Virginia Men's Basketball Claims New Spot in Updated KenPom Rankings

Where did the Virginia Cavaliers land in the latest KenPom rankings?

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Chance Mallory (2) reacts after a basket during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

The Virginia Cavaliers men's basketball program has built up quite a bit of momentum this season. Despite having so many fresh faces and a new coach, the chemistry on the court is apparent. The Cavaliers' season is well underway, and things are looking encouraging for the program.

With their ongoing success, were the Cavaliers able to find a new spot in the KenPom rankings this week?

Where Did UVA Land?

Dec 3, 2025; Austin, Texas, USA; Virginia Cavaliers guard Mark Thomas (1) reacts to a basket during the second half against the Texas Longhorns at Moody Center. Mandatory Credit: Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images | Dustin Safranek-Imagn Images

According to the latest KenPom rankings, Virginia has found a new home at No. 21. Considering the Cavaliers currently own an imposing overall record of 8-1, it doesn't come as a major surprise that they have continued to climb in the rankings. So far, their only loss this season has been to Butler on Nov. 23, in which the Bulldogs clinched an 80-73 victory. Their latest matchup resulted in an 86-73 win over Dayton. Following the game, head coach Ryan Odom stated:

"This is an NCAA-type tournament game. You schedule these games for that reason. Dayton as a team and Coach Grant have done a great job of, you know, getting their program into the NCAA tournament on multiple occasions and winning games. They believe that they're going to win. We talked to our team well before the game about, you know, they play with a chip on their shoulder. They are a high major. They are a high-major program that expects to win, you know, every game. And so for us, to play against an opponent like that and have that type of pressure put on us, will pay dividends for us in the long run.”

Indeed, UVA was tested during this contest, but they have been carving out an impressive name for themselves. With Odom and several of his players being new to UVA, their success right off the bat is promising. Not to mention, they have already proven their ability to consistently climb in the rankings.

The Cavaliers' next matchup is scheduled for tonight at 7 p.m. EST when they face Maryland Eastern Shore at John Paul Jones Arena. Virginia will likely claim the victory, but this does not mean that the game will come effortlessly. However, with UVA's frontcourt dominance, it's hard to imagine a world in which the Cavaliers face a loss to MD Eastern this week. Another win would give them another chance to climb further up the KenPom and AP rankings in weeks to come.