The Cavaliers Rotation Adjustment That Could Define March Madness

The 2025-26 college basketball season flew by, and March Madness is now upon us. Fortunately for the Virginia Cavaliers, their journey this year isn't over, and if all goes well, this is only the beginning of their race in the NCAA Tournament.

March Madness never fails to provide electric energy, thrilling wins and heartbreaking losses across the country. Needless to say, emotions are high in college basketball this time of year. The Cavaliers weren't expected to make it this far this year, but once they started dominating early on in their season, it became clear that this is a program capable of much more than many thought.

Virginia will be facing the Wright State Raiders on Friday, March 20, at 1:50 p.m. ET. Now, the Raiders are entering the Midwets Region as a No. 14 seed, while the Hoos are a No. 3 seed. History proves that just because Virginia is the higher seed, this does not mean an automatic win. However, it should give the Cavaliers a boost in confidence ahead of this matchup.

But the First Round is only step one in the NCAA Tournament. If they want to make a deep run, they must advance through multiple rounds. In order to do so, there is a rotation adjustment that could help propel Ryan Odom's program forward.

Granting Jacari White More Time To Shine

Virginia Cavaliers Jacari White shooting a basketball over Duke Blue Devils Cameron Boozer. — Virginia Cavaliers guard Jacari White and Duke Blue Devils forward Cameron Boozer | Bob Donnan-Imagn Images

Jacari White endured a wrist injury early this year, briefly leaving him sidelined. However, once he returned, he bounced back fairly quickly. He is currently averaging 8.8 points, 2.3 rebounds and 1.2 assists per game, while shooting 45.2% from the floor.

This was a drop from his 2024-25 performance with North Dakota State, in which he averaged 17.1 points, 4.3 rebounds and 2.3 assists per game, shooting 45.2% from the floor, but all things considered, the 6'3" guard is a major contributor for UVA. Sure, he isn't the leading scorer or most notable name in the program, but granting him more opportunities during the NCAA Tournament could certainly pay off for the Cavaliers.

Toward the end of February, Odom spoke to White's abilities on the court and stated, "He [Jacari] is an important player on defense for us. There's no question about it. He gives us another guy on the perimeter that can pressure the ball, the court, in our press, then also can defend and chase guys that can really shoot off of screens..."

White's strongest performance during his latest campaign arrived in December against Dayton, when he logged a season-high of 25 points, along with four rebounds and three assists. If he can perform anywhere close to this, the Hoos will have a major boost on offense.

He doesn't come with an imposing size compared to his teammates, but he is equipped with elite instincts and reliability on both sides of the ball.