Sam Lewis wants it all with Virginia this season

After Virginia’s 2025-26 season came to a close against Tennessee, Sam Lewis had one big choice to make — stay or go.

The sharpshooting wing had other suitors. At 6-foot-7 with strong shooting prowess, Lewis would be valuable to any team in the country. He could have chased national championships.

Lewis decided to try and build one instead.

“I want to be better,” Lewis said. “For the team, myself, be a professional. Lead these guys. Just go deeper in March Madness this year, that’s my emphasis — go into every game like it's the championship game.”

After mulling things over, Lewis decided to stay with the Cavaliers. Thijs De Ridder, Johann Grunloh, Chance Mallory, Elijah Gertrude, Silas Barksdale and Martin Carrere made the same choice. This 2026-27 Virginia team is hoping to build off of last season’s success and make a deep run in the NCAA Tournament.

This is a team that witnessed another team hoist a conference championship trophy. The Cavaliers have a fervent desire to switch the result. They were close. They were a few points away from beating Duke and winning an ACC title.

Lewis has experienced some postseason frustration before. Back in his freshman season with Toledo, the Rockets were the No. 1 seed in the MAC Tournament — but lost in the first round. The next season, Lewis’ team was the No. 4 seed in the 2025 conference tournament, progressing to the semifinals. Lewis then scored 23 points against Akron (third-most in game) but his team still lost.

Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) shoots the ball. — Mar 22, 2026; Philadelphia, PA, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Sam Lewis (5) shoots the ball against Tennessee Volunteers forward Nate Ament (10) in the 2026 NCAA Tournament at Xfinity Mobile Arena. Mandatory Credit: Kyle Ross-Imagn Images | IMAGN IMAGES via Reuters Connect

In the 2026 postseason, Lewis saw his statistics dip — but costly fouls increased, including some technicals. He said he has learned from that experience. Ryan Odom, Bryce Crawford and other coaches have also praised Lewis’ mental development as a shot-taker and slasher. They hope year two in Charlottesville will bring more success after the regular season.

“I’ve been here before so I know what to expect,” Lewis said.

This time around, Virginia’s schedule will be exponentially more difficult. The Cavaliers play Duke twice, plus Arkansas, UConn, North Carolina, Kentucky, Miami and others. Odom and company face some of the best opponents in the country.

Lewis, a Chicago native, is not one to shy away from a challenge. He welcomes it — and views the heightened schedule as a prime opportunity to author the best season of his college career.

“I just got to lead and be myself,” Lewis said.

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