on SI, Jake served as a live television producer in Washington, D.C., while also working as a freelance sports creator-writing game stories, creating graphics, and crafting video content covering NCAA Football, NBA, MLB, MLS, WNBA, and Olympic competitions. Jake is a huge New York Yankees, New York Jets, and Boston Celtics fan