The Plus/Minus: Virginia Basketball Corrals SMU

Plus

A win is a win is a win, and this is especially sweet as the Cavaliers got swept by the Mustangs of SMU last season. There were no heroics for Boopie Miller, author of last year’s defeat at the JPJ and last week’s dagger to the hearts of Virginia Tech fans. Miller, who was stoutly defended by Dallin Hall most of the game, had only 12 points on 4/12 shooting and he recorded just three assists. This is a tough, physical SMU team that can also attack from all angles – they lead the ACC in scoring at almost 90 points per game – but Virginia matched SMU body blow for body blow.

Plus

It is safe to say that Malik Thomas is rounding into form, and let’s be honest, it did take him a while. Thomas was hot again from deep, again connecting on six three-pointers as he was the game high scorer with 23 points. For good measure, he recorded his second career double-double and was game-high in rebounds with 11. He took turns guarding Miller and Jaron Pierre, who is an absolute beast. He’s moving his feet like he’s Malcolm Brogdon as he was charged with just a single foul.

Minus

Jacari White’s not fully integrated into the team yet, playing 12 minutes against Louisville and getting just eight minutes today. He did can his one three-pointer, but he had four turnovers in those eight minutes.

Plus

Every team needs it’s third bananas, and far down on the UVa pecking order is Devin Tillis. He can be invisible, like he was versus Louisville, or he can upgrade to relative anonymity as he did for this game. He’s not going to stuff the stat sheet – he doesn’t foul, grab many boards, or handle the basketball – but he nevertheless scored 11 points in 14 minutes on the strength of going 3/5 from deep. He got this assist when he saved what looked like a broken play, thereby giving Malik his fourth trey of the half and Virginia their first lead of the game at the 4:34 mark…

🚨BOOM

Malik with his 4️⃣th three in the first half

📺 @espn #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/scwTsoXcEM
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 17, 2026

Plus

… Because SMU had come out of the gates smoking. The Mustangs took a 24 – 17 lead while hitting on 10 of their first 14 shots. After Thomas and Tillis hit back-to-back threes, Virginia had capped a 13 – 2 run of their own.

Minus

Dallin Hall’s shooting game today. Woof. He was 0 – 8 from deep and one of his shots looked like it missed the rim by a full foot. Just not his day. He did record nine assists against just one turnover lest there is anyone still in the bench-Hall-and-let-Mallory-start camp.

Minus

Sam Lewis fouled Corey Washington on a three. Yeah, I know he’s a 40% shooter from three this year, and running players off the three-point line is a strength of this Virginia team, but that is at least the sixth foul on a three-pointer this year.

Plus

Games like this are won at the margins, and the very embodiment of margin occurs at the free throw line. Both teams shot well from the line: Virginia was 8/10 while SMU was 11/14. But with Virginia up 67 – 65 and less than two minutes remaining, Boopie Miller and Chance Mallory both got to the line. Both are shooting north of 83% from the line. Both only went one for two. So leave it to Thijs De Ridder, he of the 64% conversion rate at the line, to go 4/4 in the last minute to secure the win.

Plus

Both teams shot an almost identical 38% from beyond the arc: Virginia was 12/31 while SMU was 5/13. This is Odom Ball. The three yields more points, but more importantly, it provides a greater emotional lift than just a two-pointer. Virginia got that seven more times than SMU, which was the other margin in this win.

Minus

The down side is that this team will lose games when it inevitably has a 10/45 kind of night like we saw versus Virginia Tech. The Plan B of playing to the bigs in not available for this team. While not a big team, SMU does feature Samet Yigitoglu (he’s built like De Ridder, only he’s three inches taller.) He didn’t have a great game, but he harried Johan Grunloh and Thijs De Ridder into going 1/3 and 4/10 at the rim respectively.

Plus

I love the orange. My biggest gripe with Tony Bennett was his wanting to make us look like Penn State. Virginia is blue and orange. I’m glad Ryan Odom has gotten in right.

Minus

The color commentator was Jim Boeheim, and, man, was it like watching basketball with your grandfather. He analysis was along the lines of “bigs gotta score close to the rim,” and “Europeans make their foul shots.” He also called Malik Thomas a freshman. Twice. He did correct himself by saying that he got Thomas confused with Louisville’s Mikel Brown. Not sure how much prep he put into this game.

Plus

Gotta love Chance Mallory on the boards.

YEAH CHANCE 😤

📺 @espn #GoHoos pic.twitter.com/RHTui4lcqX
— Virginia Men's Basketball (@UVAMensHoops) January 17, 2026

Plus

As an added bonus, Will Wade and NC State lost to Georgia Tech. Every Will Wade loss is a good loss.

Next Up: Virginia hosts North Carolina, who are down 12 to Cal as I write this, on Saturday, January 24th. Tip off is 2:00pm and the game will be on ESPN.