Virginia basketball opened the 2026-27 season in rare air Monday, landing at No. 9 in the first AP Poll of the campaign.
That marks the Cavaliers’ highest preseason spot since they checked in at No. 4 to start the 2020-21 season. After beginning each of the last three years unranked, Virginia has climbed back fast under Coach Ryan Odom.
The ranking reflects just how much is back in Charlottesville. Virginia is among a small group of teams in college basketball that returned every rotation player who still had eligibility.
Most programs had to rebuild around the transfer portal. The Cavaliers did not.
Three of Virginia’s main starters are back, and so is sophomore guard Chance Mallory, who is viewed as a breakout candidate with star potential. Odom also added reinforcements through the portal in Jurian Dixon of UC Irvine, Christian Harmon of Arkansas State, Jan Vide of Loyola Marymount and Kalu Anya of Saint Louis.
There are more pieces in the mix too, including German wing Nolan Adekunle and freshman center Favour Ibe. On paper, this group has the look of a team built around shooting, continuity and defense that can choke opponents out.
The schedule, though, is going to demand answers early. Virginia opens with two manageable home games - Nov. 3 against Drexel and Nov. 6 against Northeastern - before heading to Washington, D.C. for a Sunday matchup at Capital One Arena against No.
12 Arkansas. That early clash could push the Cavaliers even higher in the rankings.
And Arkansas is only the start of it. Virginia’s schedule includes six games against teams ranked to begin the season, a brutal slate by any measure. Few teams will end up with that many games against top-14 opponents.
Odom set it up that way for a reason. After Virginia’s loss to Tennessee in the second round of the 2026 NCAA Tournament, he wanted a team that would be tested often, with regular-season games that feel like postseason stress. The Cavaliers will also see North Carolina, Marquette and other teams that could enter the rankings later on, and the ACC will supply its usual share of surprises.
The message from the pollsters is clear: Virginia asked for the hard road, and they’ve been rewarded for it with a top-10 spot before the season even tips.
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After both teams stumbled in Week 7, the Week 8 matchup between Duke and Virginia suddenly carries a little more weight in the ACC race. For the Cavaliers, the concern starts with how well Duke can lean on its most reliable offensive piece, because the Blue Devils have built a balanced attack around one player who drives production on the ground and through the air.
Virginias defense has enough issues already, but the run game has been a particularly vulnerable spot and the numbers point to real trouble if that trend continues. Duke comes in with the stronger offensive profile, so this may come down to whether the Cavaliers can hold up at the line of scrimmage long enough to keep the game from tilting toward a familiar script. [Read more 🡒]
Virginia Has A Real Chance To Shake Up Duke In Prime Time
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For Virginia, the appeal is obvious: this is the kind of stage where a home crowd can matter and where a confident offense can put pressure on a defense that has had trouble creating takeaways. The Cavaliers have shown an ability to force mistakes, and Dukes recent slide raises the kind of questions that make a late-night ACC matchup feel bigger than a regular-season game. [Read more 🡒]
Tony Elliotts Weekly Show Just Became More Than A Routine Stop
Tony Elliotts weekly radio stop is getting a little more texture this week, with UVA Coachs Corner set for Tuesday, Oct. 20 at Dairy Market in Charlottesville and student-athlete Kam Robinson joining as the guest. The show has long been part of the rhythm around Virginia football, but the setting gives it a more public-facing feel, with Dairy Market continuing as the presenting sponsor and helping keep the conversation rooted in the community.
The bigger shift comes next month, when Coachs Corner moves into a new studio format and begins being video-recorded for the stretch run of football season and on into mens basketball. That change gives the show a broader reach and a more polished presentation, and it also sets up more opportunities for UVA student-athletes to be part of the program, including special appearances planned at Dairy Market down the line. [Read more 🡒]