Ryan Odom, UVA Sports Culture and One Virginia Family

When No. 9 Virginia trekked down the freeway to Charleston, S.C. and played an outdoor exhibition game against No. 24 Vanderbilt, Coach Ryan Odom had a few surprises and tests in mind.

Playing a college basketball game outdoors is extremely unorthodox. However, it is a valuable experiment to see how players respond to inconsistent light and shadows, breeze and other strange factors. Playing against a ranked SEC team is even more valuable.

Odom also had something in mind — perspective.

Odom as teacher

The operator of Credit One Stadium is Ben Navarro, the father of Virginia tennis legend Emma Navarro. She won a national championship during her time in Charlottesville. Odom would like to do the same.

Before the exhibition against the Commodores, Virginia and Navarro arranged a visit with the men's basketball team. Odom borrowed a page from Coach Tony Elliott's book of motivation — connecting the Cavaliers present with Cavaliers past.

"Yeah, we're pumped that you guys are here," Navarro said. "It's super rare to to see a basketball court in our tennis arena, but we love it. It's so important to just appreciate every day. It goes by so fast, and sports are pretty amazing. Sports gives you so much that you don't you don't always get out of life."

Virginia Cavaliers basketball Coach Ryan Odom talks with tennis star Emma Navarro. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

"So yeah, appreciate everything that that comes with sports," Navarro said. "the nerves and and the pressure and the tough days and the excitement of winning and and the hurt of losing, yeah, take it all in. Those are emotions that are hard to come by in your in your daily life."

Navarro is not the first Cavaliers to share wisdom with this basketball team. In March, Virginia hired program legend Malcolm Brogdon as a strategic advisor. He will be with the Cavaliers throughout their journey towards a championship.

Odom also arranged visits from Ralph Sampson, Seth Greenberg and others. There will be more.

Virginia Cavaliers football Coach Tony Elliott hosts basketball coach Ryan Odom and his team at practice. | Courtesy Virginia Athletics

Odom as navigator

Last season, Virginia had a respectable schedule. Wins against Miami, Louisville, NC State, Texas and Dayton were certainly impressive. This season, however, the Cavaliers have dialed the difficulty gauge to 11.

Virginia has to go through No. 2 Duke twice, and also No. 4 UConn, No. 11 Louisville, No. 12 Arkansas, No. 14 Miami and No. 23 Kentucky.

It fits another Elliott-ism that Odom has borrowed — in order be the best, you have to beat the best. The Cavaliers visited Elliott's program earlier this fall.

Let's change the world 🌎🤝 @UVAFootball #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/TqaPvqlVnX
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) September 24, 2026

Wednesday, Cavaliers tight end John Rogers said that the men's basketball team are one of the football team's biggest supporters.

"You can see them on the jumbotron on game days, cheering their their tails off, and it means a lot to us," Rogers said. "With the success they've had, we're able to to build off of each other and learn from each other, truly. Even our even in our respective sports, there's a lot of similarities, and having guys that we know are are capable of winning championships cheering us on means a lot."

College sports can feel overly insulated. Odom is doing everything he can to combat that in Charlottesville. He takes his players on tours of Grounds, trips to Washington, D.C. plus reading assignments to create a deep love and appreciation of UVA.

"Your culture is bigger than everything else that's going on in college basketball. and the strength of this program is the culture," Greenberg said. "Virginia's not for everyone. but you guys chose to be here because it is different. Culture takes time. Guard that freaking culture every single day. You gotta guard it."

"If you do that, you guys will be hanging a banner."

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